“Happy Gilmore 2,” the long-awaited sequel to “Happy Gilmore” that premiered on Netflix this week, gives us a lot to be excited about.
There’s the return of Adam Sandler’s titular golf prodigy with a hockey player’s temper from the hit 1996 original, and Ben Stiller’s Hal L., Happy’s nemesis, who reprises the role in a truly delightful way. There are new exciting guest stars like Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce and even Eminem, who are pretty hilarious in this sequel.
Yet, for this Jewish viewer, the most exciting thing about it might be that Sandler’s character, Happy, is finally confirmed to be Jewish!
The scene happens early in the film as Happy, now a single father of five who lost all of his fame and riches, returns home from his job at the local Stop & Shop. He sees his daughter, Vienna, played by his real-life daughter Sunny Sandler, practicing ballet on the front porch with her Boys and Girls Club teacher, played by Jackie Sandler, Adam’s wife. Vienna greets him with a hug and happily shares that he was a clue on Jeopardy, opening up a video of the moment on her iPad.
“With amazing long drives and a hockey player’s temper, this golfer won the first of his six tour championships in 1996,” host Ken Jennings reads the clue.
The first contestant guesses Happy Goldberg. The second Happy Gudenstein. The third contestant, played by Sandler’s real-life cousin, Jana Sandler, is completely off base and guesses “Skippy Goldenbaum.”
Jennings shakes his head at all of them before giving them the answer. “He is Jewish,” the author and former contestant confirms. “But we were looking for Happy Gilmore.”
It’s an adorably funny way to discover that Happy is a Jew (we love a movie “Jeopardy” scene!). And if that’s not enough, Vienna later confirms the fact when she serves her father and four brothers a brisket she marinated in ketchup all day, “just like you said grandma used to,” she tells her approving father. Every Jewish mother knows ketchup makes the juiciest brisket.
It’s a thoroughly enjoyable scene in a thoroughly enjoyable movie that serves up lots of nostalgia (that opening montage echoes the opening of the first film) but still feels fresh (I mean, aside from Bad Bunny and Kelce, it stars both Guy Fieri and influencer Alix Earle!).
Aside from Adam and Sunny Sandler playing the Gilmores, there are so many other exciting Jewish guest stars, too. Pro-wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman plays one of Happy’s sons, Gordie. Ben Stiller’s daughter, Ella Stiller, plays a liquor store cashier who gets in a fight with Happy over a case of Jack Daniels. “Uncut Gems” co-director Ben Safdie plays an unhinged gold entrepreneur named Frank Manatee (obsessed with this name).
Sandler’s other daughter, Sadie, plays Charlotte, a fellow alcoholic who helps him kick his own dangerous habit. Eric Andre plays a golfer who plays a particularly frustrating round of golf with Happy (well, it’s frustrating for Happy, not for Margaret Qualley’s character who also joins them in the game).
And aside from Hal L.’s reprisal, there are a couple more, too. Robert Smigel returns to his role as The Lawyer, and Jon Lovitz also reprises his role as a Dapper Man.
There’s a lot to kvell about in “Happy Gilmore 2,” which is now officially a movie about the most out-there fictional Jewish pro-golfer in history. I love it.
