Although anger was present in many of the characters Adam Sandler portrayed early in his career, Paul Thomas Anderson expoited this element of the actor’s persona in a more meaningly way with Punch-Drunk Love. Partially based on the true story of a man who parlayed an error in a proof-of-purchase redemption campaign to secure thousands of frequent-flyer-miles, this character study focuses on Barry Egan (Sandler), a lonely businessman suffering from social anxiety. Having been harangued by his seven overbearing sisters for years, he’s retreated into a shell, though he harbors wells of suppressed anger, which erupt at the most inopportune times.
However, things take a turn for the better when his sister Elizabeth (Mary-Lynn Rajskub) introduces him to Lena (Emily Watson), a co-worker who immediatetly sees Egan’s pain. Though his behavior proves erratic, she continues to subtly persue him, as does he. Desperate to see her, he flies to Hawaii where she’s vacationing, showing up on her doorstep unannounced.
Punch-Drunk is a fairy tale, one of disparate tones in which Egan and Lena’s happily-ever-after is hard won. A subplot involving a phone sex operator and her boss (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) extorting our hero seems to belong to a different movie, yet as the film progresses, it comes to serve as a metaphor for all Egan must face and conquer if he is to ever find any happiness.
Running a brisk 95 minutes, Anderson’s pacing is purposely erratic, at times slow and deliberate, mirroring the occasional moments of peace Egan finds, other times manic and distracting, in an effort to replicate the sense of mania that overtakes him. It’s a jarring approach, which is the point. While watching it, I often wonder what unsuspecting viewers who had wandered in expecting another Happy Gilmore made of this off-beat affair.
Anderson’s cast is marvelous, Hoffman bringing menace and buffoonery to his antagonistic character, while the always reliable Luiz Guzman is a delight as Egan’s right-hand man. As for the unconventional pairing of Sandler and Watson, somehow it works. Their opposing styles generate an odd sense of chemistry that speaks to the irrationality of love. Sometimes opposites do attract, her luminescence a perfect compliment to his vulnerability.
The latest edition from the Criterion Collection presents the film in 4K and comes packed with copious supplements. Blossoms & Blood, a short piece by Anderson featuring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson, with music by Jon Brion as well as an interview with the composer are included, as is footage of the Cannes Film Festival press conference, deleted scenes, and a “commercial” for the Mattress Man. Rounding out the package is an NBC News interview with David Phillips, the “pudding guy,” who uncovered the loophole in the real-life proof-of-purchase redemption campaign and an essay by filmmaker, author, and artist Miranda July, making this one of most comprehenive editions Criterion has produced.
