The sad, pathos-filled clown has been a recurring tragic figure throughout the history of low-brow comedy, but I wouldn’t trust Bobby Boucher to know the meaning of the word “pathos.”
Every now and then, Adam Sandler blows audiences away with a show-stopping performance in a comedy/drama film that demonstrates how, despite the artistic limitations of most Happy Madison movies, the Sandman has some serious range, and he’ll happily tug on our heart strings when he thinks an Oscar win could be in his future. The Waterboy was not one of those movies, and the hard-hitting, slow-witted Bobby Boucher was not one of those roles, given that the acting honors at the Academy Awards aren’t doled out solely by Ariana Grande.
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The Wicked star and pop music sensation has long been honest about how The Waterboy gives her the waterworks, and how the cruelty of the world towards a certain SCLSU stand-out linebacker brings her to tears on every rewatch. Well, in a recent installment of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series, Grande sat down with Sandler and explained to him just how hard the plight of poor Bobby hits her in the medulla oblongata.
During the talk, Grande praised Sandler for his latest attempt at an Oscar win with his supporting performance in Noah Baumbach’s recently released Netflix dramedy Jay Kelly. “Your character is so heartbreaking,” Grande said of Sandler’s part, the entertainment manager Ron Sukenick. “I cried five times. Not choking up and holding back, but tears streaming out and fully breaking down.”
Sandler was the one who compared Grande’s reaction to Jay Kelly with how The Waterboy famously reduces the already diminutive multi-hyphenate star to a puddle of tears. “We have to talk about that, too,” Grande declared, “All your iconic comedic performances also hold so much truth in them. The Waterboy is so gut-wrenching.”
While Sandler and Grande briefly moved on to their contemporary projects that they are currently promoting, later on in the talk, Grande brought the focus of the conversation back to The Waterboy, telling Sandler, “We need to talk about Bobby Boucher. You’ve been able to make room for both these incredible dramatic roles and, also, some of the most iconic comedic roles of all time. One role that really has both worlds is Bobby Boucher and The Waterboy. Sounds crazy, but he makes me cry a lot.”
Sandler concurred, saying of his leading role in what certainly wasn’t one of his critical darling films, “I love him so much. I love being that guy. I love feeling what Bobby felt as an outsider and wanting to feel calm and safe with Mama.” Sandler even suggested that, given Grande’s star power and her enthusiasm for the film, perhaps The Waterboy is overdue for a reboot – “Maybe Ben Stiller can play Bobby and you can play Vicky Valencourt,” Sandler pitched.
“Oh my goodness, no,” said Grande, “Leave perfect things alone as they are.” And leave The Waterboy alone, too, apparently.
While Bobby Boucher’s pure heart certainly is above reproach – not in the least bit because he’s liable to tackle anyone who bullies him – it’s curious that, out of all of Sandler’s more tear-worthy performances in films like Punch Drunk Love and Click, this is the entry in the Sandman’s immense and mostly schlocky filmography that Grande can’t get out of her tear ducts.
But, hey, art is subjective, and every fan of Sandler’s has their own pick for their favorite dramatic role in his career. Uncut Gems isn’t for everybody, but anyone can connect with Bobby when he declares that, “Captain Insano shows no mercy.”
