The story takes place on the Hawaiian island of Oahu where Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) is a marine veterinarian and he finds himself in a predicament of meeting Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore) who is the victim of short-term memory loss caused by a head injury incurred in a car accident a year ago. When she goes to sleep at night, all memory of the day's events are erased, including those of Henry and she wakes up the next morning thinking it's the same day of her accident which was also her dad's birthday. Henry meets her at a diner and they have a great day but, of course, the next day when he wants to start where they left off, she can't remember him at all. The proprietor of the diner takes him aside and tells him the problem and then each day Henry tries a new way to meet Laura again.
Laura doesn't realize that any time has past and doesn't remember the accident and to help this charade along her caring father Marlin (Blake Clark), guilt-ridden because he was driving the car, and her brother Doug (Sean Astin) do everything in their power to keep up the charade, reliving the day of the wreck over and over with her as if the accident had never happened. Henry falls in love with Laura and has to win her over and over each day. Much to the chagrin of Marlin and Doug, Henry explains this to Laura once again and the ending is for you to find out when you see it.
I thought the second half was so much better to the first half and the ending is great.
After The Wedding Singer where Sandler and Barrymore played together this was another vehicle to display a natural affinity in acting that they have for each other. Sandler brings along some of his good buddies for the ride, including Rob Schneider who plays a native Hawaiian with many, many children,one blind eye and a kinship with sharks. Astin does a complete turn-around from his roll as the endearing Hobbit, Sam, and Clark's grizzled charter boat captain, gives up his business to care for his daughter.
Directed by Peter Segal who also directed Sandler in Anger Management.
Not the best but certainly not the worst and it is a love story for Valentine's Day.
-Barbara Higdon
