Adam Sandler discussed how he deals with criticism and negative reviews. As an actor, or anyone in a creative field, one has to prepare themselves for the reception they will receive after every endeavor. Either people come to appreciate your work, or they despise it. While there is no handbook for dealing with either situation, the unfavorable response generally gets to us first. It takes considerable time to adjust to criticism.
Sandler is no stranger to such ordeals. Having starred in some films that failed to resonate with the reviewers and often the audience, the comedic actor knows a thing or two about how it feels to be on the receiving end. Talking about his experiences on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, The Waterboy star revealed what hurt the most about being at the forefront of backlash from movie critics.
Kathy Bates’ Perspective On Critics Helped Adam Sandler
Talking to Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Sandler recollected telling Bates, who played the actor’s on-screen mother in The Waterboy, about his concerns over the film’s likely critical reaction. 1995’s Billy Madison led the actor to become acquainted with the phenomenon of negative reviews. The actor once recounted, as per Deadline, the harrowing and unexpected experience of having his work ripped apart by critics in newspapers. “90 percent of the papers are going, ‘This is garbage,” Sandler had remarked.
Sandler’s chat with Kathy Bates mirrored the anxiety of his previous experiences. He kept himself grounded, expecting the reviewers to downright despise The Waterboy. It was the Oscar-winning actress’ response to this apprehension that deeply moved Adam Sandler:
“I remember Kathy Bates in Waterboy, and I loved her and I loved everything she did. I remember telling her when somebody brought up critics that I was like, ‘They’re probably not gonna like it. They’re probably gonna say bad stuff, maybe don’t read it.’ And she said ‘Well, I like it, so that’s all that matters,’ or something like that. She was cool.”
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Despite Kathy Bates‘ contagious and inspirational optimism, Sandler’s forecasts came true. The Waterboy, which has a critics’ approval rating of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, failed to impress the movie reviewers of the time. By then, the Hustle star had grown used to unfavorable reception. It was, however, enough to make him feel awful about one aspect: his family.
Why Adam Sandler Was Hurt By Negative Reactions To His Films
In the same podcast, Sandler remembered what impacted him the most about the criticism and negative reviews of his films. While movie-goers had taken a liking to the actor’s lighthearted flicks, critics deemed them too immature and over-the-top. The poor reception didn’t bother the Murder Mystery alum as much as it did to think about his family. He was particularly concerned about what it must have made his family and co-workers feel. Have a look:
“When the critics started hating me, I just felt bad for my family and I just felt bad for the people who worked really hard on the movies. I mean, I had so many great actors in the movies. When we would get done shooting it, they would say to me, ‘I think the critics are really going to like this one.’ And I’d say, ‘Oh no, they’re going to say bad things, and they’re probably going to say bad things about you being in it.”
Despite the unfortunate critical reactions to most of his films, Adam Sandler is renowned today for his commercial foothold in the industry. He has also shaped much of popular culture with his iconic endeavors. They may not have been narrative masterpieces, but they were enjoyable.
As was reported by Deadline, the actor has since learned how to deal with unfavorable reviews:
“It’s okay, I get it. Critics aren’t going to connect with certain stuff and what they want to see. I understand that it’s not clicking with them.”
With 2022’s Hustle, Adam Sandler could break the stereotypical perceptions attached to most of his projects. Crowned with a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie received some of the finest reviews of Sandler’s career thus far. It’s safe to say that the naysayers have been proven wrong by the actor.
Hustle is available on Netflix. Meanwhile, The Waterboy can be streamed on Peacock.
Source: Deadline, Happy Sad Confused
