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‘Happy Gilmore’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and The Safdie Brothers

December 10, 2019 · Happy Gilmore (1996) · Comedy · Sport · 1:42:37

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Half-Assed Internet Research

Benny Safdie▶ 8:07Price is Right had ratings boost after Happy Gilmore; observations about ball flight shots being animated/edited
Bill Simmons▶ 6:24Comedy golden era 1994-96 with movies like Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, Tommy Boy, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore; SNL cast becoming movie stars; Sandler's departure from SNL during bad season
Josh Safdie▶ 7:39Dangerfield didn't become a movie star until age 60; Sandler as absurdist comedian like Jerry Lewis; asked Sandler about still playing golf
Sean Fennessey▶ 7:47Big hit comedy movies are hard to imagine now; Sandler's SNL season looks better in retrospect

Most Rewatchable Scene

Benny Safdie▶ 32:59Agrees with opening credits and supports the girlfriend breakup scene with additional details
Bill Simmons▶ 29:51Opening credits sequence (decided by coin flip), girlfriend breakup scene, and Happy's double bogey at the Waterbury Open
Josh Safdie▶ 30:20Supports opening credits and emphasizes batting cage scene as one of favorites
Sean Fennessey▶ 30:49Emphasizes the batting cage scene and discusses Happy's origin story elements

Best Quote

Benny Safdie▶ 51:28Discussed various quotes including Julie Bowen yelling 'Happy, look out!' and Ben Stiller nursing home scenes
Bill Simmons▶ 49:58Son of a bitch, Paul. Why didn't you just go home? That's your home. Are you too good for your home? Answer me. Suck my white ass, Paul.
Josh Safdie▶ 55:10Contributed to the golf ball quote and discussed Ben Stiller's nursing home scene quotes like 'Get me out of here!'
Sean Fennessey▶ 50:18It's all in the hips / Just tap it in. Give it a little tappy. Tap, tap, tap.

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:02Richard Kiel's physical limitations from a 1992 car accident - he had to lean on things and couldn't really run in chase scenes
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:00:54Nothing - the movie holds up as inoffensive and still hilarious unlike other 90s comedies

Casting What-Ifs

Benny Safdie▶ 1:01:28Kevin Costner — Costner would have been too likable and you wouldn't be able to disassociate enough, though it would have been cool if he could have pulled it off
Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:21Kevin Costner — Kevin Costner for Shooter McGavin would have been interesting but ultimately made the movie worse and overpowered it; Bruce Campbell would have been good alternative; Peter Gallagher suggested as interesting option
Josh Safdie▶ 1:02:08Kevin Costner — Hard to imagine anyone but Christopher McDonald as Shooter; Costner might have made it too art film friendly but wouldn't work; Peter Gallagher would have been interesting with those eyebrows
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:54Kevin Costner — Questioned whether Costner has ever been a villain in his career, noting he was in a villain zone around this time after Heavyweights

Dion Waiters Award

Benny Safdie▶ 1:08:12Bob Barker
Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:14Kevin Nealon — Kevin Nealon (initially favored Bob Barker but switched)
Josh Safdie▶ 1:07:34Kevin Nealon
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:28Kevin Nealon — Supported Kevin Nealon over Bob Barker, though also mentioned Vern as a candidate

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:12Verne Lundquist — Vern Lundquist - Happy Gilmore is his apex because people constantly approach him saying 'who the hell is Happy Gilmore?' and he gets monthly SAG checks
Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:41Christopher McDonald — Chris McDonald - Happy Gilmore is his apex mountain, confirmed by his 2017 DUI incident where he tried to get out of trouble by referencing the movie
Josh Safdie▶ 1:12:01Dennis Dugan — Dennis Dugan - Big Daddy is his apex mountain because it made $200 million and was Sandler's '70s film' with a character-driven performance
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:19Dennis Dugan — Debates Vern Lundquist's apex between Happy Gilmore and his 1986 Masters call ('Yes sir' for Jack Nicklaus), suggests Chris McDonald's apex is Happy Gilmore, and concludes Dennis Dugan's apex is Big Daddy over Happy Gilmore

Joey Pants Award

Benny Safdie▶ 1:15:44Joe Flaherty — Discussed Joe Flaherty as a good example of 'that guy' who introduces audiences to actors they might not know
Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:21Joe Flaherty — Initially suggested Richard Kiel but ultimately agreed that Joe Flaherty wins
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:26Joe Flaherty

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Benny Safdie▶ 1:31:39Discusses the emergency goalie Scott Foster story as parallel to Happy Gilmore phenomenon
Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:44Was that the greatest shot Vern Lundquist ever called? (argues for Happy Gilmore's final shot) and What's real life like in 2019 if Happy Gilmore became a thing?
Josh Safdie▶ 1:31:32Agrees Leitner shot is iconic, suggests 2019 Happy would get signed to a hockey team
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:31:30Christian Leitner shot is the greatest Vern Lundquist call

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:58Adam Sandler
Josh Safdie▶ 1:35:59Adam Sandler
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:36:01Adam Sandler — Adam Sandler (Francis Bay initially suggested but then agreed)

Movies Referenced (37)

Big Daddy (1999)

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Josh Safdie▶ 1:11:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Madison (1995)

7 mentions · Josh Safdie, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dirty Work (1998)

7 mentions · Benny Safdie, Bill Simmons, Josh Safdie▶ 33:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Uncut Gems (2019)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Josh Safdie▶ 2:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Celtic Pride (1996)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Josh Safdie▶ 1:38:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Grown Ups (2010)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 17:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

3 mentions · Josh Safdie, Bill Simmons▶ 30:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Predator (1987)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Josh Safdie▶ 1:17:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cape Fear (1991)

2 mentions · Josh Safdie▶ 1:38:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Funny People (2009)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Just Go with It (2011)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 20:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Dennis Dugan

9 mentions · Josh Safdie, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy▶ 39:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Garnett

6 mentions · Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Bill Simmons · Known for Uncut Gems▶ 11:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Josh Safdie · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 1:01:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Augusta

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anson Jew

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Wonder Woman▶ 18:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walter Hill

1 mentions · Josh Safdie · Known for 48 Hrs., Aliens▶ 1:14:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (56)

Adam Sandler

65 mentions · Bill Simmons, Josh Safdie, Sean Fennessey · Known for Big Daddy, Little Nicky▶ 1:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Barker

21 mentions · Bill Simmons, Benny Safdie, Sean Fennessey · Known for Happy Gilmore▶ 18:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Shooter

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Benny Safdie, Sean Fennessey▶ 5:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Stiller

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie · Known for Tropic Thunder, Zoolander▶ 18:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher McDonald

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie · Known for Quiz Show, Happy Gilmore▶ 5:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sabrina Open

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Benny Safdie · Known for Eternals▶ 35:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Weathers

8 mentions · Josh Safdie, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Rocky, Predator, Happy Gilmore▶ 25:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Bowen

8 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Happy Gilmore▶ 40:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brooks Koepka

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 53:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Darren McGavin

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for A Christmas Story, Billy Madison, Raw Deal▶ 5:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Flaherty

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Benny Safdie, Sean Fennessey · Known for Happy Gilmore, Back to the Future Part II▶ 41:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Amos

7 mentions · Josh Safdie, Bill Simmons · Known for Coming to America, Lock Up▶ 25:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Roger Ebert

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Josh Safdie, Sean Fennessey▶ 27:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Letterman

1 mentions · Josh Safdie▶ 1:24:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ron Shelton

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bull Durham, Hollywood Homicide, White Men Can't Jump▶ 1:01:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