Anger Management (film)

In 1978 Brooklyn, as a young boy, Dave Buznik is about to experience his first kiss, he is humiliated by local bully Arnie Shankman who suddenly pulls down his pants and underwear.

Twenty-five years later, Dave works as a secretary for a disrespectful boss named Frank. Dave's bullying trauma causes him to avoid displaying affection such as kissing his girlfriend Linda in public. His problems are exacerbated by his narcissistic co-worker, Andrew, who is close friends with Linda and desires to rekindle their romantic relationship.

During a flight, Dave loses his temper, albeit mildly, after being treated disrespectfully by the flight attendant, prompting the sky marshal to taser him. He is arrested for "assaulting" a flight attendant and is sentenced to anger management under Dr. Buddy Rydell, a renowned therapist who sat next to him on the plane. Dave's sentence is extended to 30 days after he accidentally breaks a waitress's nose while defending himself from a blind man's cane.

Buddy imposes "radical round-the-clock therapy", living with Dave and accompanying him at work. This entails unorthodox techniques which cause him to be passive aggressive. At work Buddy is shocked to learn of the well-endowed Andrew's friendship with Linda. However, seeing a photo of Linda, Buddy becomes instantly smitten with her, annoying Dave.

Dave is forced to interact with a cross-dressing prostitute who goes by the name Galaxia. When he refuses to have sex with Galaxia, Buddy informs Dave that he has learned what righteous anger is.

At a bar, Buddy tries to get Dave to be more confident by using an obnoxious pick up line on a woman named Kendra. When it works, Buddy leaves. Dave goes back to Kendra’s house so he can use the phone to get in touch with Buddy. Kendra attempts to seduce Dave, who declines because of Linda and is thrown out. Buddy says that Kendra is an actress and that it was all a prank, but he did tell Linda that Dave was with another woman.

To enhance Dave's assertiveness, Buddy arranges for him to get revenge on Arnie Shankman, who has become a Buddhist monk. Arnie apologizes, but then laughs when reminded of the kiss incident. Buddy and an initially hesitant Dave provoke Arnie by lying about Dave molesting Arnie's mentally ill sister. A fight ensues, and after defeating Arnie the duo flee and Dave is delighted to have had his revenge.

Linda tells Dave she has agreed to follow Buddy's advice that they have a trial separation; Buddy explains to Dave that this is to give him time to improve his behavior. Dave attacks him when he learns he is dating Linda. Dave returns to court where Buddy issues a restraining order against him for attempting to choke him while wearing a neck brace (which later turned out to be fake). Dave snaps at work when he learns Frank promoted Andrew to the position he had expected. He punches Andrew in the face and wrecks Frank's office with a golf club.

Learning from Andrew that Buddy has taken Linda to a New York Yankees game, Dave assumes Buddy intends to steal his marriage proposal idea and races to the stadium. A security agent named Gary is revealed to be Galaxia, who lets Dave onto the field. Security ends up capturing him, but New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani orders them to allow Dave to speak. Linda is moved when Dave announces publicly that he is willing to change. At her request, he kisses her in front of the crowd and she accepts his proposal. Linda then reveals that the game was the final phase of his therapy and explains that the aggravation he endured was all part of a setup planned by herself and Buddy after she read his anger management book. She adds that most of the people involved were in on Buddy's plans to help Dave stand up for himself.

• Adam Sandler as David "Dave" Buznik
  • Jonathan Osser as Young Dave Buznik
• Jack Nicholson as Dr. Buddy Rydell
• Marisa Tomei as Linda
• Luis Guzmán as Lou
• Jonathan Loughran as Nate
• Kurt Fuller as Frank Head
• Krista Allen as Stacy
• January Jones as Gina
• Clint Black as Masseur
• John Turturro as Chuck
• Lynne Thigpen as Judge Brenda Daniels
  • This film turned out to be Thigpen's final film. She died a month before the film's release; the film is dedicated in her memory.
• Woody Harrelson as Galaxia the prostitute/Gary the Security Guard
• Kevin Nealon as Sam, Dave's Lawyer
• Allen Covert as Andrew
• Nancy Carell as Patty the Flight Attendant
• John C. Reilly (uncredited) as Older Monk Arnie Shankman
  • Alan James Morgan as Young Arnie Shankman
• Heather Graham (uncredited) as Kendra
• Harry Dean Stanton (uncredited) as Blind Man
• Isaac C. Singleton Jr. as Air Marshal
• Stephen Dunham as Maitre d'
• Cody Arens as Boy at Yankee Stadium

Several others appeared as themselves, such as:

• John McEnroe
• Derek Jeter
• Robert Merrill
• Bob Sheppard
• Judith Nathan
• Bob Knight
• Roger Clemens
• Rudy Giuliani

A television series based on the film premiered on June 28, 2012,[11] starring Charlie Sheen in the role originated by Jack Nicholson; the series was Sheen's first acting role since his firing from the hit CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men on March 7, 2011, after eight seasons.[12] The show was produced by the film's producer Joe Roth, and was broadcast on FX in the United States, CTV in Canada and on TBS in Latin America for two seasons, totalling 100 episodes before it was cancelled.[13]

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