'Singer' hits nostalgic note

Based solely on soundtrack, "The Wedding Singer" is the movie of the year; any film that includes both Huey Lewis & the News and The Smiths within the same hour and a half has accomplished the wonderfully impossible in terms of fringe '80s kitsch. Indeed, most of the time, the newest Adam Sandler comedy is not much more than a delightful trip down memory lane - it's so simple it's scary. And yet it's also one of the most mindlessly enjoyable movies in recent memory.

Adam Sandler is best known for playing a variation of the immature goofball or the intellectually stunted man-child, either on "Saturday Night Live" or in such idiotic films as "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore." But some of his lesser-known characters from "SNL," as well as many of the songs on his two comedy albums, have showcased a more subdued persona and a sharp wit. While it is still a stretch, it is not too surprising to find Sandler in a romantic comedy in which he plays the low-key n

Courtesy of New Line Cinema Drew Barrymore is living in a material world in the '80s throwback "Singer."

ice guy and lets the story, instead of the antics, take center stage.

Although the plot is simple, it is also surprisingly sweet. The year is 1985 - the height of spandex, man-made "hot" colors and big hair. Robbie Hart (Sandler) is the most popular wedding singer in his small suburban town. He is about to get married to his longtime sweetheart when she dumps him at the altar. Thrown into a state of depression, Robbie's life starts to take a turn for the better as he begins to spend time with Julia, played by the glowing Drew Barrymore. Julia is a reception-hall waitress whose own approaching wedding is doomed by her cheating, asinine fiancé.

In a story like this, it's not giving anything away to say that Robbie and Julia fall in love, Julia realizes the errors of her impending nuptials and they all live happily ever after. But despite its obvious lack of originality, there's something about this story that grows on us until its final, hilarious climax, at which point you're smiling so widely that you don't care if you've seen it a million times before.

Maybe it's the intense nostalgia of the film. Frank Coraci, the director, capitalizes on every opportunity to throw in the obvious '80s references. A Freddy Kreuger mask here, a Dunkin Donuts commercial there, all the ridiculously flashy clothes, all the absurdly catchy songs. It all adds up to a movie that draws a substantial amount of its humor, as well as its charm, from its over-the-top '80s setting.

REVIEW
	The Wedding Singer 3 stars At Briarwood and Showcase

Perhaps it's the finale itself that elevates this movie to more than just a cheesy romantic comedy. The last 15 minutes are inspired and feature a sweet Sandler and his guitar, with a little help from '80s rock icon Billy Idol (yes, the real Billy Idol playing himself 13 years ago). Or maybe it's the bizarre uncredited appearances of such people as Jon Lovitz (as a rival wedding singer) and Steve Buscemi (as the less-liked brother of a groom at one of the weddings). Or it could be the way that the film, for no real reason, has a great deal of fun with the elderly (not makes fun of, but has fun with).

All are valid reasons why "The Wedding Singer" latches onto us and doesn't let go, yet the primary reason simply is the presence and chemistry of Sandler and Barrymore. It is so obvious that they are meant for each other that we can do nothing but root for them. Sandler proves that he doesn't have to play the loud-mouthed idiot in sophomoric comedies to get laughs, and Barrymore - far his superior as an actor - proves that sometimes all it takes to succeed on screen is a radiance that will break the audience's heart.

On the surface, there is absolutely nothing about "The Wedding Singer" that strikes one as exceptional - it's like an American "Four Weddings and a Funeral" without the incomparable Hugh Grant. Yet when you see it, you can't resist it. And although it's burdened by a slow start and heavy-handed dialogue, it's bound to become the film that sparks a wave of disturbing '80s nostalgia, and if you miss that, then - as we all somehow used to say - your ass is grass.

02-16-98