We know from experience that Adam Sandler has a fondness for Frank Capra. After all, is there anything odder than watching Sandler channel Gary Cooper in a remake of Mr. Deeds (Goes to Town)? Actually, there is. It's watching Sandler channel Jimmy Stewart in Click, a film that owes more than a little to It's a Wonderful Life. In fact, while it's more of an indirect remake of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, the Capra-esque overtones are there. To round things out, Sandler throws in a little Rip Van Winkle and nod to Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle." However, while Mr. Deeds didn't work, Click (perhaps surprisingly) does. It's because Sandler doesn't throw out the drama in a quest for laughs. There are times when the comedian falls back on his typical shtick, but the film doesn't shy away from the darkness inherent in this kind of story, and it has a heart. Sandler is Scrooge in the last act of A Christmas Carol and George Bailey in the last act of It's a Wonderful Life, and he does justice to those who have preceded him down this path.
See movie-reviews for full review
