The best Happy Gilmore quotes have helped to make this Adam Sandler comedy one of the most beloved of the actor’s career. As a golf comedy, it could’ve easily paled in comparison to other golf-related comedy classics like Caddyshack, but luckily, its absurdist sense of humor, lovable characters, hilarious slapstick gags, and above all, its warm heart made it stand out as a classic in its own right. It’s also one of the most quotable comedies ever made, with a memorable Happy Gilmore quotes in every scene.
Though some critics disagree, Adam Sandler fans love his movies and some of the funniest lines from all the comedian’s films are the best Happy Gilmore quotes. With a great villain, memorable side characters, and Sandler at his most animated, the movie delivers what audiences love the most about Sandler’s filmography. Whether they be quips, comebacks, or observations about the great game of golf and how to play it better, these funny quotes from Happy Gilmore will likely live on for decades to come.
Happy Gilmore is likely the most famous Adam Sandler sports movie, but it is actually a two-for-one sports movie for the actor. At heart, Happy is actually a hockey player despite the fact that his powerful slapshot is the only impressive thing about his game.
However, in the movie’s opening narration, Happy proudly discusses his achievements as a hockey player. This involves holding the record for most penalty minutes and his inspired use of his skate as a weapon.
The line quickly shows Happy’s anger issues which are one of the funniest aspects of the movie while also that he is a little unhinged despite his big heart. The fact that the audience never sees this happy makes it even funnier as does the fact that Happy brings up this unusual record again while trying to impress Virginia (Julie Bowen).
So much of the comedy in the movie comes from Happy not knowing the rules and vibe of the golfing world mixed with his anger about being made to look like an idiot. One early example of this is when Happy tackles a young man who takes his clubs only to find out he is Happy’s assigned caddy.
Feeling more comfortable carrying his own clubs, Happy just tells the young man to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. When moments later, Happy inadvertently stands in the tee box, blocking his opponent, he immediately calls out the caddy for failing at his job.
It is hilarious how quickly Happy’s amicable view of this young man disappears. The way Sandler stares at his caddy for a few more seconds with rage in his eyes shows that he is not someone who likes being embarrassed.
Though Happy is a sweet guy in the end and a good grandson, Sandler isn’t afraid to make Happy somewhat unlikable at times, especially in his early scenes. After failing to make the hockey team, his girlfriend tells him he’s walking out on him.
Happy initially tries to win her back with sweetness and kind words, but when she suggests he is not a good hockey player, his childish anger comes out. He fires back that she’s not a good kindergarten teacher.
The fact that the movie begins with the protagonist insulting children’s art projects sets Happy up to be a hilarious rough-around-the-edges lead. Sandler has always excelled at playing adults who can behave like children while mixing in a little rage. Happy certainly fits the bill even though he immediately attempts to apologize for making such a comment.
As it turns out, Happy’s childish anger towards his girlfriend extends beyond their breaking up. When he goes to see his beloved grandmother, she is only interested in talking about him rather than her own dilemmas. However, when she brings up his girlfriend and asks how she is, Happy claims that she was killed after getting hit by a car. He moves on from the topic at a hilarious speed.
It is a darkly funny moment that is hard not to laugh at because of how nonchalantly Sandler delivers the line with just a hint of contempt in his voice. Happy is so unwilling to admit that he was broken up with that he invents this violent demise for his ex. It becomes funnier later when Happy tells Virginia that his girlfriend “fell off a cliff, died on impact.”
Allen Covert is the most frequent Adam Sandler collaborator, appearing in many of his movies. However, his best Sandler movie role may be in Happy Gilmore where he plays a homeless man named Otto whom Happy impulsively hires to be his caddy for the professional tournament.
Otto largely seems oblivious and uninterested in the game, shown to be bathing in the pond and washing his underwear in the ball wash instead. However, he does offer some rare advice during the final tournament.
As he and Happy are trying to read the green, Otto suggests it slants to the left only for Happy to point out that it only seems that way because Otto is only wearing one shoe. The fact that Otto doesn’t seem to realize that he has been partially shoeless this entire time adds to the strangeness of the character.
The central gag at the heart of Happy Gilmore is that the main character takes the stereotypically aggressive attitude of professional hockey to the quiet and well-ordered world of professional golfing, meaning that the eponymous Happy is always breaking rules, and even objects, in frustration.
It becomes Viginia’s, the tour’s publication relations director, job to ensure he is on his best behavior even though Happy has a hard time suppressing his juvenile rage. When Virginia points out that Happy broke a rake on the course, he hilariously downplays the incident, showing that he’s not all anger deep down, adding “And then I placed it in the woods, because it’s made of wood, and I just thought he should be with his family.”
When she stares back at him with a face that suggests his lame excuse isn’t working, he points out that he hasn’t hit anyone as if that is a reason for praise.
Part of what makes Adam Sandler’s comedic performances work so well is his manipulating his own voice. Whether he’s singing or giving his character a peculiar accent, Sandler is unashamed of how hard he’ll go for the big laughs with even the most simple lines of dialogue.