‘The Meyerowitz Stories’
On paper, this 2017 Noah Baumbach movie is about three siblings—Danny (Adam Sandler), Matthew (Ben Stiller), and Jean (Elizabeth Marvel)—dealing with their artist father, Harold (Dustin Hoffman), as he fades into obscurity and convalesces from a head injury. But to me, The Meyerowitz Stories is all about Adam Sandler’s tear-sparkled, sad eyes. His character’s siblings, Matthew and Jean, get eighth-inning monologues that are obvious attempts to make their characters slightly more interesting. But Sandler’s performance dooms them to be two-dimensional by comparison. They can’t keep up with the steady sheepishness, lost-boy sensibility, and surprising ire that Sandler brings to his role. Watch this movie if you want to witness Adam Sandler flex his versatility. Don’t watch this movie if you’re tired of stories about the coastal elite.