June of 2022 has gone, and sadly it has taken Happy Gilmore with it. The beloved Adam Sandler movie was in the Netflix catalog for a long time, but it was removed on Thursday with no signs of coming back anytime soon. There’s no telling how this licensing deal fell through, but fans can still find the movie on Hulu + Live TV.
Sandler was arguably already a household name in 1996, but the release of Happy Gilmore was a huge step in establishing him as a movie star rather than just an SNL comedian. Of course, these days Sandler splits his time between comedies and dramas, but he still draws on his silly side — especially for Netflix original films. Happy Gilmore seemed right at home alongside Sandler’s other movies on Netflix, but sadly it couldn’t last.
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Sandler co-wrote Happy Gilmore himself along with his writing partner Tim Herlihy. It was their second feature-length film following Billy Madison, and the pressure was on for a big success. The movie was a commercial hit, but it was considered a critical flop at the time. Considering its longevity in the pop-cultural zeitgeist, it seems like the critics might have missed the mark on this one.
Sandler plays the titular character Happy Gilmore in this movie – a passionate but unsuccessful ice hockey player who stumbles into a natural talent for golf. In dire need of money, he begins competing in golf without adapting to its aesthetic in any way whatsoever. He brings the loud, rambunctious world of hockey with him to the golf course, to the dismay of other players – including Bob Barker, who makes a cameo appearance as himself.
Other stars of this movie include Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Frances Bay, Carl Weathers, Allen Covert, Kevin Nealon and Ben Stiller, among others. The movie was directed by Dennis Dugan who also appeared in a minor role. The movie had a big opening weekend at the box office, but a poor response from movie critics.
“Those who enjoy Adam Sandler’s schtick will find plenty to love in this gleefully juvenile take on professional golf; those who don’t, however, will find it unfunny and forgettable,” reads the critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes. Obviously, many fans on Netflix are all in on Sandler already, so that shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Happy Gilmore is no longer streaming on Netflix, but it is streaming on Hulu + Live TV. If you’re not interested in paying for this expensive tier on Hulu, you can always rent or purchase the movie on a digital store as well. In the meantime, plenty of other Sandler movies are still on Netflix at the time of this writing.
