There's a scene in BILLY MADISON where our doltish hero is faking making out with a photo of his hot teacher. Not only does the unabashedly sophomoric Adam Sandler french the glass of the frame, he also unbuttons her imaginary blouse and cops an imaginary feel. It's the sort of thing you'd expect to see in a junior high classroom after the teacher leaves the room. It's also quite hilarious because, you see, BILLY MADISON is the kind of movie you'd roll your eyes at if that immature side of you wasn't still kicking.
BILLY MADISON launched the big screen career of Sandler, who was winding down his memorable stint at the floundering Saturday NIGHT LIVE at the time. He's perfectly cast as a young man (man-child, really) forced to go back to grade school in order to inherit the family fortune. Why? Because Billy is such a dipstick that his daddy had to pay off his teachers to pass him the first time around. Now the jig is up, and Billy must prove he's got what it takes to get through each grade on his own. Come on, be honest... how can you resist that premise?
Along the way, Billy makes nonsensical inspirational speeches, accepts a dare to touch his teacher's boob (yes, the same teacher... and yes, Sandler was just as keen on boob jokes a decade ago), and somehow makes it cool to pee your pants. No wonder, then that just about every mainstream critic condemned BILLY MADISON to the turkey table. Their biggest beef? That the film is little more than a childish mishmash of bathroom (and boob) jokes.
Is that a fair assessment? Objectively speaking, you'd have to think so. But that doesn't make it a bad movie. Sandler wasn't trying to create something that would make the Turner Classic Movies lineup fifty years from now. He was trying to make a certain (and surprisingly broad) audience laugh, and in that he succeeded. It ain't perfect, and there are a lot of misses for every funnybone hit, but BILLY MADISON is worth the 90 minuets -- as long as your immature side is still kicking.
BILLY MADISON launched the big screen career of Sandler, who was winding down his memorable stint at the floundering Saturday NIGHT LIVE at the time. He's perfectly cast as a young man (man-child, really) forced to go back to grade school in order to inherit the family fortune. Why? Because Billy is such a dipstick that his daddy had to pay off his teachers to pass him the first time around. Now the jig is up, and Billy must prove he's got what it takes to get through each grade on his own. Come on, be honest... how can you resist that premise?
Along the way, Billy makes nonsensical inspirational speeches, accepts a dare to touch his teacher's boob (yes, the same teacher... and yes, Sandler was just as keen on boob jokes a decade ago), and somehow makes it cool to pee your pants. No wonder, then that just about every mainstream critic condemned BILLY MADISON to the turkey table. Their biggest beef? That the film is little more than a childish mishmash of bathroom (and boob) jokes.
Is that a fair assessment? Objectively speaking, you'd have to think so. But that doesn't make it a bad movie. Sandler wasn't trying to create something that would make the Turner Classic Movies lineup fifty years from now. He was trying to make a certain (and surprisingly broad) audience laugh, and in that he succeeded. It ain't perfect, and there are a lot of misses for every funnybone hit, but BILLY MADISON is worth the 90 minuets -- as long as your immature side is still kicking.