A New Wave Love Song
Wedding Singer Finds Romance in 1985

When we first meet Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler), wedding singer extraordinaire, he is smack dab in the middle of his craft crooning out the latest dance hits in 1985. By the time the night is over, two things become apparent: Robbie is good at what he does and he's a great guy. A nice guy in the middle of the '80s? If one only remembers the greed, vanity, and shallowness of those years it seems hard to believe. But the people who made The Wedding Singer remember another side to the "Decade of Greed" and they do so with fondness.

The Wedding Singer is a love story at heart. Sandler portrays the title character, a wedding singer who only earns $60 a gig but lives to entertain people. When not singing, he comes across as a cross between Albert Schweitzer and Mother Teresa, helping people and making them happy with the good graces of a saint.

After Robbie is left at the altar, his career begins to plummet. He finds himself unable to even be around weddings, and makes a disaster when he returns to work. Passing on his usual wedding songs, Robbie and his band belt out the J. Geils Band's classic "Love Stinks."

When everything seems to be a total loss, he befriends a new girl on the catering staff named Julia (Drew Barrymore) who asks for help in planning her own wedding. Unable to resist her charm, he delves into his expert knowledge of wedding florists, photographers, and dresses to make her dreams of a big wedding come true. As he becomes more involved in Julia's life, Robbie's feelings for her begin to change. Before long, he realizes that friendship has given way to something stronger.

There is a underlying sense of sweetness here, in Sandler's portrayal of Robbie and throughout the story. While the answer to the question of Robbie and Julia's happiness seems obvious from early on, there is a very real progression to their friendship which is both romantic and believable.

Sandler is backed by a fun supporting cast, including Steve Buscemi as an obnoxious best man at the opening wedding party. Also appearing are Christine Taylor as Julia's overly-friendly cousin, Holly, and Allen Covert as Robbie's fashion daring pal Sammy. Rocker Billy Idol even makes a brief cameo as himself.

For those of us who are still living in the '80s, the sights and sounds of The Wedding Singer offer comfortable surroundings. From Rubik's Cube to "Miami Vice," there are enough references to those bygone days of yore to make one yearn for a can of New Coke. Of course, the real treat is the continuous soundtrack from the '80s, featuring everything from David Bowie to The Police. The music made me ache in remembrance of Martha Quinn on MTV.

No doubt, The Wedding Singer will be touted as the next great "date movie" for the weeks to come. It's no small coincidence New Line Cinema released it on Valentine's Day weekend. Sandler (I've been told) is cute and charming to women. No offense, but I don't see it myself.

RATING: 8 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 96 min.

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