It might be easy to look at Sandler's IMDB page and make the argument that, hey, at least this guy is also writes and produces his own movies! That certainly takes a good deal of effort. How can you accuse the Sand-man of phoning it in when he's so busy behind-the-scenes? Well, for starters, this is a list about people who've stopped trying to act, so...in your face. But also, the great part about writing and producing the movies you star in is that you're not really beholden to anyone else when it comes to your onscreen performance. You normally have the "this is how the character I wrote would say this line" crutch to fall back on. Besides, Sandler's friend, Dennis Dugan, is nearly always the director involved with his movies these days, which means there's very little pressure for him to do anything except mumble his way through the dialogue and let the director win the next time they play air hockey. It's no secret that most Happy Madison comedies are just an excuse for Sandler to take a studio-backed vacation with his buddies, who are "regulars" in his movies the way those annoying, offensive dicks at your local bar are regulars. It's hard to even tell when Sandler is legitimately trying these days. Was he trying when he made the godawful, but slightly unique The Cobbler? Because...then maybe he should stay on autopilot.
