The Wedding Singer (1998)
81%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 7 nominations
It’s decidedly uneven — and surprisingly sappy for an early Adam Sandler comedy — but The Wedding Singer is also sweet, funny, and beguiling
The Wedding Singer” is a rom-com classic that will have you laughing and swooning in equal measure. With Adam Sandler at his charming best and Drew Barrymore as his perfect match, this movie is a feel-good hit that will leave you humming ’80s tunes for days. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy and predictable, but that’s all part of the fun. And who can resist a cameo from Billy Idol? So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready to fall in love with “The Wedding Singer.
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Mace Neufeld Productions, Nina Saxon Film Design
Distributor
New Line Cinema
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
43 Sierra Place, Sierra Madre, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sex-related material and language
Year of Release
1998
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 36m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 13, 1998 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 10, 2005
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
Keyword(s)
starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, Matthew Glave, Ellen Albertini Dow, directed by Frank Coraci, written by Tim Herlihy, comedy, romance, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Leonard Klady, Liam Lacey, Ruthe Stein, Ali Barclay, Kevin Thomas, Marc Savlov, Charlotte Harrison, Brian Gill, Yael Shuv, Betty Jo Tucker, Charles Cassady
Worldwide gross: $123,306,987
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $226,285,708
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 629
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 24,676,740
US/Canada gross: $80,245,725
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $147,262,220
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 525
US/Canada opening weekend: $18,865,080
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $34,620,082
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 377
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $18,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $33,032,538
Production budget ranking: 1,102
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $17,788,022
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $175,465,148
ROI to date (est.): 345%
ROI ranking: 401
Drew Barrymore – Julia ‘Jules’ Sullivan
Christine Taylor – Holly Sullivan
Allen Covert – Sammy
Matthew Glave – Glenn Guglia
Ellen Albertini Dow – Rosie
Director(s)
Frank Coraci
Writer(s)
Tim Herlihy
Producer(s)
Jack Giarraputo, Robert Simonds
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (64) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (20)
Supporting players are uniformly strong, and Coraci deserves much credit for exacting just the right degree of outrageousness without spinning into some wild orbit.
June 1, 2008
Leonard Klady
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Finally, an Adam Sandler comedy that you can sit through without wanting to throw a mallet through the screen.
July 12, 2002 | Rating: 2/4
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
As Robbie Hart, a former lead singer in a rock band reduced to performing at weddings, Sandler goes for more than the easy laughs.
June 18, 2002 | Rating: 2/4
Ruthe Stein
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
At its best, it is a gentle, well-portrayed, feel good film.
April 17, 2001 | Rating: 3/5
Ali Barclay
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
A sparkling romantic comedy, the kind of picture that glides by so gracefully and unpretentiously that it’s only upon reflection that you realize how much skill, caring and good judgment had to have gone into its making.
February 14, 2001
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Like the cinematic equivalent of cotton candy, it might make you yak, but it tastes pretty good going down.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
So funny and charming, with some excellent cameos.
December 2, 2020
Charlotte Harrison
Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies
There’s some cheap nostalgia at play here (okay, maybe a lot) but it’s more than made up for with genuine laughs and a ton of heart.
November 16, 2018 | Rating: A-
Brian Gill
Mad About Movies Podcast
Puppy charm, retro-hip and some good old-fashioned romantic chemistry lift a traditional comedy to the brighter realms of a pleasant, quirky and genuinely touching slice of matinee entertainment.
June 1, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Yael Shuv
Total Film
The chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore is something special to see here, and I think ‘The Wedding Singer’ ends up being Sandler’s best movie.
January 27, 2013
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Not the most original comedy, but many will enjoy.
December 15, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Charles Cassady
Common Sense Media
The tone set by director Frank Coraci tends to the cartoonishly broad while making jokes at the expense of grotesques. [Blu-ray]
May 25, 2009 | Rating: 2/4
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews…
Plot
Robbie Hart is singing the hits of the 1980s at weddings and other celebrations. He also can keep the party going in good spirit, he knows what to say and when to say it. Julia is a waitress at the events where Robbie performs. When both of them find someone to marry and prepare for their weddings, it becomes clear that they’ve chosen wrong partners.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for The Wedding Singer.
Frank-Coraci.jpg
