Happy Gilmore (1996) on Netflix
Happy Gilmore wants to be a hockey player, but he cannot skate. When his grandmother Anna owes the IRS $270,000, he takes his slapshot swing to the pro golf tour.
- Netflix3.9/5
- IMDb7.0/10312,456 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes62%
Trailer
Plot summary
Happy Gilmore cannot skate, which keeps him out of professional hockey despite the powerful slapshot his late father taught him. His temper causes him trouble too. Then he learns that his grandmother Anna owes $270,000 in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and has ninety days before her house is foreclosed. He settles her into a retirement home while he hunts for money. When two movers come to repossess his grandfather's golf clubs, he challenges them and discovers that his slapshot swing drives a golf ball 400 yards. A former tour professional he meets at a driving range, Chubbs Peterson, urges him to enter the Waterbury Open, whose winner earns a spot on the PGA Tour. His long drives and on-course antics make him a crowd favorite while tour officials object to his behavior.
In these lists: Adam Sandler Movies: Where to Watch
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Happy Gilmore (1996)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Christopher McDonald turned down the role of Shooter McGavin twice because he was tired of playing villains and wanted time with his family; Kevin Costner passed on it in favour of Tin Cup, while Bruce Campbell lobbied hard for the part.
- Consultant Mark Lye warned Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler their script was unfilmable because early drafts had Happy Gilmore winning the Masters and desecrating Augusta National; he suggested a fictional tournament, and the winner's jacket changed from green to gold.
- The Happy Gilmore character is loosely based on a childhood friend of Adam Sandler's who played ice hockey and golfed with him growing up; Sandler could never hit the ball as far and figured the hockey skills gave his friend an edge.
- The scene where Bob Barker beats up Adam Sandler increased interest in The Price Is Right among younger viewers, particularly young men, and Barker said someone in the audience asked him about Happy Gilmore almost every day.
- The "Happy Gilmore swing", a running approach to the ball, is imitated by real touring professionals, and three-time major champion Pádraig Harrington uses the technique in his training.
- Sportscaster Verne Lundquist said in 2016 that he still received a $34 monthly check from the Screen Actors Guild for his appearance in the film.
