50 First Dates was not supposed to be a happy ending. Star Drew Barrymore revealed that the original ending to her rom-com with Adam Sandler was much more somber.
What Was the Original Ending to 50 First Dates?
On her talk show, Barrymore was asked by her cohost, Ross Matthews, if any of her movies had different endings that were eventually changed. Barrymore brought up 50 First Dates, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in February. The original plans for the movie featured a different title and a dramatic, melancholy ending.
“Something that always sticks in my mind is the original ending of ’50 First Kisses,’ as it was called at the time,” Barrymore said. “Yeah, it was a drama set in Seattle. The original ending was her saying, ‘You should go and live your life because this is no life here.’ And he goes away, as he does, and he comes back, and he walks into the restaurant, and he just sits down and says, ‘Hi, I’m Henry.’ And the film ends.”
A shocked Matthews expressed his gratitude that the film pivoted to a happy ending. “Honestly, can I just tell you: Thank you. Thank you for changing it,” Matthews told Barrymore.
Directed by Peter Segel, 50 First Dates stars Sandler as Henry Roth, a marine veterinarian who falls in love with Lucy Whitmore (Barrymore). Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss, meaning her memories are erased from the previous day when she goes to sleep. Henry tries to make Lucy fall in love with him every day, hoping she’ll wake up and remember him.
At the end of 50 First Dates, Henry and Lucy get married and start a family. Lucy begins every morning by watching a videotape that explains her life. In the final moments, Lucy embraces Henry and their daughter Nicole on a boat in Alaska.
