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| from Rolling Stone site |
Happy Gilmore is a wannabe hockey player with an incredibly powerful hit, yet his miserable skating ability and aggressive temper stand in the way of his path to the professional hockey world. Although he loves the sport, his rage issues and anger explosions always get in the way of any attempt he makes to play on a hockey team.
Life gets a lot more complicated for him when he learns his grandmother owes $270,000 in taxes and is in danger of losing her home. He was raised by his grandmother following the premature death of his father. In his quest to save her home, he gets her admitted into a nursing home while he works out how much he’ll need to come up with. Unfortunately, he does not know the hardships the residents have with a nasty staff member, Hal.
In an early breakthrough, Happy discovers his latent golf prowess while arguing with movers who are taking his grandmother's furniture. His booming slapshot swing lets him impressively launch a golf ball 400 yards. This catches the eye of Chubbs Peterson, an ex-professional golfer who sees something special in Happy and encourages him to enter the Waterbury Open, a tournament that offers a PGA Tour spot and a cash reward to the victor.
Perjured and reluctant at first about the game, Happy comes on board when he discovers the financial rewards of playing could save his grandmother’s home. Despite his unorthodox play and a lack of golf experience, he enters the competition and qualifying for the PGA Tour.
HAPPY takes the world by storm overnight, courtesy of his flamboyant and innovative shenanigans as well as his long rips. His antics and constant brawls and complete disregard for all things golf etiquette render him a controversial figure but also a new fan fave, bringing in larger crowds and improving TV ratings for the PGA Tour.
His principal rival, Shooter McGavin, is a pompous veteran golfer who resents Happy's unorthodox style and growing popularity. Shooter devises a plan to disqualify Happy while even hiring Donald, a heckler, to distract Happy during important tournaments.
After an infamously televised brawl with celebrity golfer Bob Barker during a charity event, Happy receives a one-month tour suspension and a $25,000 fine. To make up for the financial loss, he reluctantly agrees to appear in a Subway advertisement, paying him just enough to settle his grandmother's tax arrears.
But a vengeful Shooter tries to destroy Happy's career, outbidding him at the auction for his grandmother's house. This forces Happy to make a deal, forcing him to win the Tour Championship for Shooter to return the house. But if Shooter wins, Happy has to retire from golf.
Sure enough, after admitting that his weakness was his shorter game, Happy finally listens to Chubbs, and starts practicing on a mini golf course. Chubbs dies tragically after falling from a window after Happy presents the preserved alligator head that ate Chubbs’ hand off, many years ago.
Despite this setback, Happy plays in the Tour Championship and after leading early, Shooter cheats again. This time around, Shooter pays Donald to run over Happy on the course, injuring his shoulder and preventing him from performing long-distance swings. After the shooter … takes the lead, but with his grandmother as motivation, Happy comes back and ties the scores.
In a last-minute stroke of Hydro-Qubec genius, a swerving television tower crashes across Happy’s shot line. Shooter tells Happy to take the shot as if nothing happened, confident it cannot be done.) But in classic mini-golf fashion, Happy drives the ball off the corpsed tower and sinks the putt to take the win and thus the championship.
Dejected and humiliated, Shooter attempts to make off with the championship jacket but is pursued and pummeled by an enraged horde of fans that includes Happy’s terrifying old boss, Mr. Larson.
In the finale, Happy takes back his late grandmother's house and throws a party, inviting his late, beloved grandma, Virginia Venit, and his devoted caddy, Otto. A so-is-hitting-the-hole-in-one squints up at the sky, and his head skies at Chubbs, Abe, and the alligator waving their approval from clouds. A funny but sweet ending.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Directed by Dennis Dugan
Character Details:
Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler)
An angry, wannabe hockey player who discovers he’s a natural golfer. Rough around the edges but a good kid, Happy has a fierce loyalty to his grandma. His transformation from hot-headed, unfocused athlete to full-fledged golf champion provides the beating heart of the film’s comedic and uplifting plot line.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Directed by Dennis Dugan
Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald)
A smug, arrogant pro golfer who hates Happy’s unconventional style and growing popularity. Shooter will stop at nothing to keep his spot on top of the leaderboard (by sabotaging and dirty-tactics-ing everything he can to eliminate Happy from the competition).
Virginia Venit (Julie Bowen)
PGA Tour public relations director who is savvy enough to see what Happy has the potential to be, and shapes his image. She urges him to control his temper, practice his short game, and own the identity of being a golf star. She later becomes Happy’s love interest.
Grandma Gilmore (Frances Bay)
Happy’s warmbut diabolical grandmother who raised him after his father died. She offers Happy his primary motivation: protecting her house from foreclosure.
Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers)
A former pro golfer who lost his hand to an alligator and tis now Happy’s coach. Buddy Chubbs (Milo Ventimiglia) may be an eccentric, but he’s the only person who actually believes in Happy’s potential. His death is both tragically and comedically timed.
Otto (Allen Covert)
A homeless man who becomes Happy’s caddy. His presence contributes to the film’s lightheartedness, and he gradually emerges as one of Happy’s fiercest advocates.
Mr. Larson (Richard Kiel)
Sue’s former boss, Happy’s intimidating and towering ex. He possesses a fierce loyalty towards Happy and is a key player in hunting Shooter down post-defeat.
Doug Thompson (Dennis Dugan)
The PGA Tour commissioner who initially disapproves of Happy’s antics, but eventually allows him to keep playing because he’s so popular.
Donald (Joe Flaherty)
A rent-a-fan who gives Happy all kinds of merciless shit while he plays in tournaments on Shooter’s orders.
Hal (Ben Stiller, uncredited)
A sadistic orderly in the nursing home to which Happy’s grandmother is transferred. He enslaves elderly residents to work for him under sweatshop conditions, yet puts a charming face on things to outsiders.
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