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I’ve come to expect the comedy movies produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions to give us not only the usual Sandler brand of comedy, but also the underlying messages that his productions have as the main stay. ‘Grown Ups’ delivers on two levels, one for adults, and one for children.
‘Grown Ups’, with an all-star cast,revolves around five good friends and former teammates who reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend with their families in tow, after their high school basketball coach passes away.
The comedians featured are among our favorites from television and movie appearances, and represent a wide range of working adults who in the course of the pursuit of providing a suitable lifestyle for their families along with the satisfaction of their career goals. For adults “Grown Ups’ reminds us that the most important aspect of relationships is the interaction with those family members.
For the children, although the worlds of adults and children may seem distantly apart because of the ‘high tech’ world they are born into, and the work-a-day world our adult lives grounds us in, there is common ground where we can meet in the middle, ‘spending time together’.
The featured comedians have a certain naturalness that comes across on screen, right down to the slightly absurd situations have an ease about them leading to a good time. A cameo by Steve Buscemi, whether it’s a drama or comedy is always a treat. And Chris Rock, who’s understated style of his later years and I find refreshing, has that ‘air of reason’ delivery of comedy I so appreciated in the recent ‘Death at a Funeral’ and is in top form as the belittled husband in ‘Grown Ups’.
“Grown Ups” starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph.
Directed by Dennis Dugan. Written by Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf. Columbia Pictures release. Rated PG-13 for crude material including suggestive references, language and some male rear nudity. Runtime: 102 minutes.
To watch the trailers! ~ To find a theater near you! ~ ‘Screen Scene’ Movie Newsletter!
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