by Jennifer Parsons
Managing Editor
Remember when crimped hair, red leather, blue eyeshadow and Boy George were “totally cool?”
“The Wedding Singer,” starring comedian Adam Sandler (“Happy Gilmore”) and Drew Barrymore (“Mad Love”), takes the viewer back to that era, when wild, stand-out fashion was in, and care-free attitudes were contagious.
Robby Hart, played by Sandler, is a struggling musician who never really made it in the rock world, let alone left his home town, and has resorted to sing at weddings.
At one of his “gigs,” Robby meets the new waitress, Julia Sullivan, played by Barrymore, and realizing they are both about to get married, they befriend one another.
Robby’s wedding is quickly approaching and ironically, his airhead fiancé, Linda, played by Angela Featherstone (“Con Air”), leaves the wedding singer standing at the altar.
He becomes depressed and disillusioned, which reflects on his job performance, as he turns a couple’s beautiful wedding into turmoil, insulting the guests and fighting with the father of the bride. From that point, Robby must resort to bar mitzvahs for a living.
He realizes that Julia’s rich, savvy fiance, Glenn, played by Matthew Glave (“Pulp Fiction”) is nothing but an unfaithful womanizer. He fears that Julia is making a terrible mistake. But is Robby looking out for her as a friend, or has she struck another chord in his heart?
“The Wedding Singer” is a hilarious flashback of the ’80s that leaves the viewer not only doubling over with laughter, but a hint of nostalgia for the lost era. Also starring in “The Wedding Singer” is Christine Taylor (“The Brady Bunch Movie”) and Allen Covert (“Happy Gilmore”), who play each of the stars’ best friends.
If the storyline itself is not an eye-catcher, the newly released soundtrack is a sure hit, with titles such as “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” by Culture Club, “White Wedding” by Billy Idol, “China Girl” by David Bowie and Sandler’s very own “Somebody Kill Me.”
Director Frank Coraci (“Murdered Innocence”) hit the spot for all the Madonna-loving, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” temperaments.
