I just watched Happy Gilmore, and let me tell you - this movie is way better than I expected! I went in thinking it would be silly and childish, but it actually tells a really good story that's easy to follow and has a lot of heart. With the 2025 sequel now out on Netflix, it's the perfect time to revisit this classic that started it all.
The Story
The movie is about a guy named Happy Gilmore who lives with his grandmother and has always dreamed of being a professional hockey player. But Happy has a big problem - he's terrible at hockey! He can hit the puck really, really far because he's super strong, but he can't skate very well at all. Every time he tries out for hockey teams, they reject him because his skating is so bad.
One day, Happy finds out that his grandmother owes a lot of money to the government for taxes on her house. If she doesn't pay, they'll take her house away! Happy is desperate to help her, so he tries different jobs to make money. That's when he discovers something amazing - he can hit golf balls incredibly far, much farther than anyone else. When he tries golf for the first time, people are shocked at how powerful his swing is.
A golf instructor named Chubbs Peterson sees Happy's talent and decides to teach him how to play golf properly. Chubbs is missing one hand because an alligator bit it off years ago, but he's still a great teacher. He tells Happy that if he gets good enough, he could make lots of money playing professional golf and save his grandmother's house.
So Happy joins the professional golf tour, but he's completely different from all the other golfers. While they're quiet and polite, Happy is loud and gets angry easily. He yells at the golf ball, throws his clubs when he's frustrated, and even gets into fights with people in the crowd. The other golfers and golf fans don't like him at all because he doesn't follow the traditional rules of how golfers should behave.
The main bad guy in the movie is Shooter McGavin, who's the best golfer on the tour. Shooter is snobby, mean, and thinks he's better than everyone else. He really hates Happy because Happy is getting all the attention and fans, even though Happy doesn't act like a "proper" golfer. Shooter tries all sorts of nasty tricks to get rid of Happy, including hiring someone to hit Happy with a car!
Throughout the movie, Happy slowly gets better at golf, especially the putting part, which is where you gently hit the ball into the hole. At first, Happy was terrible at putting because he was used to hitting everything as hard as possible. But with practice and Chubbs' help, he learns to be more gentle and patient.
Happy also falls in love with Virginia, who works for the golf tour. She's kind and smart, and she helps Happy learn how to control his anger and be a better person. There's also a really funny part where Happy has to deal with a mean nursing home worker played by Ben Stiller, who's really cruel to the elderly people.
The movie builds up to a big final golf tournament where Happy and Shooter compete against each other. Happy needs to win to get enough money to save his grandmother's house. During the tournament, Shooter does more cheating and dirty tricks, but Happy manages to stay focused. In a dramatic final moment, Happy makes an incredible shot to win the tournament.
But then Shooter tries to steal the winner's golden jacket and runs away with it! Luckily, a huge, intimidating man who works at the golf course chases after Shooter and gives him the beating he deserves. Happy wins, saves his grandmother's house, gets the girl, and becomes a golf champion.
My Review
What I loved most about Happy Gilmore is how it mixes really funny comedy with a sweet story about family. Happy truly cares about his grandmother and will do anything to help her, which makes you root for him even when he's acting crazy. Adam Sandler does a great job making Happy likeable despite his anger problems - you can tell he's a good person who just gets frustrated easily.
The movie is full of quotes that people still remember today. Lines like "The price is wrong!" when Happy fights Bob Barker (a real TV game show host), or "I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast!" are so ridiculous that they're hilarious. The Bob Barker fight scene is probably the funniest part of the whole movie - seeing this elderly TV host beat up Happy in a fistfight is completely unexpected and amazing.
Shooter McGavin is one of the best movie villains ever. He's not scary or dangerous like villains in action movies - he's just so snobbish and mean that you really want to see him lose. The actor Christopher McDonald makes Shooter both hilarious and hateable at the same time. Every time he does his little finger-gun gesture or says something snotty, you want Happy to beat him even more.
The supporting characters are great too. Chubbs is wise and encouraging, like a mentor figure who believes in Happy when no one else does. Carl Weathers, who plays Chubbs, brings a lot of warmth to the role. And the relationship between Happy and Virginia feels real - she doesn't just fall for him immediately, but helps him become a better person first.
What surprised me is how the movie teaches good lessons without being preachy. Happy learns that talent alone isn't enough - you need patience, practice, and self-control to succeed. He also learns that being different isn't necessarily bad, but you sometimes need to find the right place where your differences can be strengths. The movie shows that working-class people like Happy can succeed in fancy, upper-class environments like professional golf if they're willing to work hard and adapt.
The golf scenes are really well done, especially for people who don't know much about golf. They make it easy to understand what's happening and why each shot matters. When Happy hits the ball incredibly far, you feel the excitement, and when he struggles with putting, you feel his frustration.
Sure, some of the humor is pretty simple and there are a few jokes that might seem mean-spirited today. Happy can be verbally harsh with people, and some of his angry outbursts are a bit much. But the movie never makes you think that being angry all the time is good - it clearly shows that Happy needs to learn to control his temper to be successful and happy.
The movie also does something interesting with sports movies. Usually, the underdog hero is pure and good while everyone else is corrupt. But in Happy Gilmore, the golf world isn't really evil - it's just very traditional and stuffy. Happy brings energy and excitement to a sport that had become boring for many people. By the end, even some of the other golfers and fans start to appreciate what Happy brings to the game.
Final Verdict
Overall, Happy Gilmore works because it has heart underneath all the silliness. It's about a guy who loves his family, discovers his talent, learns to improve himself, and stands up to bullies. The comedy comes from the situation and characters rather than just making fun of people, which is why it still feels funny today rather than mean or outdated.
If you want a comedy that will make you laugh but also make you feel good, Happy Gilmore is perfect. It's got great characters, funny dialogue, exciting sports action, and a story that shows how being true to yourself - while still being willing to grow and change - can lead to success. Even though it's almost 30 years old, it feels fresh and entertaining, which is the mark of a really good comedy.
And if you enjoy this classic, make sure to check out our review of Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) to see how the sequel compares to this masterpiece.
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