Is Gambling Addiction Portrayed Accurately in ‘Uncut Gems?’
Few movies mark viewers’ minds when it comes to the meaning of their message, but Uncut Gems (2019) is one of them. The film illustrates three significant warning signs of the postmodern society: gambling addiction, immorality, and hunger for materialistic items.
But what exactly is there to be learned from this movie? Let’s find out more.
A little bit of context
Uncut Gems (2019) is an American thriller directed by Benny and Josh Safdie, depicting Adam Sandler in the lead role, alongside other heavy names such as Julia Fox, Lakeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett, Eric Bogosian, and Idina Menzel. The movie received many good reviews, especially Adam Sandler’s performance which many critics categorized as the best performance of his career.
Box office and fans’ reaction
Based on the people’s reaction, the reviews sustained the general opinion that Uncut Gems is one of the best movies of Adam Sandler’s career. On Rotten Tomatoes, a review website, Uncut Gems scored 8.4/10, and the IMDB score is 7.4/10, holding an approval rate of 92% out of 342 reviews.
As for the box office, Uncut Gems became the highest gross made in a single day in the history of A24, the production company, and ended up in the 6th place at the box office.
About the plot
Addiction. Risks. Gambling. Debt. Drama. Not the typical movie you’d expect Adam Sandler to star in. But, he does a tremendous job at portraying the main problems regular people face in their life, creating a realistic depiction of gamblers’ struggles.
The film illustrates the life of Howards Ratner (Adam Sandler), an NYC-based jewellery dealer from Diamond District, who attempts to overcome his financial struggles caused by his gambling addiction. His family was already torn apart, his debts keep on coming, and his addiction accelerates as he tries to cure his disorder with its effects.
A sheer gleam of hope
Howard finds the light at the end of the tunnel, or at least that he believes. He gets his hands on a rare and pricey opal African gemstone which he attempts to sell to pay off all his debts and get back his life. But, things don’t go as planned when the Boston Celtics superstar, Kevin Garnett, finds this stone appealing and wants to get it himself.
The movie depicts Howard’s continuous battle to overcome his addiction.
Does Adam Sandler embody a typical gambling addict?
Gambling addiction is a common struggle many people try to fight, but few do it efficiently—however, this movie’s main protagonist channels only one type of gambling disorder manifestation. Howard’s personality mixes several traits, which might confuse viewers, thinking that all of them are typical of the average gambling addict.
His overall positive attitude is not a common trait for people encountering hardships due to gambling. Some compulsive gamblers play to escape reality and prefer all kinds of games with higher stakes and lower stakes, while others have a particular gambling strategy.
Ways to recognize if you deal with a gambling addiction
If you feel you might be dealing with this problem and want to find out more about what there is to do and how you can overcome this disorder, you have to take steady steps.
The easiest method to find out if you truly have a gambling problem is by taking a specialised quiz that will tell you exactly where you stand in relation to this activity.
The most common signs of gambling addiction
Even if you’re wondering for yourself or a close family member or friend, paying attention to some gambler’s patterns can offer you a clear answer. However, it’s easier to focus on these main traits:
- Neglects their family or work;
- Changes in eating and sleeping patterns;
- Gamble to recover lost funds;
- Stopped activities they used to enjoy;
- Frequently demands or borrows money.
Keep yourself accountable
If you want to obey a set of rules to help you overcome this addiction, you also have to keep yourself accountable. Surround yourself with as many positive people as you have, who’ll always support you and your journey. Also, getting professional help is a big step ahead.
Reviewers’ take on Howard’s gambling addiction
Even though Howard is fighting his inner demons, trying to combat his financial problems and wrecked marriage, reviewers did not hesitate to notice that the line between Howard’s main personality traits overshadowed his disorder patterns.
The intended message might be transmitted wrongfully
Even though Adam Sandler portrays his character in an unmatched performance, critics have noticed that the message might be misinterpreted as it only focuses on his gambling addiction. Thus, his low morals might be confused as traits of a gambling addict.
For example
Howard’s immorality, shown when cheating on his wife and customers, is not a personality trait typical for all addicts. This doesn’t mean that all addicts are cheaters or mischievous in all manners. These characteristics of Sandler’s character should have been polished better, highlighting the reasoning behind his behaviours.
Some behind-the-scenes facts you might find intriguing
Adam Sandler denied the role in 2012
The producers approached Sandler’s team in 2012 with this role, but they were immediately rejected. They did not get a clear answer for their response, but the Safdie brothers assumed it was due to their lack of experience back in the day. However, the brothers created the role and were adamant about having Sandler in the leading role.
The movie is inspired by the producers’ father
The father of Benny and Josh Safdie worked in the Diamond District for more than seven years, so the inspiration for Howard’s character was a man he used to work for. However, the nature of Howard does not resemble precisely the real-life Howard the Safdie brothers remember.
Uncut Gems can be a relatable life story
With real-life characters and a story inspired by many people’s struggles, Uncut Gems is a well-appreciated movie portraying more than just a gambling addict and life’s hardships many people have a difficult time overcoming.
That’s why Uncut Gems is one of the movies that touched a chord even with the most critical cinephiles because of its profound message.
