Punch-Drunk Love is hands down one of my favorite films of all time, and is the only movie that Adam Sandler's been in that I would rate above a 7/10.

There is an article on MSN about Adam Sandler:

http://movies.msn.com/movies/moviesf...ndler?GT1=7701

and they also put PDL as their #1. But, if you read the comments on the article, many people seem to disagree:



























So, what's the deal? I mean, I can enjoy his mid-90's comedies, so it's not like I'm some strict art-house only kind of person, but Punch-Drunk Love is far and away his best film, right?

Does anybody else wish that this movie could get some more appreciation?

Wasn't Punch Drunk Love one of his first serious movies? I personally reallly liked it and its the only PTA movie i don't own.

I think that the only serious movies that he's done are:

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Spanglish (2004)
Reign Over Me (2007)

So, yeah, I guess it would be his first serious movie.

Ironically, Punch-Drunk Love and Spanglish are the best films Sandler has done.







With Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore a close second.

Also my mom rented it after it came out and called it the worst movie she's ever seen, then again, she's loved all the other PTA movies, especially 'there will be blood'.

i think this was his first movie that wasn't marketed as a screwball comedy.
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i wonder indeed what people were thinking this movie would be like.

I love PDL. I only first saw it about a year ago but I fell in love with it instantly. I was walking through Best Buy one day and saw that they had the 2-disc for only $9.99 so I bought it. I had all the other PTA movies and thought I might as well give this one a shot. The only reason I hadn't seen it was because of Sandler. After seeing this flick I was a Sandler fan.

i remember seeing this in the theatre and i knew ahead of time that it wouldn't be a typical adam sandler movie. i was already obsessed with pt anderson so i knew it would be different/odd. i loved every second of it but i don't think anyone else in the theatre did. i seem to remember a couple people walking out during the movie and after the credits started rolling i overheard an older man saying to his wife "what a terrible terrible movie" and i just said to my friend "fucking masterpiece". but whatever to each their own.

This is what happens when fanatics of broad comedies unexpectedly come in contact with an art film. Funny reading.
My experience was similar. I took my mom to see it. There were about seven people in the audience. We were the only ones laughing.

I had a similar experience where me and a friend loved it in theaters only to hear a bunch of people walking out saying it was the worst thing they've ever seen.

And I really really hate the whole "Film is only about entertainment" argument. Just because thats what you get from it doesn't make it the sole purpose of the medium.

I saw it hoping it would be good. It just wasn't memorable other than being his departure from a string of hit stupid movies.

I personally hate most Adam Sandler movies, but I do own and enjoy Punch Drunk Love. To each their own, I guess.

Easily one of my favourite movies of all time. By far Adam Sandler's best movie, although I think he was great in Spanglish, Reign Over Me, and Click (I like all his movies though).

A very nerve-wracking film. I was on the edge of my seat like it was a thriller or something waiting for what was going to happen next... The score really helps set that mood.

Very good film.

Word has it Daniel Day-Lewis did There Will Be Blood because he was a fan of Punch-Drunk Love.

I love PDL and saw it theatrically and own it. Adam Sandler's typical audience doesn't like it. I have heard that many times over. Now I am not a big fan of his and have probably seen less than half his films, but I have a some interest in Zohan. I guess it's the subject matter.

that "Gimme the fucking number scene" was excellent. I quote it as often as I get.

There's some love in this thread from 2002.

Not a Sandler fan but I thought he was great in PDL.
Easily his best movie.
Then again, I hate all his other films.
As for the movie itself, I would give it ***1/2 out of ****.

I hate it when films are referred to as an "(insert actor's name here) film", and are subsequently categorized and compared with other work they've done. Who gives a fuck if it's an Adam Sandler film? Watch the damn thing for what it is, and pay attention to the story line and character development.

I thought it was a great story, and that Adam did a fantastic job of portraying Barry, a man who gradually breaks out of the repression that's been holding him down for years, mostly thanks to a gaggle of mean, thoughtless, bullying, overbearing sisters, who seem to have always derived joy amongst each other out of treating Barry like a psychological punching bag.

Someone in one of those comments mentioned that the glass door scene was the best part of the movie. I don't know about "best" part, but it was definitely a standout, as you totally don't see it coming the first time you see it, and like everyone else at the table, you're just stunned, and really start to see how much anger Barry has bottled up inside from how he's been treated by his family his whole life.

The music plays a big part of the movie, IMO, and helps illustrate Barry's feelings as he's dealing with all these things going on around him. He's a ticking time-bomb, and you don't know if he's gonna snap and go off on someone or if something good is going to happen for him finally.

Great movie. I look at it not as an "Adam Sandler movie", but "a movie Adam Sandler is starring in".

I love this movie. At my wedding, my wife and I did our first dance (a waltz) to the lyrical version of "Here We Go" from the soundtrack.

One of my favorites. And if it weren't for a little movie called There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love would be my favorite Anderson movie (though they all are VERY close in ranking, including Hard Eight).

I have a crush on Kim Morgan, the author of the article, so my opinion is moot.

(though I think Punch-Drunk Love is second only to There Will Be Blood in the ranking of PTA's worst movies)

He's only made five!

I loved pdl. A lot of people just werent used to Adam Sandler doing a thought provoking film. I let a co worker borrow the dvd and she thought that the director was on an acid trip while making the movie

I wanted to love Punch Drunk Love. I really, really wanted to love it, and be proud to call it one of my favorite movies of all time.

And Adam Sandler gave an awesome performance in the movie.

But I personally thought it was bad and tried to be "different" with no real reason at all.