Review of Grandma's Boy (2006) by Markb. — 19 Jun 2006

Produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company, but not featuring any trace of Sandler onscreen, this lazy but occasionally amusing arrested-adolescent opus DOES manage to perform one truly remarkable feat.

It gives Sandler's old SNL buddy and hanger-on Rob Schneider (who's normally absolutely unbearable when he's doing anything but makin' copies) a role as an irate landlord in which he manages to be somewhat amusing, if a bit politically incorrect, then has the good sense to permanently remove him from the picture before the opening credits.

Such other ex-Not Ready For Prime Time Players as David Spade and Kevin Nealon contribute nice bitd that help the viewer temporarily forget the fact that this comedy about a thirtysomething video game tester who's forced to move in with his grandmother doesn't really have a plot until the last 10 minutes.

Not only are the protagonist and his buddies serious stoners, but it's impossible to avoid the impression that the writers pretty much worked under both a literal and metaphorical fog throughout.

The movie's most distinctive characteristic (besides its jaw-droppingly amateurish poster ad) is the triumvirate of extremely veteran character actresses that play Grandma and her friends: Method actress Shirley Knight doesn't get much to do and looks embarrassed doing it, but Doris Roberts deserves some kind of a medal--this script isn't one-tenth as good as the most average episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, but Roberts, bless her heart, plays it as though it is.