Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) wakes up every morning and falls in love again. He meets Lucy (Drew Barrymore) at the Honolulu zoo, tells her about his life, and watches her disappear into the crowd when she forgets him entirely. That happens because Lucy suffers from anterograde amnesia after a car accident. She wakes up each day with no memory of the previous 24 hours. Henry spends years trying to make her fall in love with him all over again, while he holds on to the memory of her.
“50 First Dates” is a romantic comedy built on a cruel premise: a woman who cannot remember the man she loves. The film asks us to find humor in a woman who cannot hold onto a relationship, while the man who loves her holds onto everything she ever said or did. The movie’s central problem is that it wants to be both funny and sincere, and it cannot decide which one to be.
Trailer, via Sony Pics at Home.
Lucy’s Condition
Lucy’s amnesia is the engine of the plot, but the film treats it as a punchline more often than a tragedy. Henry’s obsession with her is framed as sweet, but it is also deeply controlling. He keeps a binder full of notes about her, schedules her days, and plans every visit around her forgetting. There is a dark edge to his devotion that the film barely acknowledges.
Barrymore plays Lucy with a mix of warmth and fragility. She is a woman who has lost her identity, and she is constantly rebuilding it from scratch. Her forgetfulness is treated as a quirk rather than a disability, and that is the film’s biggest flaw. It turns a serious medical condition into a plot device for Henry to win her heart.
Sandler plays Henry as a lovable loser, and he commits fully to the role. His performance is physical and energetic, but it lacks the depth to carry the emotional weight of the story. The chemistry between the two leads is warm, but it is undermined by the script’s insistence on treating Lucy’s condition as a game rather than a tragedy.
The Zoo Plot
The zoo is where Henry and Lucy meet, and it becomes a recurring setting for their encounters. The animals are a constant presence, and the film leans on animal behavior to explain human relationships. Henry compares himself to a loyal dog who follows Lucy everywhere. The comparison is meant to be touching, but it reduces his character to a pet.
The zoo scenes are the film’s weakest link. They are cute, but they are also repetitive. The animals are there to be observed, not to advance the plot. The film could have used the zoo as a metaphor for Lucy’s fragmented life, but it chooses to use it as a backdrop for Henry’s daily routine instead.
The Binder
Henry’s binder is a symbol of his control. It is filled with notes about Lucy’s preferences, her favorite foods, her routines, and her fears. He uses it to plan his visits, to know what to say, and to know what not to say. The binder is a visual representation of his obsession, and it is a constant reminder that he is holding onto something she cannot.
The binder is also a plot device. Henry uses it to manipulate Lucy’s memories, to remind her of things she has forgotten, and to keep her trapped in his version of reality. It is a tool of manipulation, and the film does not explore the ethical implications of his use of it.
The Hospital Scene
There is one scene in the film where Lucy is taken to a hospital after a seizure. Henry watches her being treated, and he sees her vulnerability in a way he has never seen before. It is a rare moment where the film shows Lucy as a patient rather than a love interest. The scene is brief, but it is effective. It humanizes her in a way the rest of the film fails to do.
The hospital scene is a turning point for Henry. He realizes that Lucy is not just a woman he wants to love, but a woman who needs help. It is a moment of clarity, but it is quickly overshadowed by the film’s return to its usual tone.
The Memory Erasure
The film’s climax involves a plan to erase Lucy’s memory of the accident. Henry believes that if she can remember him, she will love him forever. The plan is executed, and the film ends with Lucy waking up remembering Henry. It is a happy ending, but it raises questions the film never answers. What happens to Lucy’s sense of self? What happens to the person she was before the accident?
The memory erasure is the film’s biggest betrayal of its own logic. The entire premise of the movie is that Lucy cannot remember, and the solution is to force her to remember. It is a cheat, and it undermines the emotional work the film has done.
The Comedy Problem
“50 First Dates” is a comedy, and it tries to be a funny movie. It has jokes about animals, about memory, and about the absurdity of love. Some of the jokes land. Most of them miss. The film’s attempts at humor are often insensitive, reducing Lucy’s condition to a series of gags. The audience is asked to laugh at a woman who cannot remember, while the film pretends that is okay.
The comedy is also uneven. There are moments of genuine wit, but they are outnumbered by the crass and unfunny set pieces. The film’s tone shifts from tender to crude without warning, and the result is a movie that feels inconsistent.
The Romance Problem
The romance in “50 First Dates” is built on a lie. Henry knows that Lucy will forget him, and he accepts that. He does not try to cure her, he does not try to help her, and he does not try to find a way out. He just keeps falling in love with her every day. That is a troubling message about love.
The romance is also one-sided. Henry pursues Lucy relentlessly, but she never pursues him. She is passive, and she is defined by her condition. The film presents her as a prize to be won, not a person to be loved.
The Film’s Legacy
“50 First Dates” is a flawed movie. It has a good premise, a decent cast, and a few moments of real emotion. But it is also a movie that trivializes a serious medical condition, and it is a movie that asks the audience to root for a man who manipulates a woman. It is a movie that celebrates persistence over respect.
The film has not aged well. Its treatment of amnesia seems dated, and its approach to romance seems outdated. It is a relic of a time when romantic comedies were allowed to be cruel to women.
The Verdict
“50 First Dates” is a movie that means well but executes poorly. It has a heart, but it is buried under a pile of bad decisions. The film’s failure is structural, not stylistic. It is a comedy that should be a drama, and a drama that should be a tragedy.
The film’s score is 4.5 out of 10, and that score feels generous. The movie is not terrible, but it is not good. It is a film that is worth seeing once, but not worth remembering.
Key Facts Box
– Title: 50 First Dates
– Year: 2004
– Director: Peter Segal
– Runtime: 102 minutes
– Genre: Romantic comedy
– Lead actors: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore
– Critical score: 4.5 of 10
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