The Big Picture

The Adam Sandler Hall of Fame and ‘Jay Kelly’ With Noah Baumbach!

December 10, 2025

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  • The hosts have deeply mixed reactions to Noah Baumbach's *Jay Kelly*, finding the industry-specific storyline involving Adam Sandler's character more effective than the central family drama involving George Clooney's character. 
  • Adam Sandler's performance as Jay Kelly's manager, Ron, is highlighted as heartbreaking and a strong dramatic turn, contrasting with the film's lighter, farcical moments. 
  • Adam Sandler is recognized as an underestimated national treasure whose career success is built on a model of the 'smart dumb star' tradition, exemplified by his massive box office presence in the 1990s and 2000s comedies and romantic leads. 
  • The hosts are meticulously curating Adam Sandler's cinematic legacy for his Hall of Fame, prioritizing films like *Billy Madison*, *Happy Gilmore*, *The Wedding Singer*, *Punch-Drunk Love*, and *Uncut Gems* over massive commercial hits like *The Waterboy* and *Anger Management*. 
  • The discussion highlights a clear distinction between Sandler's early, influential 90s comedies and his later, often critically panned, high-grossing family/broad comedies produced through Happy Madison. 
  • The inclusion of non-film cultural artifacts, specifically the 'Hanukkah song,' demonstrates the hosts' willingness to consider Sandler's broader cultural impact beyond his feature filmography. 
  • The hosts finalize Adam Sandler's Hall of Fame selections, choosing 'Funny People' over '50 First Dates' and placing 'Grown Ups' as representative of a distinct, later box office era. 
  • Noah Baumbach revealed he rarely revisits his past films, viewing his memories of them as reconstructed and potentially disconnected from the actual final product. 
  • Baumbach discussed how collaborating with Emily on 'Jay Kelly' was an 'easeful and pleasurable' experience that brought a perspective he wouldn't have achieved alone, and noted the film's dream-like quality stemmed from its narrative structure involving memories. 

Segments

Initial ‘Jay Kelly’ Review
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(00:04:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The film Jay Kelly is structurally divided between Jay Kelly’s family issues and his professional orbit, but the two storylines fail to connect cleanly.
  • Summary: The film Jay Kelly explores the work-life balance and legacy of an aging movie star, George Clooney’s Jay Kelly, juxtaposed against his fractured family relationships. Amanda Dobbins finds the film a mess where the two main narrative thrusts do not integrate effectively. Noah Baumbach’s usual strength in writing sharp, biting character conflict is less effective when applied to the sincere melodrama of the family dynamic.
Clooney’s Star Persona
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(00:10:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The movie is more effective when other characters relate to Jay Kelly’s ineffable movie star status than when focusing on his internal experience.
  • Summary: George Clooney’s character represents a rare class of alien celebrity whose public persona has eclipsed his private identity, making him an ’empty vessel’ to those around him. The film attempts to explore the sacrifices made to achieve this level of stardom, which ultimately prevents genuine connection. Clooney’s performance is noted as being most effective when illustrating the impact of his fame on others.
Sandler’s Performance and Storylines
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(00:23:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Adam Sandler’s performance as the manager Ron is heartbreaking, communicating the pain of unreciprocated loyalty to a superstar.
  • Summary: Sean found Sandler’s portrayal of Ron, the manager, deeply moving, highlighting the lack of recognition Ron receives despite his essential role in managing Jay Kelly’s career. The relationship between Ron and Jay is considered the true love story of the film by Sean, culminating in a sweet reconciliation moment involving makeup and a bow tie. However, Amanda felt Sandler’s character was underdeveloped and one-note.
Tonal Inconsistencies and Climax
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(00:37:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The film’s attempt to balance dark themes of narcissism with light, farcical moments, such as the Italian tribute, undermines its emotional impact.
  • Summary: The movie suffers from tonal whiplash, mixing dark confrontations (like the scene with Riley Keogh’s character) with silly set pieces (like the train scene or the Italian tribute). The climactic tribute montage, while emotionally connecting for some listeners, was undermined by factual inconsistencies regarding the ages of Jay’s daughters in the flashback. The film ultimately pulls its punches regarding the repercussions of movie star narcissism.
Sandler’s Award Chances
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(00:41:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Adam Sandler is expected to receive an Academy Award nomination for Jay Kelly due to renewed critical awareness following Uncut Gems and Hustle.
  • Summary: Despite the film’s mixed reception, Sandler is considered a strong contender for an Oscar nomination, leveraging momentum from previous dramatic roles. Sandler is praised for being a highly effective campaigner who is ‘magic’ in promotional settings. However, winning the award may be difficult given the strong competition from other dramatic performers this year.
Adam Sandler Hall of Fame Begins
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(00:52:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Adam Sandler’s top-grossing films are dominated by his animated work and the Grown-Ups franchise, demonstrating his power in creating successful IP.
  • Summary: Sandler’s top three highest-grossing films are all installments of Hotel Transylvania, where he voices Dracula, showing a complicated relationship dynamic with his daughter in that franchise. His next two highest earners are Grown-Ups and Grown-Ups 2, confirming his ability to generate successful sequels and original IP. The discussion notes that Sandler also possessed the rare quality among his comedy peers of being a credible romantic lead in films like The Wedding Singer.
1994 Sandler Film & Song
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(00:56:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Adam Sandler’s 1994 film Mixed Nuts is considered an absolute disaster by the hosts, contrasting with the enduring cultural relevance of his ‘Hanukkah song’ released that year.
  • Summary: The 1994 film Mixed Nuts, directed by Nora Ephron, is deemed a tonal disaster where the production completely lost control. The hosts decide to tentatively include the ‘Hanukkah song’ from 1994 on the list, despite it being an extra-textual item, acknowledging its massive cultural footprint. They also mention Tollbooth Willie from the album They’re All Gonna Laugh at You as a banger.
Early 90s Comedies Greenlighting
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(01:00:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore are immediately greenlit as foundational 90s comedies that established Sandler’s path to stardom, despite neither being massive box office sensations initially.
  • Summary: Billy Madison (1995) is praised for its incredible humor, featuring special moments and a clear premise of a 26-year-old repeating school grades. Happy Gilmore (1996) is confirmed as a definite inclusion, representing a crucial two-punch success that propelled Sandler via video store rentals. Bulletproof (1996) is rejected as a disappointing Midnight Run knockoff that failed to be funny.
Rom-Com Era and Cultural Hits
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(01:01:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The Wedding Singer is included for its genuine chemistry between Sandler and Drew Barrymore, though the hosts note its overuse as a default ‘men’s rom-com’ pick. The Waterboy is yellowed due to its massive cultural success, despite the host’s personal dislike for the repetitive sports comedy premise.
  • Summary: The Wedding Singer (1998) is deemed worthy of inclusion because the romantic dynamic works, even if the surrounding filmmaking is rickety. Dirty Work (1998) is dismissed despite featuring a good cameo by Norm Macdonald. The Waterboy (1998) is acknowledged as the film that cemented Sandler as a big-time movie star, warranting a yellow despite one host finding the accent and premise weak.
Late 90s/Early 2000s Attempts
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(01:04:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Big Daddy (1999) earns a green light for its grounded moments and the strong relationship between Sandler and the Sprouse twins, marking a slight shift toward more dramatic notes.
  • Summary: Little Nikki (2000) is rejected as a bad film that did not stay with the hosts. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) is an automatic green, showcasing Sandler’s ability to handle complex themes of love and anger under Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction. Mr. Deeds (2002) and 8 Crazy Nights (2002) are both rejected, with the latter only receiving a yellow acknowledgment for its Hanukkah theme.
