Adam Sandler and Kevin Garnett, two unlikely people who come from different circles, come together in this dramatic thriller. Uncut Gems, a film released in 2019 and was even thought to be nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar). This is a film Adam Sandler shines as a dramatic actor, which is different from his typical comedic roles. Uncut Gems takes place in New York and shows what can happen to a person’s life when they are running a successful business and having steady income, then all of a sudden throw it all away for lady luck.
Adam Sandler’s character Howard Ratner, is the main character of this movie who loses everything he has worked hard for by gambiling it all away on sport bets. Howard’s addiction has consumed his life, and leads him to make mistakes. These mistakes cost him his family, his reputation, and led to him hitting rock bottom. He gambles his life away on this one rare Ethiopian Gem that he believes gives him the luck to win his sports bets. Howard uses this gem to even persuade Kevin Garnett to pay and use it on his NBA games. Kevin believes that this gem that was given to him allowed him to perform well in his game, allowing them to win their games. For Howard’s benefit, he uses this to bet big on all sports bets regarding Kevin, believing that this is the way for him to earn back the money for everything he has lost and owed to others.
Through this journey one truly sees the consequences that can occur from one’s actions, and why it matters to carefully consider what you are doing. Howard never thinks about the future, he is focused on the rush that comes from gambling in the present, and does not think about the issues that gambling causes. The gem is seen as a save all, which shows one watching the movie an important lesson.
The theme of this film is not about how bad being a gambler is, but trying to show one the importance of your actions. The actions you take guide your everyday life, and if you are not careful, then they can lead to a lot of consequences. One thing cannot help to alter the wrong decisions you have made, and that is the message that needs to be taken away. Once the damage has been done, it’s nearly impossible to fix that error. The lesson to be learned is that one should not rely on the possibility of one thing altering their mistakes, and should be proactive and make sure that what they do is in their best interest.
Leave a Reply