Now and then, there comes a film no self-respecting "serious" film critic would admit to liking. Since I am not of this category, let me unabashedly say that "The Wedding Singer" is possibly one of the best guilty pleasures of recent cinematic history. With a story so old and tired (boy and girl take whole movie and several wrong partners to realise they are meant for each other) it has no right to succeed at all, the movie nonetheless has an effervescent charm that will put a smile on the faces of audiences everywhere. So it's not high art - so what?

Back in 1985, a failed rock star wannabe turned big time wedding singer (Sandler) gets stood up at the altar by his bride. Dejected, he is befriended by a kind gamine waitress (Barrymore), and it takes all of 90 minutes for the pair to waltz down the aisle themselves. The plot is pointless and practically non-existent. What makes the movie fun and enjoyable is its invocation of the 80s, which in my opinion, is more deserving of a revival than the decade that taste forgot (the 70s) - in particular, by making the title character a wedding singer, the filmmakers have given themselves the perfect excuse to dredge up some classic 80s hits and include them on the soundtrack. Don't underestimate the power of these songs - members in the audience of the screening I saw the movie at were singing along in parts, bopping in their seats.

Part parody, part love story, the film works mostly because of the curious appeal that Adam Sandler possesses. His earlier films have always seen him in roles where he's an anarchist who's reformed, and that is a part he doesn't play particularly well, since, (a) he doesn't look particularly anarchistic and (b) he isn't much of an actor so playing against his looks isn't really a viable option for him. Here, playing a teddy bear who shows signs of occasional sarcasm and streaks of cruelty, he has found the perfect film persona which makes him likeable and endearing to the audience, with just enough of an edge to be interesting. He is ably paired with Barrymore, in a performance many critics have termed "limp". Whilst it is true that the usually effervescent Barrymore seems somewhat wan in the movie, she does brim with a sort of soft, almost gentle charm - now, that's acting coming from her. The pair make a cute couple, and they are aided by the soundtrack, a pair of TRULY hilarious cameos by Jon Lovitz and Steve Buscemi, some pretty savy scripting (all the usual 80s suspects are here, from breakdancing, bad hair, DeLoreans, "Miami Vice") and a standout supporting performance by Alexis Arquette in a role which has almost no lines, but which generates a barrel of laughs.

Utterly forgettable, "The Wedding Singer" is nonetheless a joyously unpretentious mindless romp through the 80s. Sit back and wallow in it. No one needs to know.

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© Copyright 1998. If you've got anything to add, write me at terrybrogan@hotmail.com. Or don't. Whatever.