Critics’ reviews

The Wedding Singer (1998)

9 reviews from 9 publications. Critics’ score 77: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative.

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77
Positive
7
Mixed
2
Negative
0

Most critics find The Wedding Singer a warm, good-natured romantic comedy, with praise centred on Adam Sandler’s gentler performance and his chemistry with Drew Barrymore. The reviews repeatedly credit his charm and the pair’s believable affection with making a simple boy-meets-girl story work. The exaggerated 1980s setting and pop soundtrack also draw approval, adding comic energy to a romance that several critics find touching as well as funny.

Reservations concern the storytelling more than the central pairing: the plot is described as loose or simple, while the lowbrow humour remains a qualification even in a favourable review. The Hollywood Reporter specifically faults a sagging middle, despite praising the supporting cast and soundtrack. The spread runs from enthusiastic to mixed, with no negative assessments recorded; RogerEbert.com offers a more reserved response, though it still appreciates the film’s amiable romance.

Los Angeles Times
13 February 1998 · Kevin Thomas
90*

Thomas finds the film a sparkling, graceful romantic comedy that sends audiences home happy. He especially praises Adam Sandler’s unexpectedly appealing romantic performance and the charm he and Drew Barrymore bring to their roles.

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Variety
12 February 1998 · Leonard Klady
90*

Klady finds the film spirited, funny, warm, and unabashedly romantic. He especially praises Adam Sandler’s breakthrough performance and the human warmth he brings to the comedy.

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Empire
1 January 2000 · Caroline Westbrook
85*

Westbrook finds the film irresistible, despite its simple boy-meets-girl story. She praises its exaggerated 1980s nostalgia, lively soundtrack, and the appealing pairing of Sandler and Barrymore.

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Radio Times
★★★★ · Alan Jones
80

Jones finds the film an entertaining, good-natured romantic comedy. He praises the chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore and the film’s playful use of its 1980s setting and pop soundtrack.

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Total Film
5 June 1998 · ★★★★ · Yael Shuv
80

Shuv finds the film a pleasant, quirky, genuinely touching comedy that succeeds despite its loose plot and lowbrow humor. She especially praises Adam Sandler’s puppy-dog charm and the believable romantic chemistry he shares with Drew Barrymore.

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The Hollywood Reporter
12 February 1998 · Michael Rechtshaffen
72*

The review calls the film a winning romantic comedy and Sandler’s best effort, though it faults a sagging middle. It praises the supporting cast and the film’s lively use of its 1980s soundtrack.

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The New York Times
13 February 1998 · Janet Maslin
70*

The review views the film as a warmly entertaining romantic comedy. It singles out Adam Sandler’s gentler comic performance as a welcome change.

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Time Out
· TCh
64*

The available description offers no clear critical verdict. It identifies Sandler’s Robbie Hart as a wannabe rock star stuck on the wedding-band circuit.

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RogerEbert.com
13 February 1998 · ★★½/4 · Roger Ebert
62

Ebert gives the film a mixed assessment. He appreciates its amiable romantic comedy, though the page text available here does not reveal what he singled out.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate