I work with opals sometimes so this was even more exciting for me haha some scenes in this were needlessly cringey; could have done without the way Sandler is introduced (esp. since it doesn’t lead to anything), and the closet scene. overall, good stuff
They really know how to stretch that anxiety-inducing drama, huh? That last scene felt like it went on forever, it led to what I felt was the obvious conclusion, yet still drew gasps from myself and the rest of the theater. Really loved this.
Looking back the cancer testing didn't seem to play into the rest of the movie. I don't believe he acknowledges it again until he gets the good news from the doctor. It would make more sense if he kept bringing it up as to another notch in so many things rattling his brain over the course of these several days.
I mean, he doesn't have to bring it up for it to be built into the character and his behaviour. It certainly isn't there for no reason and the fact that they internalize some of Howard's chaos without explicitly leaning into it at every turn is all the more fascinating.
I thought it was just another example of just how improbably lucky this absolutely reprehensible human being was. Up until he wasn't lol. Like he evaded an aggressive form of cancer than runs in his family and even killed his grandfather or father or whichever it was.
I just looked at it as it was a sense of relief as all this absolute crazy stuff was going on. Like he finally had good news, then he won his bets, it kept going well for him, up until the Joker conclusion.
Yeah I feel like they stuck in some intentional misdirection, the good news phone call seemed like it was going to go the conventional route and stick him with cancer, I was pleased that it didn't. Also when Howard goes into his other apartment after the play and the music is blasting there was a part of me that was like 'oh, okay julia killed herself possibly?' and again I was pleased they didn't go down such a conventional route. I liked that about the film.
Same with him hiding in the closet for Julia to get home. I absolutely thought she was cheating on him
It also set up the great joke from the doctor saying colon cancer paid for his beach house or whatever
Adam Sandler getting a colonoscopy could have easily been the concept for the start of a Grown UPS movie, amazing that they managed to make it work here. I still think about this movie a lot and the more I think about it the more I like it.
What was the deal with those dudes? Clearly people Howard owed money too but he didn’t take them seriously at all, did I miss something? it cracked me up when Howard gave one a watch and then immediately accused him of trying to sell a fake.
As the ending of the movie was unfolding, the shot of the creepy helicopter pilot collecting the winnings, I thought he was stealing it from her, like he was connected to the debt collectors. But nope, he was just being a nice guy picking up the money for Julia
Laughing imagining the scene with those two guys but instead it’s Kroll and Mulaney dressed as George and Gil