Mr. Deeds

Mr. Deeds is one of Sandler’s more popular comedies that was released in 2002.  Unlike most of Sandler’s movies, this film is much more of a romantic comedy than many of his other works.  The movie begins outlining the fortune of Preston Blake, an extremely wealthy businessman who amounted a $40 billion fortune.  We also learn that Blake was a daredevil and throughout his life attempted many risky adventured.  Climbing Mount Everest, however, proved to be his final challenge as he froze to death at the summit.  After his death, it became apparent that he didn’t seem to have any close family members that would inherit his fortune.  After extensive search, Blake’s heir is found to be Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler), a man who runs a small pizza shop in a very rural New Hampshire town.  Once Deed’s is summoned to New York to meets with the heads of the company, he learns that he has inherited this tremendous wealth. 

It is this inheritance of extreme fortune that makes a clear reference to traditional American values that one would not expect to be found in a movie like this.  Upon further examination, however, it becomes clear that this story clearly follows the same outline of the Horatio Alger “Rags to Riches” tale.  Deed’s was clearly presented as a hardworking American who just was trying to make a living owning a pizza shop.  While the way in which Deeds gets his money doesn’t exactly follow the “Rags to Riches” tale, it still comments on American society in that if one works hard, he or she will eventually be rewarded.  This movie also seems to be relevant to the Boskin article, “American Dream/American Laugh”, which describes the American dream as it is related to the humor of our culture.  This article aptly describes Mr. Deeds, because while the movie is often goofy and comedic as it appeals to American humor, it also incorporates the notion of achieving the highly sought after “American Dream”.  The movie ties together the quintessential aspects of the American Dream and excellently weaves it into popular comedy.