It tells the story of an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers a newfound talent for golf and competes in a golfing tournament to save his grandmother’s home from foreclosure. After winning, he suddenly becomes a big star on the pro golf tour and a working-class hero. The screenplay was written by Sandler and his writing partner Tim Herlihy, in their second feature collaboration after the previous year’s Billy Madison. The film also marks the first of several collaborations between Sandler and Dugan.
Happy Gilmore was released in theaters on February 16, 1996, by Universal Pictures. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was a commercial success, earning $39 million on a $12 million budget, and it won an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight for Sandler and Bob Barker. As of 2024, a sequel is in development.
