Summary
- Happy Gilmore’s iconic quotes have made it stand out as a classic comedy with lovable characters and hilarious gags.
- Fans love Adam Sandler’s movies for the humor and memorable lines, making Happy Gilmore a beloved favorite.
- The quirky characters and absurd humor in Happy Gilmore make it a timeless comedy full of memorable one-liners.
The best Happy Gilmore quotes have helped to make this Adam Sandler comedy one of the most beloved of the actor’s career. As a golf comedy, it could’ve easily paled in comparison to other golf-related comedy classics like Caddyshack, but luckily, its absurdist sense of humor, lovable characters, hilarious slapstick gags, and above all, its warm heart made it stand out as a classic in its own right. It’s also one of the most quotable comedies ever made, with a memorable Happy Gilmore quotes in every scene.
Though some critics disagree, Adam Sandler fans love his movies and some of the funniest lines from all the comedian’s films are the best Happy Gilmore quotes. With a great villain, memorable side characters, and Sandler at his most animated, the movie delivers what audiences love the most about Sandler’s filmography. Whether they be quips, comebacks, or observations about the great game of golf and how to play it better, these funny quotes from Happy Gilmore will likely live on for decades to come.
25 “He Shouldn’t Have Been Standing There.”
Happy Gilmore
While Happy’s dream is to be a hockey player, he sadly doesn’t have the skill for it besides his wicked slapshot. Ironically, while he has no interest in golf, he proves to have a natural talent for the long drive which he finds out largely by accident. While movers are working at his grandmother’s house, they take a break to hit some golf balls. Happy joins them and hits a drive that goes across the neighborhood and through a man’s window.
It is an amazing shot that the movers think Happy could never do again. His second shot is almost identical, but this time he hits the neighbor who comes out to inspect his broken window. It is a hilarious slapstick moment and Happy’s comment that he shouldn’t have been standing there as if this is a normal place to be expecting golfballs is even funnier. The scene ends with one more big laugh as Happy’s third ball hits the man’s wife through the broken window, sending her tumbling out onto the roof.
24 “What? Friends Listen To ‘Endless Love’ In The Dark.”
Happy Gilmore
While Julie Bowen became popular as Claire Dunphy in the cast of Modern Family, many people were first introduced to her as Virginia Venit, the public relations officer for the golf tour. Virginia takes it upon herself to keep Happy in line because he is a draw for the audience, but his reckless behavior could get him kicked out of the sport. Of course, Happy quickly tries to spark a romance between them.
Virginia tries to keep things professional, but she eventually agrees to hang out with him one evening as friends. They end up at an empty ice rink where they start skating together only for the lights to suddenly dim and “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie begins playing. Adam Sandler’s charming and endearing delivery on this line, suggesting this is a perfectly acceptable friend activity, shows that there is a lot more to Happy than just senseless violence.
23 “That Was So Much Easier Than Putting. I Should Just Try To Get The Ball In One Shot Every Time.”
Happy Gilmore
During Happy’s first game as a golfer, he wows the audience with his long drive, but he proves that he is a lot less impressive when he gets on the green. With little to no experience as a golfer, Happy is terrible at putting, destroying any gains he makes with his long drives. However, he finds that there is a simpler solution when he gets a hole-in-one on a par four hole. Excited that he doesn’t have to putt, he suggests to Chubs that he should just try for a hole-in-one every time.
That is part of the fun of the character of Happy Gilmore. He can be brash and aggressive, but seeing him finding his way in this game that he doesn’t understand makes him a more likable underdog than he initially seems. Of course, the ease with which Happy finds success and displays talent on the golf course is a big part of why Shooter McGavin hates him so much.
22 “You Will Not Make This Putt… You Jackass!”
Donald
When Shooter McGavin realizes that Happy Gilmore is becoming too skilled as a golfer as well as a more popular golfer, he decides he is no longer willing to play fair. He hires a man named Donald to act as a heckler to Happy throughout his match with Bob Barker, continuously getting under his skin by calling out insults and tempting that notorious temper Happy has bubbling underneath.
Though Flaherty’s appearance as Donald in
Happy Gilmore
is brief, he makes the most of his screen time.
