Adam Sandler drew raves for his performance in “Uncut Gems,” but his latest Netflix movie, “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah,” has so far gotten even better critics’ reviews, as well as raves for his youngest daughter, Sunny.
As of Monday afternoon, the family comedy, which co-stars his daughters, had a 96% positive ratings from critics, while the 2019 Safdie Brothers drama sits at 91%.
Audiences, at 66% positive, were less gung-ho about the Sammi Cohen-directed comedy, which premiered Aug. 25 on the streamer.
Critics are saying, essentially, “hurrah for nepotism” about Sandler’s daughter Sunny, who stars as Stacy Friedman who clashes with her BFF (Samantha Lorraine) right before their respective bat mitzvahs.
Sunny’s real-life sister Sadie Sandler plays her older sister, Ronnie, while former “Saturday Night Live” regular who also produced,” plays their father in role with limited screen time. Jackie Sandler, their real mother, also appears in the film, but the role of the “Happy Gilmore” star’s wife is played Idina Menzel in a mini “Uncut Gems” reunion.
Peter Travers of “GMA” called it “an unexpectedly sweet and sassy surprise,” adding, “dynamo Sunny Sandler, his youngest, gives nepotism a good name as a Jewish girl on the cusp of womanhood.”
“Adam Sandler’s daughter Sunny — the clear belle of the ball — quickly dampens the “nepo baby” asides with her winning, natural performance in a familiar but very nicely done coming-of-age story,” CNN’s Bryan Lowry wrote.
While critics and audiences currently differ on this movie — and these percentages are likely to change — both agree on Sandler’s 2022 feelgood sports drama, “Hustle” with an identical 93% positive rating.
Sandler movies that audiences love significantly more than critics include 2006’s “Grandma’s Boy,” 1995’s “Billy Madison,” 1999’s “Big Daddy” and 1998’s “The Water Boy.” But the actor has always shrugged off his critics.
“People always would ask me, ‘Those bad reviews you get, how does that make you feel? Make you feel like f–kin’ s–t?’ And I’d say, no, it really doesn’t,” Sandler said in March, when he accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. “I think the reason I get to say that didn’t hurt me is ’cause so many of you guys in this room made me feel great about what we’ve done together.”
