Sandler's 'Deeds' worth a laugh [New Line Cinema and Columbia Pictures] Winona Ryder and Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds. Read Billy's movie reviews on his special archive page. By BILLY NORRIS © St. Petersburg Times published July 1, 2002 Movie: Mr. Deeds Rating: PG-13 Summary: In this remake of the 1936 Frank Capra film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Longfellow Deeds Adam Sandler) lives in the small town of Mandrake Falls, N.H., delivering pizzas and trying to make it big by writing greeting cards. He finds out that his great uncle, who owned 49 percent of the shares in a large New York media corporation, just passed away. Longfellow is the heir to his great uncle's $40-billion fortune, so he begins to run the company with his own personal touch. Meanwhile, the other shareholders secretly are trying to con Deeds into signing over his money. At the same time, Babe Bennet (Winona Ryder), a television reporter who is struggling for a good story, goes undercover to get the inside scoop on Deeds. They fall in love , but the problem is Deeds only knows Bennet as her alter ego, Pam Dawson, school nurse from Iowa. My View: Finally, a relatively sane Adam Sandler film. Of course, it wouldn't be an Adam Sandler movie without at least a few zany scenes. This story had a little more substance to it than what we've come to expect from Sandler, and the plot was actually interesting (probably because this is a remake of a movie that had five Academy Award nominations in 1936). Favorite Part: The character Emilio, Deeds's valet played by John Turturro, was absolutely hilarious. Even though his humor was subtle, it still drew huge laughs. I believe he was the most entertaining character in the film. Least Favorite Part: It took a little while for this movie to warm up. It was a good 20 minutes or so before I actually laughed at something. Recommendations: This movie is not bad. It might even be enjoyed beyond the realm of the Adam Sandler fan base. There is some strong language, so the PG-13 rating is appropriate. Grade: B- - Billy Norris, 14, will be in the ninth grade at Seminole High School, and is a former member of the Times X-Team. Past 14 Days March 16, 2008 March 15, 2008 March 14, 2008 March 13, 2008 March 12, 2008 March 11, 2008 March 10, 2008 March 9, 2008 March 8, 2008 March 7, 2008 March 6, 2008 March 5, 2008 March 4, 2008 March 3, 2008 Search further back Here's the rest of today's Xpress Billy, talk to us! I have seen the future, and it is sci-fi Please knock before trying to enter my mind Get busy this summer: Send us your Xpressions! Sandler's 'Deeds' worth a laugh Summer reading: Boomerang Billy