Mid-2000s Box Office Giants
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(01:08:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Massive commercial successes like Anger Management and 50 First Dates are yellowed as representations of Sandler’s peak box office stardom, while Spanglish (2004) is deemed a sour failure.
  • Summary: Anger Management (2003) is yellowed due to its $200 million worldwide gross and the iconic pairing with Jack Nicholson, despite not being a personal favorite. 50 First Dates (2004) is yellowed because it functions as a duplication of The Wedding Singer but remains a significant reference point. Spanglish (2004) is given a deep red rating, representing a speed bump for director James L. Brooks.
Post-2005 Comedies and Netflix Era
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(01:13:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Sandler’s mid-2000s Capra-esque comedies like Click are rejected from the Hall of Fame, despite their massive box office returns, as they fail to transcend their goofy premises.
  • Summary: The Longest Yard (2005) is rejected as an unnecessary remake, and Click (2006) is also rejected, despite its $237 million gross, because its big ideas are delivered through a goofball movie structure. Reign Over Me (2007) is red-lighted as a noble but unenjoyable effort. Later films like Grown Ups (2010) and Just Go With It (2011) are kept in the running due to their massive success representing a specific era of Sandler’s career.
Recent Critical Successes and Flops
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(01:19:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Funny People (2009) is considered a strong, if lengthy, performance that warrants a yellow/green consideration, contrasting sharply with the outright failures of his subsequent broad comedies.
  • Summary: Funny People (2009) is noted for its strong performances and early appearances by many current comedic talents, making it a strong contender. Grown Ups (2010) is kept in contention as a representation of his peak success in the family comedy era. Films like Jack and Jill (2011), The Cobbler (2014), and Pixels (2015) are firmly rejected as being too silly or poorly executed, despite their commercial performance.
Adam Sandler Hall of Fame Finalizing
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(01:45:25)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts settled on ‘Meyerowitz Stories’ over ‘Jay Kelly’ for a specific Sandler performance slot, and debated the inclusion of ‘Anger Management’ versus ‘Grown Ups’ in defining Sandler’s broad-budget stardom era.
  • Summary: The discussion confirmed ‘Meyerowitz Stories’ as the preferred performance over the new film ‘Jay Kelly’ for a specific slot. The hosts categorized Sandler’s career into eras, noting that ‘Grown Ups’ represented a different box office phase than earlier hits like ‘Anger Management.’ Ultimately, ‘Funny People’ was chosen over ‘50 First Dates’ for its superior cinematic quality, despite the latter’s canonical status among the general public.
Baumbach on Career Retrospection
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(01:51:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Noah Baumbach finds looking back at his career via tributes awkward, as his perception of past films is based on memory and experience rather than the actual finished product he hasn’t revisited in years.
  • Summary: Baumbach stated he generally feels proud when seeing career retrospectives but finds it easier to discuss older work than his current film, ‘Jay Kelly.’ He has not watched most of his films since their release, meaning his current opinions are reconstructed memories colored by the making-of experience. This detachment means his internal assessment of a film might not align with the actual cinematic result.
Baumbach on Co-Writing and ‘Barbie’
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(01:56:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Collaborating with Emily on ‘Jay Kelly’ was a natural fit due to their established comfort, and the experience of working on ‘Barbie’ helped Baumbach reconnect with the joy of filmmaking after the difficult shoot of ‘White Noise.’
  • Summary: Baumbach initiated co-writing with Emily after feeling a good rapport during the ‘White Noise’ production. He noted that the massive success of ‘Barbie’ provided a positive contrast to the difficult production of ‘White Noise,’ reigniting his enthusiasm for the process. The writing of ‘Jay Kelly’ involved moving between editing ‘White Noise’ and working on ‘Barbie’ concurrently.
Cinematic Language and Design
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(02:02:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The dream-like, Capra-esque quality of ‘Jay Kelly’ emerged organically from the story’s requirement to visualize the protagonist’s journey into his past memories, allowing the film’s cinematic language to expand as the character’s psychological state developed.
  • Summary: Baumbach confirmed that the film’s fantastical elements were a necessary language derived from the plot structure involving entering memories. He cited examples from his own work, like the camera push-in in ‘Frances Ha’ or the orchestral score in ‘Meyerowitz Stories,’ to illustrate how cinema should evolve alongside character development. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren was instrumental in designing the visual poetry and methodology for this expansive approach.
Stardom, Aging, and Sandler’s Role
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(02:07:53)
  • Key Takeaway: George Clooney’s casting in ‘Jay Kelly’ inherently serves as an elegy for the timeless movie star archetype, while Adam Sandler’s performance in the film reveals a desperate, destroyed quality that contrasts with his usual comedic persona.
  • Summary: The film uses Clooney’s timeless star quality to comment on the challenging nature of aging in Hollywood, noting that stars must reveal themselves organically. Sandler’s character, Jay, is a shadow version of Ron from ‘Meyerowitz Stories,’ exhibiting a deep existential crisis and desperation. Baumbach suggested that Sandler’s inherent humor allows the tragic elements of his performance to play simultaneously with an underlying comic tone.
Baumbach’s Filmography and Final Thoughts
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(02:13:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Baumbach believes whether his films are perceived as funnier or more tragic depends on the individual viewer’s life stage, and he feels ‘White Noise’ deserves a second look despite its muted cultural reception due to its contemporary COVID-era themes.
  • Summary: The perception of Baumbach’s work as tragic or funny is subjective, as evidenced by audience reactions to ‘Jay Kelly.’ He expressed pride in ‘White Noise,’ suggesting its lack of cultural penetration was due to the public’s reluctance to engage with COVID-related themes, even in a period piece set in the 80s. Baumbach concluded by praising Jean Vigo’s ‘Small Change’ as the last truly great film he watched.