A broad, uneven Adam Sandler rom-com that works best as a sweet, low-stakes class-fish-out-of-water comedy with a few genuinely charming moments. It’s not a sharp satire, but if you like Sandler’s goofier persona, Winona Ryder’s presence, and early-2000s studio-comedy energy, there’s enough here to enjoy.
Mr. Deeds
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Comedy · Romance
Fri · 1h 37m
Director: Steven Brill
Starring: Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, John Turturro
Overview
When Longfellow Deeds, a small-town pizzeria owner and poet, inherits $40 billion from his deceased uncle, he quickly begins rolling in a different kind of dough. Moving to the big city, Deeds finds himself besieged by opportunists all gunning for their piece of the pie. Babe, a television tabloid reporter, poses as an innocent small-town girl to do an exposé on Deeds.
Director
Steven Brill
Cast
Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, John Turturro
Curator Review
Verdict
A broad, uneven Adam Sandler rom-com that works best as a sweet, low-stakes class-fish-out-of-water comedy with a few genuinely charming moments. It’s not a sharp satire, but if you like Sandler’s goofier persona, Winona Ryder’s presence, and early-2000s studio-comedy energy, there’s enough here to enjoy.
Best for
Adam Sandler fans
viewers who like goofy fish-out-of-water comedies
fans of light romantic comedies with a sentimental streak
people curious about early-2000s studio comedy
Skip if
you want a tightly written satire
you dislike broad slapstick and tonal inconsistency
you’re looking for a strong romance
you prefer subtle or sophisticated comedy
Overview
Mr. Deeds is a very 2002 kind of comedy: loud, sentimental, and only intermittently interested in being clever. The setup is sturdy enough — a small-town poet inherits absurd wealth and gets swallowed by New York opportunists — but the movie is mostly content to ride on Sandler’s likable oddball energy and a few scattered bits that land harder than they should.
Worth noting
What keeps it from collapsing entirely is the sweetness. Sandler plays Deeds with a genuine softness that gives the romance some warmth, and Winona Ryder brings a cool, watchable edge to the tabloid reporter role. The movie also benefits from strong supporting turns and a handful of memorable comic images, even when the script feels muddled about whether it wants satire, slapstick, or a sincere love story.
Bottom line
As a whole, it’s more pleasant than good: a comfort-watch comedy with a rough shape but enough charm to justify its cultish afterlife. If you’re in the mood for an easygoing star vehicle rather than a polished rom-com, it can still do the job.
Top Letterboxd reviews
tony ceccarelli · 727 likes
Just felt like seeing Winona Ryder.
James (Schaffrillas) · 606 likes
I watched this when I was 14 and did not like it
Lydia Roberts (3.5★) · 594 likes
Yeah so what if Sandler's poem for Winona Ryder made my insides feel warm who are you to judge
emmanuel (3.5★) · 519 likes
laughed way too hard at this at 1am. adam sandler just fucks people up it’s so funny like why is he so strong.
theo (2★) · 504 likes
if i lost winona ryder and $40 billion in one day i would’ve offed myself
1984 · Comedy, Romance, Fantasy · 1h 50m · PG · Where to watch: Disney Plus
A sweet, mainstream romance-comedy that balances fantasy, awkwardness, and sincerity.
Themes
class divide, fish-out-of-water, inheritance and sudden wealth, media opportunism, romantic comedy, small-town innocence vs city cynicism, sentimentality, early-2000s studio comedy
Topics
romantic comedy, fish-out-of-water, class satire, inheritance, tabloid media, sentimental, slapstick, early 2000s, New York City, feel-good