Billy Madison in the context of "Happy Gilmore"

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⭐ Core Definition: Billy Madison

Billy Madison is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Tamra Davis, written by Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy, and produced by Robert Simonds. The film stars Sandler in the title role, alongside Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Darren McGavin, Mark Beltzman, Larry Hankin, and Norm Macdonald in his feature film debut. It tells the story of a wealthy but immature man (Sandler) who must repeat grades 1 through 12 to prove himself worthy of inheriting his father's (McGavin) company.

Billy Madison was produced by Robert Simonds Productions and released by Universal Pictures on February 10, 1995. The film debuted at No. 1 at the North American box office and grossed approximately $26.4 million worldwide against a $10 million budget. Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews from critics. However, in subsequent years, Billy Madison has developed a cult following and is frequently ranked as one of Sandler's most popular and defining works.

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👉 Billy Madison in the context of Happy Gilmore

Happy Gilmore is a 1996 American sports comedy film starring Adam Sandler in the title role. Directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds, the supporting cast includes Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, and Carl Weathers. The film follows Happy Gilmore, a boorish, failed ice hockey player with a unique talent for golf, who seeks to raise enough money to prevent the foreclosure of his grandmother's house.

The screenplay was written by Sandler and his writing partner Tim Herlihy, in their second feature collaboration after the previous year's Billy Madison. This film also marks the first collaboration between Sandler and Dugan. Happy Gilmore was released in theaters on February 16, 1996, by Universal Pictures, and received mixed reviews from critics. The film was a commercial success, earning $41.2 million on a $12 million budget, and it won an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight for Sandler and Bob Barker. It has developed a cult following, especially in the golf community. A sequel, Happy Gilmore 2, was released on Netflix in 2025.

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Billy Madison in the context of Adam Sandler

Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and singer-songwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, his accolades include an Independent Spirit Award, alongside nominations for three Grammy Awards, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2023, Sandler was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Sandler was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995. He returned to Saturday Night Live as a host in 2019 earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Sandler gained further stardom starring in a string of successful Hollywood studio comedy films that have cumulatively grossed over $2 billion worldwide. These films include Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), The Waterboy (1998), The Wedding Singer (1998), Big Daddy (1999), Mr. Deeds (2002), Anger Management (2003), 50 First Dates (2004), The Longest Yard (2005), Click (2006), Grown Ups (2010), Just Go with It (2011), Jack and Jill (2011), Grown Ups 2 (2013) and Blended (2014).

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Billy Madison in the context of Larry Hankin

Lawrence Alan Hankin (born December 7, 1937) is an American character actor. He has had major film roles as Charley Butts in Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Ace in Running Scared (1986), and Carl Alphonse in Billy Madison (1995). He had smaller roles as Doobby in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Sergeant Larry Balzak in Home Alone, Mr. Heckles in Friends, and Joe in Breaking Bad and El Camino.

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Billy Madison in the context of Happy Madison Productions

Happy Madison Productions, Inc. is an American independent film and television production company founded in 1999 by Adam Sandler, which is best known for its comedy films. The company is named after the films Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, both starring Sandler himself, produced by Robert Simonds, written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy, and distributed by Universal Pictures.

In addition to various Sandler-produced films, the company has also released films produced by others, such as Steven Brill, Dennis Dugan, Frank Coraci, Fred Wolf, Tom Brady, Peter Segal, Nicholaus Goossen, and Tyler Spindel.

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