Punch-Drunk Love, Paul Thomas Annotated: In the Margins

Punch-Drunk Love

Punch-Drunk Love (2002), PTA’s first romantic comedy, combines familial conflict, unexpected elements from mid-century Technicolor musicals, the true story of a man’s quest to gain over a million airline miles by bulk-buying pudding, and a plotline involving a phone sex line scam.

Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a lonely, socially awkward small business owner who leads a careful, simple existence. Between managing his plunger enterprise and meekly accepting his seven sisters’ verbal abuse, he retreats into the margins of his life and, often, the camera’s frame. He meets the enigmatic Lena Leonard (Emily Watson) when she drops off her car for repair at the mechanic next to Barry’s warehouse in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley. If it’s not love at first sight, it’s something very close.

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A man sits at a desk on the phone, in the corner of an empty room.

A man stands in the opening of a garage.

The exit from a side street to a main street.

A man is talking on the phone on one hand and holds a pen in the other.

A man stands up from his desk carrying his coffee cup.

A man with his back to the camera spots a harmonium at the far end of his business's alley.

A man drinking from a coffee cup watches as a woman steps out of her car.

A man and a woman stand outside as the woman fiddles with her car keys.

A man peeks an eye out from behind a wall.

A man stands in front of an alley, looking down at a harmonium.

A semi-truck approaches a man standing near the road.

A man runs down an alley, carrying a harmonium.

A man enters a warehouse carrying a harmonium.

A man stands in his office with a harmonium on his desk.

A man holds up his hands to shield himself from a sudden bright light.

Two men stand in an office looking at a harmonium.

Vertical stripes of shades of pink and red.

Vertical stripes of shades of pink and blue.

Several men work in a plunger warehouse.

A man closes the door to his office as he enters.

A man bumps into a glass door before opening it and stepping through.

Two men do work at a desk: one sitting in a chair, the other kneeling.

A man steps through a door holding a box.

A man stands in front of a china cabinet.

A group of people gather around a long dining table.

A man stands in front of a broken glass window.

A man hunches forward while bracing a wall.

A man shops in the aisle of a grocery store.

A hand grabs for a can on a grocery store shelf.

A man stands in a grocery store. Another man peeks out from the end of the aisle.

A man looks at something in a grocery store.

A man looks over his shoulder to a figure nearby.

Chocolate pudding on a grocery store shelf.

A man on the phone closes his living room curtains.

A man locks his door while talking on the phone.

A man stands in a kitchen while talking on the phone.

A man sits in a chair while talking on the phone.

A man stands in his living room while talking on the phone.

A man sits on his couch while talking on the phone.

A man holds his credit card while on the phone.

A small piece of glass flies through the air.

A woman exits a room while another woman stands in the doorway and a man leans over a desk.

A man stands in a room while a woman stands in the doorway behind him.

A woman looks over her shoulder offscreen while a man follows her gaze.

A woman stares out a window to a forklift while a man sits across from her.

A woman looks to the side of her in astonishment.

A man and a woman look at something offscreen.

A man and a woman stand talking across a desk.

A woman speaks to a man as another woman approaches the two from behind.

A group of people talk to each other in an office.

A group of people stand in a room while another group of people cause a commotion on the other side of the windows.

A group of men stare as a man exits the group.

A woman writes down her personal information for a man.

A pink and blue swirl is overlaid on top of the image of a woman.

A woman sits in a chair with downcast eyes.

A man stands in front of a band which is rehearsing.

A man looks over his shoulder offscreen.

A man looks at a woman as she and a group of people walk up to him.

A man walks and orders around the group of people walking behind him.

A man leads a group of people into a building.

A man looks down at a set of keys while surrounded by other people.

A man smiles at the woman seated across from him.

A man speaks to a woman while seated in a restaurant.

A man and a woman are seated across from each other at a restaurant.

A man and woman talk quietly in a restaurant.

A man tries to rip out the soap dispenser in a bathroom.

A woman looks up at a manwho stands offscreen.

Two men stand behind pulled-back beaded curtains in a tense exchange.

In a busy restaurant, a man whispers in the ear of a woman as another man stands, looking on, nearby.

