Movie · 2002 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 37m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.1/10 (165.2K ratings)
Don't let the fancy clothes fool you.
Overview
When Longfellow Deeds, a small-town pizzeria owner and poet, inherits $40 billion from his deceased uncle, he quickly begins rolling in a different kind of dough. Moving to the big city, Deeds finds himself besieged by opportunists all gunning for their piece of the pie. Babe, a television tabloid reporter, poses as an innocent small-town girl to do an exposé on Deeds.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.1/10
IMDb: 5.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 23%
Metacritic: 24
TMDB: 5.9/10
Director
Steven Brill
Production
Columbia Pictures, New Line Cinema, Happy Madison Productions, Out of the Blue... Entertainment
Cast
Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, John Turturro, Allen Covert, Peter Gallagher, Jared Harris, Erick Avari, Peter Dante, Conchata Ferrell, Harve Presnell, Steve Buscemi, Blake Clark, John McEnroe, JB Smoove, Tom McNulty, Buddy Bolton, Angelito Bautista, Scott Thompson Baker, Robert Frank Telfer, Elizabeth Owens
Where to watch
Hulu, TNT, TBS, tru TV
Curator Review
Verdict
A broad, uneven Adam Sandler rom-com that works best as a sweet, low-stakes class-fish-out-of-water comedy with a few genuinely charming moments. It’s not a sharp satire, but if you like Sandler’s goofier persona, Winona Ryder’s presence, and early-2000s studio-comedy energy, there’s enough here to enjoy.
Best for
Adam Sandler fans
viewers who like goofy fish-out-of-water comedies
fans of light romantic comedies with a sentimental streak
people curious about early-2000s studio comedy
Skip if
you want a tightly written satire
you dislike broad slapstick and tonal inconsistency
you’re looking for a strong romance
you prefer subtle or sophisticated comedy
Overview
Mr. Deeds is a very 2002 kind of comedy: loud, sentimental, and only intermittently interested in being clever. The setup is sturdy enough — a small-town poet inherits absurd wealth and gets swallowed by New York opportunists — but the movie is mostly content to ride on Sandler’s likable oddball energy and a few scattered bits that land harder than they should.
Worth noting
What keeps it from collapsing entirely is the sweetness. Sandler plays Deeds with a genuine softness that gives the romance some warmth, and Winona Ryder brings a cool, watchable edge to the tabloid reporter role. The movie also benefits from strong supporting turns and a handful of memorable comic images, even when the script feels muddled about whether it wants satire, slapstick, or a sincere love story.
Bottom line
As a whole, it’s more pleasant than good: a comfort-watch comedy with a rough shape but enough charm to justify its cultish afterlife. If you’re in the mood for an easygoing star vehicle rather than a polished rom-com, it can still do the job.
Top Letterboxd reviews
tony ceccarelli · 727 likes
Just felt like seeing Winona Ryder.
James (Schaffrillas) · 606 likes
I watched this when I was 14 and did not like it
Lydia Roberts (3.5★) · 594 likes
Yeah so what if Sandler's poem for Winona Ryder made my insides feel warm who are you to judge
emmanuel (3.5★) · 519 likes
laughed way too hard at this at 1am. adam sandler just fucks people up it’s so funny like why is he so strong.
theo (2★) · 504 likes
if i lost winona ryder and $40 billion in one day i would’ve offed myself