Joe Flaherty is an acclaimed comedic actor who is best known for his work on Freak & Geeks as well as the iconic sketch comedy show SCTV. Though Flaherty’s appearance as Donald in Happy Gilmore is brief, he makes the most of his screen time. The way Donald pops onto the screen to call out these simple yet effective insults gets a laugh every time, especially with his pitch-perfect delivery of “Jackass” following each insult.
21 “I Bet You Get A Lot Of That On ‘Let’s Make A Deal.'”
Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore 2 will likely bring back the key characters from the first movie, but it will be sadly missing one of the people who added to the most iconic moment in the film. Bob Barker may have been best known for his work as a game show host on The Price is Right, but he is impressive in his acting role in Happy Gilmore, even outside of the infamous fight scene.
Before the two come to blows, Happy and Barker are getting along only for Donald to begin heckling Happy. Trying to remain calm, Happy remarks to Barker that he likely encounters similar nuisances on Let’s Make a Deal. Barker’s cold correction that it is actually The Price is Right shows that he is already irritated by his golfing partner and perhaps it doesn’t take much to push him over the edge and take a swing at him.
20 “And I Was The Only Guy To Ever Take Off His Skate And Try To Stab Somebody.”
Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore is likely the most famous Adam Sandler sports movie, but it is actually a two-for-one sports movie for the actor. At heart, Happy is actually a hockey player despite the fact that his powerful slapshot is the only impressive thing about his game. However, in the movie’s opening narration, Happy proudly discusses his achievements as a hockey player. This involves holding the record for most penalty minutes and his inspired use of his skate as a weapon.
The line quickly shows Happy’s anger issues which are one of the funniest aspects of the movie while also that he is a little unhinged despite his big heart. The fact that the audience never sees this happy makes it even funnier as does the fact that Happy brings up this unusual record again while trying to impress Virginia (Julie Bowen).
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19 “Where Were You On That One Dips***?”
Happy Gilmore
So much of the comedy in the movie comes from Happy not knowing the rules and vibe of the golfing world mixed with his anger about being made to look like an idiot. One early example of this is when Happy tackles a young man who takes his clubs only to find out he is Happy’s assigned caddy.
Happy’s amicable view of this young man disappears
Feeling more comfortable carrying his own clubs, Happy just tells the young man to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. When moments later, Happy inadvertently stands in the tee box, blocking his opponent, he immediately calls out the caddy for failing at his job. It is hilarious how quickly Happy’s amicable view of this young man disappears. The way Sandler stares at his caddy for a few more seconds with rage in his eyes shows that he is not someone who likes being embarrassed.
18 “I Saw Those Finger Paintings You Bring Home And They Suck!”
Happy Gilmore
Though Happy is a sweet guy in the end and a good grandson, Sandler isn’t afraid to make Happy somewhat unlikable at times, especially in his early scenes. After failing to make the hockey team, his girlfriend tells him he’s walking out on him. Happy initially tries to win her back with sweetness and kind words, but when she suggests he is not a good hockey player, his childish anger comes out. He fires back that she’s not a good kindergarten teacher.
The fact that the movie begins with the protagonist insulting children’s art projects sets Happy up to be a hilarious rough-around-the-edges lead. Sandler has always excelled at playing adults who can behave like children while mixing in a little rage. Happy certainly fits the bill even though he immediately attempts to apologize for making such a comment.
17 “Oh, She Got Hit By A Car She’s Dead.”
Happy Gilmore
As it turns out, Happy’s childish anger towards his girlfriend extends beyond their breaking up. When he goes to see his beloved grandmother, she is only interested in talking about him rather than her own dilemmas. However, when she brings up his girlfriend and asks how she is, Happy claims that she was killed after getting hit by a car. He moves on from the topic at a hilarious speed.
It is a darkly funny moment that is hard not to laugh at because of how nonchalantly Sandler delivers the line with just a hint of contempt in his voice. Happy is so unwilling to admit that he was broken up with that he invents this violent demise for his ex. It becomes funnier later when Happy tells Virginia that his girlfriend “fell off a cliff, died on impact.”
16 “And Slanting To The Left.”
