Grown Ups

Adam Sandler’s Funny People featured the actor in a semi-serious, yet still-funny role; his teaming with Judd Apatow was one of his best film efforts. However, not enough people went to see Happy People, so Adam got juvenile again with his go-to slob-comedy director, Dennis Dugan (You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, Happy Gilmore). Some of Sandler’s Hollywood buddies (Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider) join him in this lame story of childhood friends who reunite when their basketball coach croaks. They attend the funeral and then take up temporary residence in a lake house, where they argue with spouses and children, skip rocks and listen to Grandma fart. The film has painfully few funny moments, and feels thrown together. Sandler has been, and will be, better than this; I wish he’d choose a director other than Dugan for the silly stuff. No such luck: His future slate includes two films with the guy.