Parents' Guide to

The Wedding Singer

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Silly Adam Sandler romcom has profanity, drunken antics.

Movie PG-13 2004 95 minutes
The Wedding Singer Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 13+

Based on 13 parent reviews

goodgirl
goodgirl Adult
June 25, 2015
age 14+

Cute movie .

funny cute and puts me in a good mood. although there is language and Robbie singing drunk at a wedding but he's the good guy that gets the girl and marries her. great movie.
Rated T for Tommy
Rated T for Tommy Adult
September 14, 2022
age 15+

Some profanity (including a song that contains the f word). Otherwise great movie!

This is a very funny movie. For those of you that don’t know, The Wedding Singer is ‘90s comedy film that takes place in the ‘80s, about a Wedding Singer named Robbie Hart that got abandoned at the alter at his own Wedding. There is some comedic violence, such as the part where he got shoved and fell into a table. Some sexual references, including an old woman briefly talking about having sex 8 different times before getting married. Also Adam Sandler plays devil’s advocate, playing on another man’s lustful desire to “sink his teeth into some ass”. One reference to “playing with your ding dong”. Julia (Drew Barrymore) becomes a friend to Robbie, but I don’t want to spoil anything about their relationship. As far as alcohol goes, this is some drinking, some characters are drunk and there are references to vomiting. Language, there is some uses of “s**t”, several uses of “ass” (including the grosser/more insulting variants such as “a**hole” and “a**wipe”.) A couple uses of “goddamn”, “bi**h”, “hell” as well. Robbie uses the f-word in a song about his ex. (This is the only time the word is said in the movie). Otherwise, I think it’s best to wait until teens are mature enough so they can truly see Sandler in his best role. ‘80s mullet and all. This is a really funny movie, even though he goes through a huge state of depression over his manipulative ex, who abandons him on their wedding day solely because he is a wedding singer. I’ve only seen it once, but it’s definitely one I would watch again!
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What's the Story?

Set in 1985, THE WEDDING SINGER stars Adam Sandler as Robbie Hart, a mullet-wearing singer-songwriter in New Jersey who performs love songs at weddings with his band, which includes a cross-dressing Boy George impersonator. Robbie's great talent isn't his singing but rather his peacemaking. At receptions he smoothly defuses embarrassing, alcohol-fueled blowups between angry in-laws, and he helps bitter best men sober up. Apparently Robbie's having been orphaned at age 10 motivates his ideals of marriage and tranquility. Thus it's a shattering blow when his own fiancée is a no-show at the altar. Now it's responsible Robbie's turn to lapse into drunken bitterness. The friends he's made at the party center help him through the bad time, especially Julia (Drew Barrymore), a waitress engaged to junk-bond dealer Glenn (Matthew Glave). Robbie uses his business connections to help plan Julia's wedding, and in the process the two fall in love. Robbie sees clearly that the Miami Vice-fixated Glenn is a self-centered rat who cares more about his DeLorean than he does for Julia.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13 ):
Kids say (36 ):

The Wedding Singer is not the most original comedy, but it's cute, and Robbie's situation could inspire the start of a discussion about ethical choices. The movie never stops reminding viewers -- mostly via pop-music references -- that it's set in 1985: Fashions are inspired by Michael Jackson, unspeakable haircuts derive from the group Flock of Seagulls, Billy Idol cameos as himself, and a new $800 tabletop device called a CD player gives great sound (only nobody knows what CDs are).

Sandler is a perennial kids' favorite, thanks to a recurring shtick as a grown man who (mis)behaves like a little boy. This comedy nicely lets Sandler mature a little on-screen, partially by surrounding him with characters significantly dumber and less upstanding than Robbie. Robbie isn't pretentious or stuck on his own gallantry. He's polite in turning down sexual overtures from a Madonna wannabe, and he even tries to convince Glenn to treat Julia better before he realizes that he and Julia are a perfect match.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of Adam Sandler movies. Why are they popular?

  • How is this movie similar to and different from other movies starring Adam Sandler?

  • What are some of the ways in which this movie adheres to the typical structure of a romantic comedy?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: September 14, 2004
  • On DVD or streaming: September 14, 2004
  • Cast: Adam Sandler , Christine Taylor , Drew Barrymore
  • Director: Frank Coraci
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors, Bisexual actors
  • Studio: New Line
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 95 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: sexual content and profanity
  • Last updated: March 7, 2024

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