The unusual pairing of Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler pokes fun
at the world of psychotherapy in the new release
”
Anger Management,
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currently playing at Premiere Cinemas.
The unusual pairing of Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler pokes fun at the world of psychotherapy in the new release “Anger Management,” currently playing at Premiere Cinemas.
This one-hour and 41-minute release from Sony Picture’s Revolution Studio is not the best work from either Sandler or Nicholson, but “Anger” does manage to generate a few good laughs that should keep most moviegoers chuckling.
The one real problem this movie has is that it’s too slow through the first 30 minutes. However, in signature fashion, Sandler – with the OK from director Peter Segal (“Naked Gun 33 1/3,” “Tommy Boy” and “Nutty Professor II”) – breaks up the slow-paced opening with several humorous cameos.
For example, when Sandler’s character, Dave Buznik, reports to his anger management group for the first time, who’s the first person he runs into? Bobby Knight, the fiery former college basketball coach whose legendary temper tantrums led to his dismissal from the University of Indiana.
A few scenes later, Buznik walks past a pouting John McEnroe, one of the most emotionally explosive professional tennis players to ever walk onto a court.
The movie starts to pick up momentum when Buznik starts to get the hint that his psychotherapist, Dr. Buddy Rydell, just may have more of a mental problem than he’s accused of having.
The plot centers around Buznik, a fairly mild-mannered guy who is not outwardly assertive. During a plane flight to meet his boss, Buznik’s attempt to order a pair of headphones is perceived as a hostile attack on a flight attendant.
He is subsequently charged and convicted of assault and ordered to attend 20 hours of anger management under the supervision of the renowned but unorthodox Rydell.
Dr. Rydell believes “temper is the one thing you can’t get rid of by losing it.” He’s convinced Buznik is an “implosive” type of angry person who will one day crack and show up at his place of work with an automatic weapon, so he dedicates himself to helping Buznik release the anger he has been storing up.
It’s here that the audience finally starts to get to the heart of the comedy when Rydell introduces Buznik to the group, an excellent collection of character actors. Especially John Turturro, (“O Brother Where Art Thou,” “Mr. Deeds” and “The Big Lebowski”), who plays a hair-trigger veteran from the invasion of Grenada who can’t let go of visions from the 12-hour conflict.
When Buznik gets in trouble again for trying to break up a bar fight that Chuck started, Rydell goes to extreme measures. He moves in with Buznik and forces him to confront his hidden anger.
During this “intensive” treatment, Rydell also gets Buznik to confront his childhood bully in one of the funniest parts of the movie.
The language and sexual content is unsuitable for children.