Otto
Allen Covert is the most frequent Adam Sandler collaborator, appearing in many of his movies. However, his best Sandler movie role may be in Happy Gilmore where he plays a homeless man named Otto whom Happy impulsively hires to be his caddy for the professional tournament.
Otto largely seems oblivious and uninterested in the game, shown to be bathing in the pond and washing his underwear in the ball wash instead. However, he does offer some rare advice during the final tournament.
As he and Happy are trying to read the green, Otto suggests it slants to the left only for Happy to point out that it only seems that way because Otto is only wearing one shoe. The fact that Otto doesn’t seem to realize that he has been partially shoeless this entire time adds to the strangeness of the character.
15 “What? I Didn’t Break It. I Was Just Testing Its Durability.”
Happy Gilmore
The central gag at the heart of Happy Gilmore is that the main character takes the stereotypically aggressive attitude of professional hockey to the quiet and well-ordered world of professional golfing, meaning that the eponymous Happy is always breaking rules, and even objects, in frustration. However, with Virginia insisting that he remain on his best behavior, he tries to impress her with how responsible he is being.
When Virginia points out that Happy broke a rake on the course, he hilariously downplays the incident, showing that he’s not all anger deep down, adding “And then I placed it in the woods, because it’s made of wood, and I just thought he should be with his family.” When she stares back at him with a face that suggests his lame excuse isn’t working, he points out that he hasn’t hit anyone as if that is a reason for praise.
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14 “Somebody’s Closer.”
Happy Gilmore
Part of what makes Adam Sandler’s comedic performances work so well is his manipulating his own voice. Whether he’s singing or giving his character a peculiar accent, Sandler is unashamed of how hard he’ll go for the big laughs with even the most simple lines of dialogue.
When mocking his rival, Shooter McGavin (Christopher MacDonald), after a more impressive shot, Happy turns to him and points out that his ball is now closer to the hole in a hilariously childish voice.
Sandler’s goofy persona in this role is strangely endearing. While Shooter attempts to rub his victories in Happy’s face with a righteous sense of arrogance, Happy’s silly mocking is more effective. It is a reminder that he doesn’t take any of this as seriously as Shooter does and yet he is still better at it than him.
13 “And You Can Count – On Me Waiting For You In The Parking Lot.”
Mr. Larson
One of the most memorable characters of Happy Gilmore is Mr. Larson, a former employer of Happy’s who turns up to support him on the golf course. A big part of what makes him so memorable is the enormous Richard Kiel who plays him.
Kiel is still most famous for playing the iconic James Bond movie henchman Jaws, who appeared in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker in the 1970s. He makes for a gentle giant when speaking to Happy, but he is much more intimidating when confronting Shooter.
Shooter is immediately frightened by the size of Larson, but when the big man points out that Happy is playing better than him, Shooter’s ego takes over. Larson points out Shooter’s strokes to that point with Shooter responding with mock congratulations that the big name can count. Larson responds with this very clear threat that makes Shooter realize he picked the wrong man to insult.
12 “I Was Just Looking For The Other Half Of This Bottle.”
Happy Gilmore
The rivalry between Shooter and Happy ignites quickly, which makes for a hilarious hero and villain battle within the sports story. However, it could be argued that as unlikable as Shooter is, Happy is the more brutish of the two men when it comes to challenging each other.
Once again, Happy’s hotheadedness takes over and he forgets that he is not part of the aggressive world of hockey. When Shooter challenges him, Happy is all too quick to accept. However, thinking he means a real fight, Happy responds by immediately breaking a beer bottle to threaten Shooter.
When Virginia comes over to de-escalate the situation, Happy again attempts to make himself look less angry by insisting his brandishing a broken bottle is not what it looks like. It is another example of Happy acting out and immediately realizing he is in the wrong.
11 “You Can Trouble Me For A Warm Glass Of Shut-The-Hell-Up.”
Hal
Ben Stiller cameos in Happy Gilmore as the nursing home orderly Hal, which is a small role for an actor who was beginning to make a big name for himself in comedies. Nevertheless, he was so memorable in the small role that it ended up being one of his best-known characters.
Part of what makes him such a memorable character is that he is such an over-the-top villain yet it doesn’t really have anything to do with the plot and he is not punished in any way. Hal is introduced as a seemingly kind and warm orderly who promises Happy he will take good care of his grandmother.
