Anger Management

Anger Management refers to the 2003 film in which a spineless business man (Dave Buznik, played by Adam Sandler) is wrongfully sentenced to an anger management course with a forceful instructor, Dr. Buddy Rydell (played by Jack Nicholson). In a surprise twist, it turns out that Dave's girlfriend Linda (played by Marisa Tomei) hired Dr. Rydell to put some spine back into Dave under the guise of managing his "anger problems".

Perhaps I am missing something with this movie. Having grown up in Japan, maybe there are some cultural conventions that I'm not familiar with. I say that because, in short, this movie is kind of weird. I mean, it kind of makes sense in the end, but it's still strange. Maybe it wasn't as strange as Be Kind Rewind (which was enjoyable in its own way), but nevertheless strange.

Dr. Rydell is a weirdo. It probably doesn't help that he is played by Jack Nicholson. His smiles are creepy; he makes esoteric references, and what is with the device he used to stimulate his hair follicles?

Don't even get me started with Heather Graham's character, Kendra. She's a freak! I mean, I get that she was a hired actress (by Rydell), but her mood swings are bizarre to say the least.

I suppose you could say it all pays off in the end. The twist was a little unexpected. It looked as though things were headed in a decidedly toilet centered direction for Dave, but as it turns out, all the events were orchestrated to put some fire back in the man. If you're in the mood for something quirky, this one might keep you satiated for a while.