Sneer if you want, but true fans of Adam Sandler know a world of difference lies between his classics and his misfires. Here's a guide to his films, from good to bad to painfully unwatchable.

Happy Gilmore (1996): A hotheaded hockey player becomes a professional golfer to save his grandma's house and gets beat up by Bob Barker for his trouble. Pure comic genius. Bonus: In the end, Carl Weathers bonds with the gator that ended his golfing career.

Mr. Deeds (2002): Ignore the haters. We're not saying Sandler is a latter-day Gary Cooper, who starred in the original Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, but this movie -- about a small-town guy who inherits money and tries on big-city ways -- is funny and warm, plus this Longfellow Deeds eggs cars in Manhattan with John McEnroe. Bonus: A hilarious John Turturro plays a sneaky butler who lurks with panache.

The Waterboy (1998): Loyal fans will usually cite Bobby Boucher as Sandler's best idiot manchild -- with accent on the word ''idiot'' -- and cheer him as he evolves from lowly, possibly inbred sideliner to football hero. Bonus: Kathy Bates co-stars as Bobby's gator-frying Cajun mama.

The Wedding Singer (1998): Sandler's most engaging romantic comedy, complete with the poofy hairdos and Day-Glo accessories of the '80s, about a waitress (Drew Barrymore) and a singer who meet and fall in love on the wedding circuit. Bonus: The bouncy pop of the '80s soundtrack is irresistible.

Big Daddy (1999): Unexpectedly sweet film about a law school-grad loser who becomes foster father to a 5-year-old boy to impress women (who tend to be the biggest fans of this film). Bonus: A pre-Daily Show Jon Stewart makes an appearance.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007): Two straight firefighters get married in order to secure benefits. The movie was vetted by GLAAD and still managed to offend some viewers. Its real target isn't gay men but the intolerant types who have a problem with them. Bonus: There's a creative, modern update on the old don't-drop-the-soap gag.

The Longest Yard (2005): Remake of the Burt Reynolds classic about a prison football game between guards and inmates took a beating from purists, but, honestly, the old man's cleats fit Sandler just fine. Bonus: Ex-Hurricane Michael Irvin is the inmates' star player.

50 First Dates (2004): Sandler and Barrymore reunite (to lesser effect) as a Hawaiian animal trainer and a woman with short-term memory loss who must be wooed anew each day. Not a bad premise, but it lacks The Wedding Singer's amiable charm. Bonus: Sandler sidekick Rob Schneider is actually amusing. I hate myself for writing that.

Anger Management (2003): It should have been a comic tour de force: Sandler as a businessman sent to learn how to control rage with help from a crazy instructor (Jack Nicholson). But nobody brought the funny. Bonus: There really isn't one. Sorry.

Click (2006): A husband and father discovers his TV remote can control his past and future. Decent concept but poorly executed. Bonus: If you like flatulence jokes, you'll love the truly disturbing David Hasselhoff scene; everyone else will cringe.

Bulletproof (1996): You might feel like shooting your TV after trying to sit through this dull, buddy-action comedy about an undercover cop (Damon Wayans) and a small-time thief (Sandler). Bonus: It's only 84 minutes long.

Billy Madison (1995): The pain intensifies. Rich man's slacker son Billy must repeat -- and pass -- grades 1 to 12 to inherit his dad's business. Everyone who has ever watched it is now dumber for having seen it. Bonus: The blond bad guy trying to sabotage Billy's plans is played by Bradley Whitford (Josh from The West Wing).

Little Nicky (2000): As the son of Satan (Harvey Keitel), Sandler must save humanity from his rampaging demon brothers. Watching this is a lot like suffering the torments of hell. If it comes on TV, even if you're bored, turn it off. You can do it! Bonus: Dan Marino makes a cameo as himself, a bigger indignity than never winning a Super Bowl.

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