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Frank Capra’s Oscar-winning 1936 drama has been dusted off and updated to make a surprisingly charming star vehicle for the indefatigable Adam Sandler, playing his most sympathetic role since The Wedding Singer. Stepping into shoes originally filled by Gary Cooper, Sandler is somewhat more restrained than usual as Longfellow Deeds, the kindhearted proprietor of a small-town pizza parlor who unexpectedly inherits a big corporation and the personal fortune of its founder. Whisked off to New York City by an unscrupulous executive (Peter Gallagher), the naive, folksy Deeds becomes an object of ridicule to urban sophisticates -- owing mostly to embarrassing stories leaked to the press by a cynical reporter (Winona Ryder) and her conniving editor. This remake, "cleaner" than most of Sandler’s films but not entirely devoid of the coarse humor that has become his trademark, hews fairly closely to Capra’s original in spirit, although the characters and situations have been altered considerably. Ryder’s infrequently exhibited flair for comedy makes her a delightful leading lady, even when she seems a little nonplussed by the star’s outrageous antics. The fish-out-of-water humor doesn’t yield any startlingly original gags, but Sandler makes the familiar ones seem fresh with his enthusiastic trouping. John Turturro has a plum supporting part as an inscrutable butler, and he plays it to the hilt. Engaging in a way that Sandler’s movies rarely are, Mr. Deeds should find a receptive audience among home viewers who appreciate old-fashioned values and expect happy endings. The DVD edition features a commentary by director Steven Brill (Little Nicky), along with three making-of featurettes, outtakes, a music video by the Dave Matthews Band, cast filmographies, and DVD-ROM script-to-screen content. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

One of Frank Capra's best-loved stories gets a modernized and wildly slapstick reinterpretation in this romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler. When Preston Blake (Harve Presnell), a remarkably wealthy media magnate, dies with neither a wife nor children, the question on the lips of most of his associates is who will inherit the estate. The surprising answer turns out to be Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler), a cheerful but half-bright proprietor of a small-town pizzeria, as well as part-time greeting card poet, who was a distant relative of Blake. In order to claim his 40-billion-dollar inheritance, Deeds heads to New York City, where Blake's former associates, Chuck Cedar (Peter Gallagher) and Cecil Anderson (Erick Avari), introduce him to the city while trying to figure out how to get their hands on his new fortune. Meanwhile, Mac McGrath (Jared Harris), the producer of a sleazy tabloid television show, wants to get the inside scoop on Deeds, and comes up with perfect way to get it: he sends beautiful but unscrupulous reporter Babe Bennett (Winona Ryder) to sweep Deeds off his feet while she's wired for sound. Convincing Deeds that she's from a small town just like himself, Bennett quickly wins his heart, but while his affection is sincere, hers is not. He also displays a curious eagerness to defend her good name with his fists which quickly gets him in trouble. Meanwhile, as Deeds becomes the new laughing stock of New York thanks to Bennett's stories, Deeds decides it's time he did something big with his money, while Cedar and Anderson think they've finally found a way to take control of Deeds' holdings. Mr. Deeds also features supporting performances from John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, and Conchata Ferrell. John McEnroe and Rev. Al Sharpton make cameo appearances as themselves. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 043396078222
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Français
• Time: 1:37:00
• Sales Rank: 11,700

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Mr Deeds / Big Daddy
• 50 First Dates / Mr. Deeds
• Adam Sandler Collection
• Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) / Mr. Deeds

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