Anger Management (film)

Anger Management
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Segal
Written byDavid S. Dorfman
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDonald McAlpine
Edited byJeff Gourson
Music byTeddy Castellucci
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • April 11, 2003 (2003-04-11)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$75 million[1]
Box office$195.7 million

Anger Management is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by David S. Dorfman. Starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson with Marisa Tomei, Luis Guzmán, Woody Harrelson and John Turturro in supporting roles, the film tells the story of a businessman who is sentenced to an anger management program under a renowned therapist with unconventional methods. This was the final film role for Lynne Thigpen, who died weeks before its release and is dedicated in her memory. Released in theaters in the United States on April 11, 2003, by Sony Pictures Releasing, the film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $195.7 million against a $75 million budget.

Plot

In 1978 Brooklyn, Dave Buznik is humiliated when local bully Arnie Shankman interrupts his first kiss by pantsing him. Twenty-five years later, the mild-mannered Dave works as a secretary for a mean-spirited boss named Frank while dating Linda. His lingering trauma leaves him unable to show affection publicly, a problem exacerbated by his arrogant co-worker Andrew, who is close to Linda and hopes to rekindle their past romance.

During a flight, Dave's frustration with a flight attendant is misinterpreted as rage. The sky marshal tasers him, and he is sentenced to anger management under therapist Dr. Buddy Rydell, who happened to sit next to him on the plane. However, Dave finds himself surrounded by far more volatile clients in a group therapy session, and his sentence is extended after he accidentally injures a waitress while defending himself during a bar fight. Dave faces a prison sentence, but Buddy proposes continuous live-in therapy as a "radical" alternative. Buddy moves into Dave's apartment and accompanies him everywhere, deploying unorthodox techniques that push Dave toward passive-aggressive behavior.

Buddy becomes infatuated with Linda after seeing her photo and arranges situations that test Dave's boundaries, including a forced performance of "I Feel Pretty" in traffic and an encounter with a cross-dressing prostitute. After Dave fabricates a medical emergency involving Buddy's mother, Buddy retaliates by arranging for Dave to be seduced by a former patient. Buddy also engineers a reunion with the adult Arnie, now a Buddhist monk. After Arnie laughs when reminded of the pantsing incident, Dave and Buddy provoke a physical fight that finally allows Dave a measure of revenge. Linda, following Buddy's advice, announces a trial separation so Dave can focus on improving his attitude. When Dave discovers Buddy is dating her, he attacks him and is hit with a restraining order. At the office, upon learning that Andrew has been promoted into the position he had expected, Dave punches Andrew and trashes Frank's office.

Learning from Andrew that Buddy has taken Linda to a New York Yankees game, Dave assumes Buddy intends to propose to Linda and races to the stadium. Making his way onto the field, he publicly declares his willingness to change, kisses Linda in front of the crowd, and proposes. Linda accepts, then reveals the ordeal to have been an elaborate set-up. Linda collaborated with Buddy after reading his book, and most of the people involved, including the security guards and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (who intervened for Dave), were participants in Buddy's plan to force Dave to confront his fear and assert himself. At a barbecue celebrating Dave's "graduation", a final threat from an armed man whose car Buddy had earlier destroyed turns out to be Dave's own prank, and the group sings "I Feel Pretty".

Cast

Several others appeared as themselves, such as:

Reception

Box office

Anger Management was number one at the box office on its opening weekend, April 11–13, 2003, earning $42.2 million. The film surpassed Big Daddy (1999) and Batman (1989) to have the highest opening weekend for both an Adam Sandler film and a Jack Nicholson film. It also had the highest April opening weekend, beating out The Scorpion King (2002).[2] It earned a total of $135.6 million in the U.S. with a total worldwide box office of $195.7 million.[3]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Anger Management has a 42% approval rating based on 191 reviews, with an average score of 5.1/10 and a consensus: "Though not without its funny moments, Anger Management is ultimately stale and disappointingly one-note, especially considering its capable cast."[4] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 52 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[5] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[6]

Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "The concept is inspired. The execution is lame. Anger Management, a film that might have been one of Adam Sandler's best, becomes one of Jack Nicholson's worst."[7] Caroline Westbrook for Empire magazine thought "A better script and more attention to other cast members would have helped but, as it stands, this is still the best Adam Sandler comedy since The Wedding Singer."[8] William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer gave the film a D, describing it as "a perfectly dreadful affair that makes no sense, has almost no good laughs and finally just sinks like a rock in a Beverly Hills swimming pool."[9]

Accolades

Year Ceremony Category Recipients Result
2003 Teen Choice Awards[10][11] Choice Movie: Comedy Nominated
Choice Movie Actor: Comedy Adam Sandler Nominated
Choice Hissy Fit Won
Choice Hissy Fit Jack Nicholson Nominated
2004 MTV Movie Awards Best Cameo John McEnroe Nominated

TV series adaptation

A television series based loosely on the film premiered on June 28, 2012,[12] starring Charlie Sheen in the role originated by Jack Nicholson, though not sharing the same name. The series was Sheen's first acting role since his firing from the hit CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men on March 7, 2011, after eight seasons.[13] The show was produced by the film's producer Joe Roth, and was broadcast on FX in the United States, CTV in Canada and on TBS in Latin America for two seasons, totalling 100 episodes before it was cancelled.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Lang, Brent (September 1, 2011). "Inside the Revolution Library: Where Joe Roth Went Wrong". TheWrap.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  2. ↑ Gray, Brandon (April 14, 2003). "'Anger' Manages April Record: $42.2 Million". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Anger Management - Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Anger Management (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes. April 11, 2003. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Anger Management Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Anger Management (2003) C+". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ Ebert, Roger (April 11, 2003). "Anger Management movie review (2003)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  8. ↑ Westbrook, Caroline (June 5, 2003). "Anger Management". Empire. Archived from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  9. ↑ "'Anger Management' may make audiences steam".
  10. ↑ "2003 Teen Choice Awards Nominees". Billboard. June 18, 2003. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  11. ↑ "2003 Teen Choice Winners Announced". Hollywood.com. August 6, 2003. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Breaking News – FX Locks Summer Launch Date for Comedy Series". The Futon Critic. February 28, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. ↑ "Charlie Sheen eyes TV return in 'Anger Management'". Yahoo!. July 6, 2011. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Charlie Sheen's 'Anger Management' premiered during the summer of 2011 on FX". Hollywood.com. October 27, 2011. Archived from the original on August 3, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
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