Netflix's Hustle is the latest in a long line of Adam Sandler-starring, Happy Madison-produced films, but it breaks with one of the actor's most storied traditions. The basketball drama is garnering some of the best reviews of Sandler's career and continues the hot streak that began with 2019's Uncut Gems. While both Happy Madison Productions and Sandler himself are best known for goofy comedies, Hustle veers more into the realm of a classic sports drama.

Hustle stars a handful of big NBA stars alongside numerous well-known actors. Co-produced by LeBron James and featuring current players like Juancho Hernangómez and Anthony Edwards, it's clear the creative team behind Hustle wanted to steer toward authenticity. Compared to most Happy Madison productions, Hustle is a remarkably straightforward drama about following one's dreams and the price of doing so at all costs.

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However, Hustle breaks a lengthy streak for Adam Sandler and his production company. Unlike most Happy Madison Productions movies released over the past few decades, Hustle doesn't feature Sandler's wife, Jackie, anywhere in the cast. It's become somewhat of a tradition for Sandler to include at least one family member in most of his movies, with Jackie Sandler being the most common culprit to appear, even if it's a small role. Hustle surprisingly breaks with this practice.

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Generally speaking, Sandler's family members are a common sight in his films. Sandler met his wife, Jackie, while working together on 1999's Big Daddy. Since that fateful project, the duo has appeared in numerous films together. Everything from Little Nicky and 50 First Dates to Murder Mystery and Hubie Halloween features the couple. The pair's two daughters, Sadie and Sunny, also get in on the act. The girls have even shown up in non-Happy Madison films like Bedtime Stories and the Hotel Transylvania movies. Outside a brief scene where Sunny shows up as "Greek 13 Yr Old Girl," the only Sandler in Hustle is the SNL alum.

Their absence in Hustle can perhaps be explained by the fact that Happy Madison's strong suit is comedy. Formed in 1999, its name is an amalgamation of two hit '90s Sandler comedies: Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. While the production company has dipped its toes into less comedic projects in the past, the last out-and-out drama they put out was 2007's Reign Over Me. When Adam Sandler has shown he's a great actor via non-comedic roles in the past, Jackie hasn't featured in those films, either; when it's a non-Happy Madison production, the actor has less say in who appears in the cast. Dramas like Punch-Drunk Love and Uncut Gems house some of Sandler's most beloved performances. It was only a matter of time before Happy Madison got back into the dramatic game.

While Jackie Sandler has co-starred in the overwhelming majority of her husband's filmography, Hustle stands apart as an interesting outlier. She is usually there when Happy Madison Productions are involved. It's a significant break from tradition, even if their daughter, Sunny, did sneak into the credits at the end of the day.

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