When Longfellow Deeds, a small-town pizzeria owner and poet, inherits $40 billion from his deceased uncle, he quickly begins rolling in a different kind of dough. Moving to the big city, Deeds finds himself besieged by opportunists all gunning for their piece of the pie. Babe, a television tabloid reporter, poses as an innocent small-town girl to do an exposé on Deeds.
Acting
John Turturro's unhinged Emilio steals every scene.
Writing
Sandler's poetry monologues are accidentally beautiful.
Director
Steven Brill
Adam Sandler
Longfellow Deeds
Winona Ryder
Babe Bennett
John Turturro
Emilio Lopez
Allen Covert
Marty
Peter Gallagher
Chuck Cedar
Jared Harris
Mac McGrath
Erick Avari
Cecil Anderson
Peter Dante
Murph
Conchata Ferrell
Jan
Harve Presnell
Preston Blake
Steve Buscemi
Crazy Eyes
Blake Clark
Buddy Ward
John McEnroe
John McEnroe
JB Smoove
Reuben
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is a remake of Frank Capra's 1936 classic Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, though Sandler's version trades Capra's sharp social commentary for slapstick.
The film captures peak pre-9/11 NYC optimism — the Chrysler Building as romantic symbol, before irony took over.
US
