Billy Madison
A spoiled hotel heir is forced back into grade school to prove he can inherit the family business while an ambitious rival sabotages his unlikely comeback.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- juvenile
- witty
- lazy sunday
- nostalgic comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the film as a thin, aggressively juvenile starring vehicle whose occasional bursts of comic energy were overwhelmed by Adam Sandler’s abrasive persona and weak plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Billy is a wealthy 27-year-old whose immaturity becomes the central obstacle when he returns to grade school.
Billy’s hotel-heir background collides with classrooms, teachers, classmates, and grade-school routines.
Billy’s childish arrogance and aggressive silliness are the primary sources of the film’s jokes.
Billy must complete successive grade levels, with each classroom creating new comic tests and obstacles.
Films like Billy Madison, and why
Happy Gilmore
shares juvenile gross-out humor, an immature protagonist, and a broadly accessible coming-of-age premise
Billy Madison 2
shares irreverent school-centered comedy, exaggerated comic performances, and a deliberately obnoxious central character
Dumb and Dumber
shares absurdist physical comedy, childlike adult behavior, and a warm but crude transformation arc
The Waterboy
shares back-to-school fish-out-of-water humor, workplace ambition, and a heightened 1990s comic tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Tamra Davis
- Release Date
- 1995-02-10
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (1882)
Cast
- Adam Sandler
- Bradley Whitford
- Josh Mostel
- Bridgette Wilson
- Darren McGavin
- Norm Macdonald
- Mark Beltzman
- Larry Hankin
- Theresa Merritt
- Dina Platias
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV, Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Billy Madison about?
- A spoiled hotel heir is forced back into grade school to prove he can inherit the family business while an ambitious rival sabotages his unlikely comeback.
- What is Billy Madison like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Billy Madison as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Billy Madison violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Billy Madison as mild.
- What did critics think of Billy Madison?
- Critics broadly viewed the film as a thin, aggressively juvenile starring vehicle whose occasional bursts of comic energy were overwhelmed by Adam Sandler’s abrasive persona and weak plotting.
- Which films are like Billy Madison?
- Films with a similar feel include Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison 2, Dumb and Dumber, and The Waterboy.
- How long is Billy Madison?
- Billy Madison runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Billy Madison?
- In United States, Billy Madison streams on YouTube TV, Starz Apple TV channel.