However, as soon as Happy leaves and Grandma asks for a glass of warm milk, Hal responds with this hilarious heel-turn. He continues to cement his evilness by telling her, “Now, you will go to sleep or I will put you to sleep.” Stiller seems to relish playing such a dastardly role.
10 “If I Saw Myself In Clothes Like That, I’d Have To Kick My Own Ass.”
Happy Gilmore
Adam Sandler has a way of making angry characters funny and affable in his movies, especially in his early work from the 90s. For all intents and purposes, the Billy Madison character is a deeply irresponsible man who shouldn’t be around children, but Sandler makes him lovable. In many ways, Happy Gilmore is a similar character with similar faults. He gets into all kinds of fights on the golf course and his temper costs him a lot of opportunities, but Sandler makes him relatable.
Part of this comes from Happy’s insistence on wearing his hockey jersey to the course, defying the traditional fashion of golfing and showing his more down-to-earth side. When Chubbs chastises him for not conforming to the golfing world, he points out that the clothes golfers wear are just not his style
9 “Yeah, Right, And Grizzly Adams Had A Beard.”
Shooter McGavin
Happy Gilmore features cameo appearances from a number of notable celebrities. One of those celebrities was Lee Trevino, who has long been considered one of the greatest golfers of all time. Trevino becomes something of a recurring joke in the movie, first seen shaking his head disapprovingly at Happy as he is cursing on the golf course and then seemingly popping up everything that Happy is acting out to show his wordless disapproval.
However, Trevino finally does talk in the movie, and it is surprisingly in support of Happy. When Happy insists that he will beat Shooter on the golf course, Shooter arrogantly retorts, And Grizzly Adams had a beard.” Trevino once again pops up out of nowhere to let Shooter know that Grizzly Adams did indeed have a beard. It adds to the wonderful randomness of the iconic golfer’s appearances.
8 “It’s All In The Hips. It’s All In The Hips. It’s All In The Hips.”
Chubbs Peterson
Though actor Carl Weathers was one of the most memorable action movie stars of the 1980s, the actor has also carved out a niche in absurdist comedy in the past couple of decades. He played himself as a cheapskate obsessed with stew in Arrested Development and he played Happy’s coach, Chubbs Peterson, in Happy Gilmore, who was a former golf player who had to retire after his hand was bitten off by an alligator.
Chubbs’ key lesson, and catchphrase, was about Happy needing to loosen up and realize “it’s all in the hips.” It becomes something of a mantra for Happy, remembering the lessons his wise mentor taught him. Chubbs would repeat the line in his cameo appearance in Sandler’s later movie, Little Nicky. Following Weathers’ death earlier this year, his performance as Chubbs has become all the more endearing.
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7 “You’re Gonna Die, Clown!”
Happy Gilmore
As Chubbs tries to get Happy to learn some patience and control while golfing, the two go to a crazy golf course to work on the weakest part of Happy’s game – his putting. It makes for one of the funniest sequences in the movie as Happy goes into the situation feeling as though is beneath him as a professional golfer only to be increasingly frustrated by the difficulty of the course.
Happy gets confronted by a particularly difficult hole featuring a clown statue that keeps blocking his shot. When he finally sinks the ball in the clown’s mouth only for it to spit the ball back out, Happy hilariously loses his cool and screams this war cry. The fact that Happy can’t even keep his cool against what is effectively a toy makes his outbursts strangely endearing.
6 “Why Don’t You Just Go Home? That’s Your Home!”
Happy Gilmore
In the years since the release of Harold Ramis’ Caddyshack, many movies have tried to find more humor in golf but for most, they appeared to have learned the wrong lessons from Caddyshack‘s success. While the world of professional golf can be an interesting setting, the humor has to come from somewhere else.
Happy Gilmore found that humor in bringing a hockey attitude to the game of golf. One of the best examples of how this works is the scene where Happy is attempting to finish his first professional match while putting.
Kevin Nealon’s Potter offers Happy a bit of helpful advice about “sending the ball home,” only for Happy to fail to make the putt. In response to Potter’s zen-like advice, it is hilarious to see Happy get down on the ground and angrily begin yelling at his ball, asking it “are you too good for your home?!”