"Happy Gilmore 2": A Nostalgic Farewell Letter to Gen X and a Tribute to Friendship
When I found out that Happy Gilmore 2 was coming out, it felt like every 40 and 50 something channeled their inner teenager across the internet, followed by fist pumps, cheers, memes, and the sound of DVD’s and VHS being popped into their respective machines . For Gen Xers, this wasn’t just another quick buck sequel from Hollyweird. It was like we found a time machine, a real life time machine! It was like Adam Sandler himself reaching through the screen, saying, “I remember too (I know you read that in Sandler's voice, ha!)
The OG HG hit theaters in ‘96, smack in the middle of a decade where Gen X was growing up on sarcasm, grunge, and Sandler’s signature blend of rage-filled goofiness. It was never just a golf movie coming straight out of 203/860—it was a super weird, wild slapstick comedy that defied the rules, made us quote “the price is wrong” for decades, and gave us an antihero who punched Bob Barker.
Punched. Bob. Barker.
I’m a sentimental dude who lives in Nostalgia.
So when Sandler decided to jump back into his skates again in Happy Gilmore 2, it wasn’t just to chase laughs—it was to close a loop.
A Tribute Wrapped in Laughter
Man this is more than a sequel. Happy Gilmore 2 plays like a love letter to everything the original gave us—and everyone we lost along the way.
The film pays subtle but powerful tribute to Grown Ups co-star and real-life friend Cameron Boyce, who tragically passed away from epilepsy in 2019. While Boyce wasn’t in the original Happy Gilmore, his presence is felt in the tone of the film—There’s a quiet scene that doesn’t call attention to itself, but longtime fans will feel the weight. It’s Sandler mourning through humor—something he’s always done better than anyone.
This sense of reflection permeates the movie. The jokes are still there—loud, ridiculous, and punchline-heavy—but so is a quiet undercurrent: the sense that this might be one of the last times we see this Sandler. The scrappy, goofy, underdog. The dude who basically created his own genre.
Photo Cred: IG @justinthomas34
Photo Cred: Netflix
Photo Cred: Scott Yamano/Netflix
Gen X and the Art of Letting Go
For Gen Xers now entering the second half of their lives, Happy Gilmore 2 hits like a bittersweet warhead on a summer day. It reminds us of who we were—sitting on stained couches, eating pizza, laughing until we cried or had a fist fight—and who we’ve become. Life got serious. Time flew by fast. We gained perspective. And in many ways, so did Sandler.
He doesn’t need to scream and be extreme anymore to be heard. There’s a stillness in Happy Gilmore 2 that didn’t exist in the first—like an old friend slowing down, not because he’s tired, but because he wants to take in the moment.
And maybe that's the point.
Wrapping Up a Legacy
Whether this marks the end of an era or simply a closing of a chapter, Happy Gilmore 2 feels like Sandler tipping his Bruins cap to the fans who’ve been with him since day one. It's for the Blockbuster kids. The ones who patiently waited to hit record when their favorite song came on the radio . The ones who still laugh at Shooter McGavin gifs in group chats.
It’s not just a movie.
It’s a thank-you.
It’s a goodbye—maybe not forever, but enough to make us feel it.
And just like that, Happy swings one last time—not just at a golf ball, but at the heart of a generation.
