Adam Sandler plays a man so nervous he cannot even kiss his girlfriend. Jack Nicholson plays the doctor who decides the best way to help him is to move into his apartment and follow him everywhere. That is the setup for “Anger Management,” and it is a setup that never quite pays off.
The film follows Dave Buznik, a mild-mannered secretary who gets into trouble after a small misunderstanding aboard a plane. He is ordered by the court to attend anger management therapy, led by Dr. Buddy Rydell. Buddy is not your usual shrink. He lives with Dave, rides along with him, and pushes him toward passive-aggressive behavior through increasingly unorthodox methods.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
Buddy’s Unorthodox Treatment
Buddy’s approach is the engine of the film. He arranges situations meant to test Dave’s patience, from forcing him to perform “I Feel Pretty” in traffic to setting him up with a cross-dressing prostitute. Buddy also becomes infatuated with Dave’s girlfriend, Linda, and uses their relationship as leverage. When Dave fabricates a medical emergency involving Buddy’s mother, Buddy retaliates by arranging for Dave to be seduced by a former patient.
The comedy depends on the contrast between Dave’s meekness and Buddy’s chaos. Nicholson plays Buddy as a man who genuinely believes his methods are radical and effective, even as they spiral out of control. Sandler plays Dave as a man who is pushed past his limits again and again, until he finally snaps.
The film wants to be a comedy about a man learning to stand up for himself. What it mostly delivers is a man being harassed by a doctor who refuses to leave his apartment.
Supporting Cast and Cameos
Marisa Tomei plays Linda, the girlfriend who is caught in the middle of Buddy’s schemes. Luis Guzmán plays Lou, and Allen Covert plays Andrew, a co-worker who hopes to rekindle his past romance with Linda. Woody Harrelson plays Galaxia the prostitute and Gary the security guard, and John Turturro plays Chuck. The cast is large and talented, and the film leans on cameo appearances from a long list of real-life personalities.
Among the cameo guests are John McEnroe, Derek Jeter, Bob Sheppard, and Robert Merrill, all appearing as themselves. The film also includes Clint Black as a masseur, Kevin Nealon as Dave’s lawyer Sam, and Nancy Carell as Patty the flight attendant. Alan James Morgan appears as Young Arnie Shankman, and Isaac C. Singleton Jr. plays the air marshal.
These cameo appearances add texture to the world of the film but do not solve the central problem: the film’s plot is thin, and its jokes often feel like set dressing rather than genuine comedy.
Plot Weaknesses
The film’s central problem is its plot. Dave’s problem is not anger, really. It is social anxiety, and the film never fully commits to exploring that. Instead, it treats Dave’s inability to show affection publicly as a comic device rather than a character trait worth understanding.
The climax, where Dave finally gets revenge on Buddy after an adult Arnie laughs at the pantsing incident, feels rushed. The film builds to a moment of catharsis but then cuts away before it lands. Dave’s arc is supposed to be about learning to assert himself, but the film spends so much time watching Buddy push him around that the payoff loses force.
The film also fails to resolve the romantic subplot between Dave and Linda. Linda announces a trial separation so Dave can focus on his therapy, but the film does not return to explain what happens between them afterward. The ending leaves the audience with a question it never answers.
A Mixed Reception
“Anger Management” was released in theaters in the United States on April 11, 2003, by Sony Pictures Releasing. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $195.7 million against a $75 million budget. The film was dedicated in memory of Lynne Thigpen, who died weeks before its release. This was her final film role.
The film’s score reflects its uneven quality. It has a strong premise, a great cast, and some sharp individual jokes. But the plot drags, the pacing sags, and the payoff never arrives. Nicholson and Sandler both bring energy to their roles, but the material does not always justify that energy.
The film’s tagline promises love, but it delivers mostly chaos. It is a film that knows how to raise tension and then let it dissipate without resolution.
Final Verdict
“Anger Management” is a flawed comedy with flashes of brilliance. Nicholson’s performance is consistently entertaining, and the film’s best moments come when Buddy’s schemes get the better of him. But the film’s commitment to its premise wavers, and the payoff never arrives.
The film’s strengths are its cast and its premise. Its weaknesses are its plot and its pacing. It is a comedy that is fun to watch but frustrating to finish.
- Strong performances from Nicholson and Sandler
- Large, talented supporting cast
- Sharp individual jokes
- A premise that never fully commits to its own stakes
- A climax that rushes past its own payoff
- A romantic subplot left unresolved
- Cameo appearances that add texture but not substance
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