You know, there are some movies that you rewatch as an adult, and you wonder, “Why the heck did I enjoy that when I was a child?” There are plenty that I could name right here alone.
From some of the silly Barbie movies I used to watch to ridiculous Scooby-Doo straight-to-DVD films to some comedy flicks that had no substance whatsoever, our tastes change as we grow older. And often, when we revisit things that made us happy as kids, we don’t feel the same way.
But what movie did I actually feel the same way about? Grown Ups. And I’m tired of people making fun of the film. I recently rewatched it just for fun – on a day where it felt like I had nothing to do and wished to revisit a movie that I absolutely loved as a kid, and now, I still don’t get why people don’t like it more. Here is my reasoning.
Yes, It’s Not Like Adam Sandler’s Classics
Now, am I going to sit here and tell you that Grown Ups is one of Adam Sandler’s best films? No, I am not, and I’m pretty sure if I did, I’d get whatever imaginary license for entertainment journalism I have taken away from me. I’m not that protective of this film.
It’s not a Sandler rom-com. It’s not Happy Gilmore. It’s not The Waterboy. It’s not The Wedding Singer – and it never will be. I think there is an inherent charm about a lot of Adam Sandler’s earlier films, even if they most certainly did not age super well with time. And nowadays, it’s challenging to pull something like that off with how the political climate has shifted over the last several decades.
While Grown Ups was released in the early 2010s, even then, the culture was far different from how it was when Sandler first began making movies, so of course, it’s not going to be the same.
Even so, there is still a lot to love about this movie.
But That Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Funny
I think my biggest issue is that a lot of people don’t find this movie that funny – or, at the very least, most highly ranked critics don’t. The 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes speaks for itself. And I think that’s a load of BS.
Look, I’m going to be honest with you – do I sometimes want a very clever comedy film where the jokes are highly thought out, and you sometimes need to rewatch the movie again to understand? Sure. Occasionally, I need a film like that, one that really tests my comprehension skills as a movie and TV journalist. Without those, I wouldn’t be able to advance as a writer.
But I also sometimes don’t want that. There are great comedy movies out there that define the definition of what comedy can be, but Grown Ups is the type of film where it’s not looking to do that – it’s looking to make you chuckle with the most simplest of humor, and at the end of the day, that’s all you need.
You can’t have a good comedy film if you don’t have chemistry, and the Grown Ups cast is the definition of chemistry, which is why it astounds me to see that Rotten Tomatoes score so low.
These five comedic actors – Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade, Chris Rock and Rob Schneider – work so well off of each other and create moments in this film that genuinely have made me snort out my morning coffee even now as an adult. Granted, I am my father’s daughter – most things very easily amuse me, and I think that’s a great way to live life.
But I wouldn’t get to that point in this film if the comedians didn’t already have that inherent energy. And you want to know the best part? They’re all friends in real life, which is what makes the chemistry so good.
At a certain point, you’re not watching the characters on the screen – you’re watching Sandler and his buddies rip on each other, and you love that aspect of this comedy. It’s like you’re back in high school with your teenage cohorts, and you’re trying to do some ridiculous dare to prove yourself to the person you like. It’s reminiscent and makes you smile.
And The Kids Actually Work Well Together, Too
Something else that I didn’t realize as a kid but do now as an adult is that the kids in this film are actually perfect, too, comedic-wise. And to me, that’s one of the biggest compliments, and another reason it baffles me is that critics don’t at least enjoy this film. Heck, some of these child stars are acting today.
Do you know how hard it is to find an actually good comedic child actor who’s not cringy or trying to put too much energy into their role? I can’t tell you how many movies I have viewed where it’s nearly impossible because they have the worst child imaginable portraying a kid who makes me want to scream and not laugh because they are so stiff.
However, in Grown Ups, these kids are actually good. Like, really good. Their comedic timing is on point, and they have some hilarious one-liners that still make me snicker to this day. I mean, I still say, “I wanna get chocolate wasted!” now because I find that line hysterical. How many little girls can you get that will authentically say that with their whole chest and have it feel believable?
I mean, it makes sense in a way – these child actors have to keep up with Adam Sandler and his whole slew of buddies. They had to lock in tight to make sure they could keep up with them, and they did on a whole other level.
It’s The Kind Of Movie Where You Can Turn Your Brain Off, And That’s A Good Thing
My biggest gripe about people not liking this film, however, is that it’s okay to watch a comedy movie – or just a film in general – and turn your brain off.
Sure, there are so many notable films out there that display the brilliance of cinema. I just saw Sinners and fell in love with movies all over again because of how incredibly well-done that entire story and experience were. But sometimes, I don’t need a movie phenomenon such as that to make me enjoy the film as a whole.
Sometimes, I need a movie like Grown Ups, where I laugh at simple things, share a drink with a friend or a family member, and relax on the couch—no thoughts, just vibes.
And that’s okay. The film world, inherently, is filled to the absolute brim with lovers of cinema, where they feel the need to comment on every waking aspect of how a movie is shot, who is in it, and the quality of everything – from a single set all the way down to how a burger was framed in the lens of a camera. They care about their craft.
However, I feel that if we don’t take a second to have fun with these movies every once in a while and enjoy films like this one, where it is just there for fun, we risk losing parts of ourselves that we can’t get back. In fact, watching Grown Ups reminds me that there’s still a little piece of my childhood innocence that resides within my heart because I still laugh at the same jokes, and while to some that may feel immature, to me, that’s beautiful.
Most should watch Grown Ups, if not for the silly jokes, then for the fun that you experience watching five friends have fun with their families during the summer. It’s not Adam Sandler’s best, but it’s a fun film regardless – and that’s something I always value, and you should value as well, irrespective of what Rotten Tomatoes says.