The Wrong Missy is another Happy Madison offering that dropped into Netflix last May 13. It marked the second collaboration between comedian David Spade and director Tyler Spindel after Father of the Year. Spade plays businessman Tim Morris who had a successful fling with model Missy (Molly Sims). When he decided to invite her to his work retreat, he incorrectly texted the wrong Missy (Lauren Lapkus).
In many ways, this film is another Happy Madison joint with the same conventions expected from Adam Sandler’s friends. Here are 10 ways that it can be classified as another Happy Madison film.
Product Placement
Happy Madison movies are notorious for their blatant product placement. While it is less featured in this movie, it is so distracting to watch an office scene without spotting many subtle nods to Dell, nor noticing Xcel Wetsuits as the best diving gear, nor using a Grubhub deliverer as a punchline.
But the most obvious case is the Hawaiian Tourism Board for featuring Hawaii as the movie’s main setting, down to Spade wearing a hat that reads “Aloha, Aloha, Aloha”. This is no Punch-Drunk Love.
Sandler’s Family Featured
While Adam Sandler usually cameos on his friends’ top-billed movies, he never appears in The Wrong Missy. Instead, his family members and relatives do. Sandler’s nephew Jared appears as Stuart, and Sandler’s daughters Sadie and Sunny play as hotel patrons…Sadie and Sunny. Right.
However, the most notable Sandler relative that got the shot on the limelight is Jackie Sandler as Tim’s boss Jess, who was dubbed as “The Barracuda”. This is one of her biggest roles in a Happy Madison movie.
Classic Cameos
Speaking of roles given to family, several of Sandler’s friends appear in the film. There are typical favorites like Rob Schneider, Nick Swardson, and Vanilla Ice reprising his role in That’s My Boy as himself. Jorge Garcia cameos as an airplane passenger, in a reference to his character Hurley in Lost.
And Molly Sims previously appeared in The Benchwarmers, a Rob Schneider-David Spade vehicle. But the most painful aspect cameos are seeing wasted talents like Roman Reigns and Sarah Chalke in a Happy Madison film.
Featured Model
To those unfamiliar with Molly Sims, she was a former Sports Illustrated model and a star in the NBC TV series Las Vegas. Her presence makes her perfect to play a beauty queen who engaged in a brief fling with him.
This is not the first time that a Happy Madison movie featured models. Just Go With It featured Brooklyn Decker. Pixels wasted Ashley Benson. And The House Bunny justifiably included Playboy models. One can’t ask but: Happy Madison movie or Fast & Furious sequel?
Nick Swardson As The Sidekick
Nick Swardson is a Happy Madison favorite from his first involvement in Grandma’s Boy. And he is always typecasted as the brash sidekick that always throws expletives or the insecure second banana that acts pitiful, despite having the moral high ground.
For The Wrong Missy, he plays Nate, Tim’s closest confidante who is responsible for pushing him to move on from his disastrous date with Missy and invite the model Missy to their company retreat. Expect the usual frat-boy loudness and endless quipping from him.
Over-the-Top Slapstick
Adam Sandler movies will always feature over-the-top slapstick that does not merit any injury nor repercussions. Whether it be Kevin James dropping to a slope in Grown Ups or Sandler getting dragged by a parachute in Blended, over-the-top is a “quality” Happy Madison specialty of humor.
For The Wrong Missy’s case, most of the wacky humor is delivered by Lapkus, whose character requires to be a loose cannon. Her most known slapstick bit is falling from a ravine and face-planting on the sand. That hurts.
David Spade’s Comedic Style
David Spade is known for his deadpan self-deprecation. Ever since his Saturday Night Live days, he specializes in observational humor, hilarious deconstruction of topics, dogmatic gags, and his self-awareness of making him the final punchline. With few exceptions, he gives a tamer approach when appearing in movies.
That does not change for The Wrong Missy. He always gives sharp remarks with a sarcastic tone and deadpan delivery. Regardless if one thinks of him as funny or not, Spade perfectly broke type as the straight man.
Eccentric Female Lead
On the opposite side is Lauren Lapkus as the eponymous “wrong Missy”. Missy revealed to be more of a trickster, given that she lured Tim with misleading details. But she appeared to be hostile towards other patrons and uncanny for carrying a bowie knife. Her (deranged) peculiar behavior does not stop there.
Lapkus is not the only eccentric female lead in a Happy Madison production. There is Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates, Anna Faris in The House Bunny and Sandler in Jack & Jill.
Illogical Love Story
The Wrong Missy is first and foremost a love story between a rigid man and an unusual woman. There are ways to make polar personalities believable and cute. But in the case of Tim and Missy, their romance does not work.
Their fling is rooted in a misconception that Tim intended to send his text messages to another Missy. But he went with the flow of not telling Missy, which bears no sense to their eventual relationship. Plus, wrong Missy is a psychopathic, suicidal spirit who carries a “Crocodile Dundee knife” and hypnotizes people.
An Excuse For A Vacation
Of course, the pinnacle of any Happy Madison trope is that the movie does not hide being a secret vacation for everyone. This happens first in Grown Ups with Sandler and company in a lakehouse. Then, it goes on with Just Go with It, Jack and Jill, Grown Ups 2, Blended, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, The Do-Over, Murder Mystery, and eventually here.
While the vacation aspect is not as lazy as previous efforts, the film does not take advantage of the company retreat trope or poke fun of the subject. It is purely lazy.
