Happy Gilmore 2 pays an emotional tribute to all the actors who have died since the first film.
The movie, which was released this morning on Netflix, continues the story of the now-iconic Adam Sandler character Happy Gilmore.
The movie picks up 29 years after his Open win in the first Happy Gilmore, with the former golfer now working in a supermarket and being a father to five kids.
When he realises he needs money to save his family once again, Happy takes golf back up, however, this time he’s missing a group of key characters.
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In the time since the first film, a number of actors have died, including Carl Weathers, who played Happy's mentor Chubbs Peterson.
Sandler stated that even though Chubbs died in the first film, Weathers’ death in real life meant that the second film had to go through significant rewrites.
In addition to this, Bob Barker (who played himself), Frances Bay (who played Grandma), Joe Flaherty (who played the heckler), and Richard Kiel (who played Mr Larson), have all died since the first film was released.
Spoiler warning ahead for Happy Gilmore 2:
Right towards the end of the film, similar to the first, Carl Weathers’ Chubbs waves down at Happy alongside Abraham Lincoln and an alligator named Morris.
This is in itself because, as well as Weathers, the alligator who played Morris in the first film died earlier this year.
In the second film, this is followed by a lineup in the sky of all the other actors to have died since the first film, Bob Barker, Mr Larson, Joe Flaherty’s heckler, and Grandma all waving down at Happy.
Bizarrely though, amongst the sweet tributes is Eminem. For those concerned, no – the legendary Detroit rapper has not died.
Eminem plays the heckler’s son in the film, revealing that his father is now in the ‘great sizzler in the sky’.
After a confrontation with Happy, his four sons pick him up and throw him into a nearby lake, where he is devoured by alligators.
It is confirmed he has died shortly after he punches one, saying the alligators ‘better put some respect on his name’ with an announcement saying: “Well, it looks like we have our first fatality.”
Alongside the emotional waves of the other characters, all played by actors who’ve passed away, you also have Eminem in a bad wig flipping Happy off.
Sandler has previously stated that, despite rewriting the film following Weathers’ death, they had planned to make nods to the late great actor.
He said: “Had a painful change, Carl Weathers had a massive part. We made a lot of nice references to how great Chubbs was in the movie.”
Happy Gilmore 2 is available to watch on Netflix now.
Topics: Adam Sandler, Netflix, Film, TV and Film, Eminem
Michael Slavin