Mr. Deeds (2002)

Mr. Deeds is based on the Academy Award -winning 1936 classic Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, directed by Frank Capra, screenplay by Robert Riskin, based on a story by Clarence Budington Kelland, and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. In this wistful adaptation, computers, corvettes, corporate raiders and the abrasive and intrusive commentary tabloid TV of all, provide a backdrop to illustrate just how much the times have changed.

"It's what you call a loose adaptation," explains director Steven Brill. "We took the basic setup and transposed Adam into it. Although it’s now set in modern day, it is in many ways similar to the original movie and, it still captures Capra’s spirit."

Of his modern interpretation of the film, Sandler says, "I don't feel like we re-made it. I think we took a premise and put our own goofiness into it. There are a lot of similarities, but it's our own. Gary Cooper is in a whole different league."

"Tim's original script was just great," adds director Steven Brill. "It was just a matter of taking all the ideas and updating them. Often, during shooting, Tim would come by and we'd all jam on a scene and try and make it funnier. That's the great thing about working with friends--it's a free-for-all that tends to work."

Brill, who has worked on several of Sandler's projects, can see similarities between Adam and his character. "Adam's a funny guy, and when the camera stops, he's pretty much the same. He doesn't really change. In that sense, Adam is very similar to his character, Deeds," says Brill. "This is not really a movie about a man changing. Deeds doesn't go from bad guy to redeemed guy. He is who he is all the way through--a great, charming guy. He has a crisis of faith because he doesn't trust his heart, but he is always within himself and knows who he is."

"This movie is about how other people are affected by a guy like that, and how it transforms them," Brill concludes.

"He's a good dude," grins Sandler, referring to his character in the film. "A lot of people, if they got a knock on the door and were told, here's a billion dollars, would react a little differently than good old Deeds. He is satisfied with his life and, intuitively, he thinks that with a lot of money comes trouble."

Sandler not only takes the starring role in the film, he serves as executive producer, involving himself in every aspect of the production.

"Adam as a filmmaker is pretty amazing," says producer Sid Ganis, who has worked with him on several projects, including Big Daddy. "From the very beginning--from the day we conceived the idea--right until the moment the last frame was edited, and the film was processed and printed, Adam was involved.

"He's was in the editing room everyday. He was on the music scoring stage. He was on the set whether he was working or not," continues Ganis. "A lot of people see a guy on the screen who they laugh at and they love. But the intensity that brings that performance and the finished product to that place is one that is a little elusive. Adam puts his heart and soul into the entire process and most people don’t understand the time commitment and sacrifices that are associated with making a film. It's fascinating."

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