Becoming partly cloudy, brisk, and chilly. Early on there could be a stray shower or flurry..
Becoming partly cloudy, brisk, and chilly. Early on there could be a stray shower or flurry.
Updated: April 6, 2024 @ 7:27 pm
It’s the goofball golf comedy with quotable lines galore and, according to Christopher McDonald (aka Shooter McGavin), we could be getting a sequel!
In ‘Happy Gilmore’ Adam Sandler stars as an ice hockey player who discovers he has a natural talent for golf, and that skill could save his Grandma’s home.
But how much do you know about the move?
Here are 10 facts about ‘Happy Gilmore’…
It’s the goofball golf comedy with quotable lines galore and, according to Christopher McDonald (aka Shooter McGavin), we could be getting a sequel! In ‘Happy Gilmore’ Adam Sandler stars as an ice hockey player who discovers he has a natural talent for golf, and that skill could save his Grandma’s home. But how much do you know about the move? Here are 10 facts about ‘Happy Gilmore’…
College roommates and ‘Saturday Night Live’ alumni Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy wrote the project after the success of their first film ‘Billy Madison’. They came up with the idea of a “hockey player who smacks a 400-foot drive”. Judd Apatow later joined the project to rewrite the script but was uncredited.
Sandler based the title character on his childhood friend, Kyle McDonough. Kyle was an active ice hockey player who played golf with Sandler as they grew up. However, Sandler could never hit the ball as far as his old pal and figured it was his hockey skills that gave him the extra force.
The comedy gives a nod to the 1987 sci-fi movie, which also starred the late Carl Weathers. In ‘Happy Gilmore’, Carl played former golf pro, Chubbs Peterson, who lost his hand in an alligator attack. It is an in-joke to his character Dillon in ‘Predator’, who loses his arm.
In 1994, Sandler cited the 1980 golf comedy ‘Caddyshack’ as the inspiration for his movie as he and Tim Herlihy bonded over the comedy in college. It stars Chevy Chase and Bill Murry and tells the story of a young caddie who wants to pursue a scholarship at an elite country club.
Sandler and Herlihy asked pro golfer Mark Lye to consult on the script to ensure the sports scenes were realistic. However, he had a lot of issues with their initial ideas and suggested many changes to the story. He eventually signed off on Sandler and Herlihy’s fifth draft.
McDonald signed on to the 1996 comedy as golf pro Shooter McGavin. However, he originally turned down the role twice as he didn’t want to play the villain once again. He later changed his mind after playing a round of golf and was given the freedom to improvise.
After McDonald turned down the chance to play Shooter McGavin, the producers offered the role to Kevin Costner. However, he turned it down to star in another golf-themed comedy, ‘Tin Cup’. Bruce Campbell was also considered for the role after he lobbied hard for the part.
‘Happy Gilmore’ features appearances from a number of stars throughout the film. Late James Bond villain Richard Kiel – who played henchman Jaws (pictured) – ‘The Price Is Right’ host Bob Barker and sportscaster Verne Lundquist all have parts. Sandler also included his college roommate Jack Giarraputo in the scenes with Lundquist, who still gets a monthly $34 cheque from the Screen Actors Guild for his appearance.
After the late Bob Barker appeared in the movie, the ratings of his show ‘The Price Is Right’ soared with younger viewers. The producers had previously failed to make the show appeal to younger audiences until Barker’s scene beating up Gilmore aired. He claimed that someone in the audience asked him about the film almost every day.
The retired golf great has publicly admitted that he wishes he turned down the chance to appear in the movie. Lee insisted that had he known how much foul language would be in the comedy he would have snubbed the cameo offer. He said: “If I knew they were going to use all those foul words in there, I never would have done it.”
Originally published on celebretainment.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
Becoming partly cloudy, brisk, and chilly. Early on there could be a stray shower or flurry.
Becoming partly cloudy, brisk, and chilly. Early on there could be a stray shower or flurry.
Partly sunny and not as breezy or as cool as recent days.
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