4 out of 10
 

Mr. Deeds, starring Adam Sandler and Wynona Rider, is the story of a kind-hearted man from a small town in the middle of nowhere whose greatest ambition in life seems to be to sell one of the greeting cards he writes to Hallmark. His life is dramatically changed when he learns that he is the closest living relative of the recently deceased billionaire owner of massive media conglomerate Blake Media.

The story centres around his misadventures when he moves to New York, bringing his small-town values to a city characterised by greed. In the attempt to get the inside story, a local reporter befriends him, pretending to be small-town herself, and ends up in love with him.

Most of the humour in this movie seems to come at the expense of its main character, both from his innocent eagerness to help and befriend those around him, and from the sentimental, almost childish poetry he writes. As the film progresses, it is somewhat sad to see the way people treat Deeds, who would like nothing better than to be their friend.

Although a mediocre film, in my opinion, it does make you think, just a bit, about the way we choose to treat those around us, and what is really most important in life.