Although we have come to expect either mediocre drama or a ton of laughs from the movies of New Hampshireite Adam Sandler, his 2006 summer blockbuster Click surprised some of his critics by falling into neither of these categories.
“Willie Waffle” of WaffleMovies.com gave Click three and a half waffles, out of a possible four, saying, “Click sells itself as an Adam Sandler comedy full of immature humor (and it is) but, after it delivers all of that, the movie reaches out to touch your brain and heart with a morality tale about living life and taking time for what is important before it is too late.”
Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is an overworked architect married to Donna Newman (Kate Beckinsale). Between managing the demands of his boss (David Hasselhoff) and finding time to spend with his wife and two children, Michael needs a quick fix for life.
During a late night trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond in search of a universal remote, Michael wanders into “The Way Beyond.” Here he meets Morty (Christopher Walken), who could easily receive the store’s “Craziest Employee of the Year” title.
Morty offers Michael exactly what he is looking for: a universal remote control that literally controls his universe; including his job, family and time management responsibilities. No more wasted time lying in bed with a cold or exhausting fights with his wife.
Even though at first he thinks he has fallen upon a diamond in the rough, it’s really just a jagged rock. This is the real essence and beauty of Click: Michael is able to realize how important these trivial moments are to life.
This ending is where dissent lies among the film critics. Pete Vonder Haar of MovieThreats.com felt, “The movie’s ending will come as a complete surprise to anyone not familiar with It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, or the 7th season of Dallas. It’s lazy. Worse, it’s not funny, something most Sandler fans – misguided or not – are probably looking for.”
However, Click was a refreshing change from the Sandler norms of pure juvenile comedy with flat characters and no real purpose. Sometimes a few Christmas carols remind us how wonderful life can be. A little Ewing family drama never hurts either.
PACE movies will be featuring Click October 3 through 7, so make sure to check it out in Hyde 220. Movie times vary, so log onto pacEEvents.org to find out what time your movie starts.