Billy Madison

Directed by Tamra Davis, Billy Madison follows Adam Sandler’s juvenile title character as he sets out to prove his worth to his father by successfully completing grades one through twelve. It’s an exceedingly (and unabashedly) silly premise that’s employed to mostly watchable (yet undeniably erratic) effect by Davis, as the filmmaker, working from Sandler and Tim Herlihy’s screenplay, delivers a briskly-paced and often hilarious comedy that benefits substantially from Sandler’s goofy, affable performance – with the actor’s ingratiating work matched by a solid supporting cast that includes Bridgette Wilson, Bradley Whitford, and an uncredited Chris Farley. (The latter, cast as an irate bus driver, is clearly the MVP here and is responsible for the film’s single biggest laugh.) There’s little doubt, then, that Billy Madison‘s overall impact is hampered by a decidedly hit-and-miss midsection that suffers from a rather palpable lack of momentum, as the picture ultimately does seem to boast an almost equal number of effective and ineffective sequences – although, to be fair, the appropriately brief running time ensures that there are few out-and-out lulls within the somewhat episodic narrative. By the time the satisfying finale rolls around, Billy Madison has cemented its place as a decent Sandler vehicle that’s rarely as enthralling as its most well-known, isolated moments.

**1/2 out of ****