Anger Management
(2003)
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ANGER MANAGEMENT, directed by Peter 'NUTTY PROFESSOR 2' Segal, looks into the life of Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler), an executive assistant at a pet clothing company. The mild-mannered but overly passive Dave is in love with his girlfriend, Linda (Marisa Tomei), yet his anxious personality keeps him from taking things further, both in their relationship and in his career. However, Dave's life takes a strange turn when he is wrongly accused of 'air rag'" on a flight and sentenced to mandatory anger management classes. Eccentric anger guru Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) becomes Dave's therapist, but when Buddy abruptly moves in with Dave, the doctor-patient relationship takes an unusual turn. |
Following in the wake of his art house experiment Punch-Drunk Love, Adam Sandler again gives a relatively restrained performance but is back in the mainstream with this comedy. He plays mild-mannered businessman Dave Buznik who, after a misunderstanding regarding some in-flight headphones, is ordered into anger management under the counsel of spirited shrink Dr Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson). Rydell's methods are unusual, to say the least — he moves in with Sandler while making a move on his girlfriend Marisa Tomei — but director Peter Segal never really mines the comedy that this pairing and premise deserve. However, this does get by on true star power, Nicholson being one of the very few Hollywood actors who can out-shout Sandler.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Sporadically amusing comedy for as long as Sandler's propensity for playing an aggressive man-child is held in check.