The Wedding Singer (1998) * * *

Directed by:  Frank Coraci

Starring:  Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Allen Covert, Angela Featherstone, Christine Taylor, Matthew Glave, Jon Lovitz, Steve Buscemi, Billy Idol, Alexis Arquette

After Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and The Waterboy, did anyone envision Adam Sandler as a romantic comedy lead?     He pulls it off, with help from the equally adept Drew Barrymore.     Both are generally decent people who spend an entire movie pretending not to be in love and are nearly kept apart once they realize they are.     Yes, the plot is clichéd and has been covered in nearly every romantic comedy made since the invention of movies.     But, if it's entertaining then that is what matters.    

Adam Sandler plays Robbie, a circa 1985 New Jersey wedding singer stood up at the altar by his fiancée (Featherstone), who dismays how Robbie is content to be a wedding singer.     Robbie tells her, not unreasonably, "This is something that you could brought to my attention YESTERDAY!"    He falls into a depression, but soon is snapped out of it by Julia (Barrymore), a waitress who works many of the same weddings where he performs.     She is soon to be married to a slick Wall Street creep named Glen.    He dresses like he's about to appear on Miami Vice and brags about cheating on the sweet Julia.     Swell guy.    You know very well what will eventually happen.     If you think I'm spoiling the ending for you, then it's not my fault you have never seen a movie before.    Don't blame me.

You can check off the list of plot developments as they occur.

*   Robbie and Julia will bond and get along better than they ever did with their respective fiancées.

*   Robbie and Julia will share a kiss and both will deny that it meant anything.

*   Another woman will want to date Robbie, causing Julia to be jealous.

*   Robbie's former fiancée will find her way back into the picture and a misunderstanding involving her will seemingly keep he and Julia apart forever.

*   Everyone except Robbie and Julia realize they are in love until they finally catch up to everyone else.

But, you know what?    That's ok.    The Wedding Singer is still good regardless.     Sandler and Barrymore would reteam again in 50 First Dates where Barrymore suffers from short term memory loss so acute that she wakes up daily forgetting all that happened the day before.     That was a sweet comedy as well.     Sandler and Barrymore work well together and have good chemistry.     There are also plenty of 80s songs on the soundtrack and pop culture references.     Regardless of when the movie is set, the set up and payoff remain the same.

Billy Idol also shows up in a cameo at the end, although he clearly doesn't look he did in 1985.     The years were not kind to him.     But, he helps Robbie and Julia get together, so that's ok.