Who Would've Guessed That Adam Sandler Could Do a Decent Job, Let Alone Give an Amazing Performance, in a Drama?

The September 11th attacks more than two decades ago were, without a doubt, horrendous, but they made a significant impact on the world of pop culture, especially the world of film that gave two films (United 93 and World Trade Center) that dramatized the attacks in 2006. Of course, not even comedic actors like Adam Sandler were left out of the loop, thus, we got films like Reign Over Me. And for those who don’t trust his acting abilities (understandably, given that he’s given us Jack and Jill), or do trust them, but view him as merely as a comedic actor, well…they’re going to be in for quite a surprise.

The film follows Charlie Fineman, played by Sandler, who’s absolutely devastated after losing his family in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including his two lovable children. Luckily, he has his friend Alan (played by Don Cheadle) an old college roommate of his, to give him comfort during tough times. Unfortunately, even he’s cracking under the strain of taking care of his family, including his overbearing wife (played by Jada Pinkett Smith.) However, their friendship gives them the emotional support they so desperately need, even when Charlie’s mental health comes into question (by a grand jury, no less!)

Is it any good? Well, it has an interesting twist to it- it takes two actors known for comedy, Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle, and gives them dramatic roles to play, which they do surprisingly well- especially the former. Another fascinating aspect of the film is showing how poor mental health can take a toll on one’s character, particularly in the case of a traumatic event such as September 11th. Sandler does a fantastic job of portraying a mentally sick man, right down to his crazy hair. He’s clearly unwell, but people don’t seem to take his issues too seriously, viewing him as merely crazy. Or, in the case of a jury before him, they believe he’s a danger to himself and others, just because he’s a little (okay, really) nutty and needs to be institutionalized. While it’s clear he has PTSD in this film, his character could be seen as autistic as well, albeit high-functioning(ish) autistic. He’s obsessed with video games, does a lot of stimming, has outbursts in public, and needs headphones to zone out the world to listen to his favorite rock stars. As someone who’s struggled with both myself, I found it to be a very nice insight on mental health. And of course, the Pearl Jam cover of the iconic song by The Who (that is named after this film, no less) is a nice touch at the end- but then again, isn’t most of the soundtrack here amazing?

In short, this was probably one of, if not the, best performance of Adam Sandler’s career. While it might hit a little too close to home for those affected by 9/11, most people will be blown away with how, well, powerful it is. 4 stars out of 5.