A man and woman walk down a sidewalk at night.

A man and woman wait to cross a street as a truck drives by.

A man begins to stand up from a couch, which a woman sits on.

A man answers the phone from a receptionist.

A man frowns at an apartment door offscreen.

A man is grabbed from behind by two figures.

A man is dragged into the back of a pickup truck.

A man steps out of a pickup truck while another man stands behind him.

A man stands next to a pickup truck with two other men standing behind him.

A man looks over his shoulder, holding up his pointer finger to someone offscreen.

A man walks toward another man while counting a handful of cash.

A man counts a hanful of cash while two men stand behind him and another in front of him.

A man frantically talks to two other men.

A man quickly and intensely walks toward another man.

A frightened man raises his hands to protect himself from a blow.

A man swings his fist to hit another man.

The camera lays on its side in front of a Ford with a Utah license plate.

A dazed man is laying on his side on the ground.

A man stands up from laying on the ground of an empty parking lot as another man stands near him.

A man looks over his shoulder while running down a dark alley.

A man runs down a dark alley. The word DELL appears on a wall to the side.

A man frantically tries to open a locked door.

A man walks slowly, crouched up against wall.

A man ducks behind some dumpsters while running.

A man dives off of an elevated surface into the street.

A man runs down a street while a pickup truck drives beside him shining a bright light in his face.

A man stands in the middle of a dark street.

Two men greet each other, and one leads the other into an office.

A man leans down to look at a large stack of pudding cups.

One man answers the phone and quickly hangs up, while the other looks away.

Two men gather as much pudding as they can from the shelves in a grocery store.

Two men hurry through a grocery store, one pushing two carts full of pudding while the other carries a cardboard display of pudding.

One man puts pudding from shelves into shopping carts, while the other paces and talks to himself.

As one man gathers pudding, the other begins to dance as he talks to himself.

One man gathers pudding as the other dances down the grocery aisle, talking to himself.

One man leaves the aisle as the other continues to dance.

A man in an office paces and talks on the phone, while another parks a cart of pudding by the door.

A man shouts and punches a map on the wall.

A man collapses and sobs, leaving the map crumpled on the wall.

A man leans on a harmonium and sobs into one arm, stroking the keys with a bloody-knuckled hand.

A man walks out of an office, speaking to someone offscreen.

A man walks through a garage, speaking to someone offscreen.

One man speaks to another man, who falls to the ground as his desk chair collapses.

The fallen man rises, and the other speaks with him briefly.

A man walks down a long airport hallway toward two airline employees, a group of businessmen behind him.

A man hands his ticket to an airline employee.

A man walks down a jet bridge as the film turns to slow-motion.

A man walks across an outdoor walkway at an airport.

A man smiles as he crosses an outdoor walkway.

A man crossing an outdoor walkway breaks into a jog.

A man waves as he approaches a car, then gets in the backseat.

A man in the backseat of a car speaks to the driver.

A woman in an office flips idly through a rolodex.

A man uses a payphone on a crowded street in the middle of a parade.

A man leans in to the kiosk as he shouts into a payphone.

A man paces as he uses a payphone on a crowded street.

A payphone lights up as the man connects to another line.

A man speaks into a payphone on the sidewalk during a parade.

A man stands with his back to a wall before walking to the open entrance of a hotel.

A man fidgets and looks around in a hotel lobby.

A woman approaches a hotel lobby from outside.

A woman ascends the steps to a hotel lobby.

A man waves, then walks forward, extending a hand to shake.

A man and woman embrace, and a sudden rush of people walk past them in both directions.

A crowded outdoor restaurant by the ocean.

A crowded outdoor restaurant with a live band.

A band of three women serenades an outdoor restaurant.

The man joins her, and the pair walks together.

A man and woman walk down a hotel hallway.

A man and woman join hands as they walk down a hotel hallway.

The iris closes slowly on the pair's joined hands.

The ocean through palm trees, a balcony railing, and a glass door.

A man and woman in bed, kissing and speaking in low voices.

A woman lounges on a sofa, talking on the phone.

A woman smiles as she talks on the phone.

A man speaks calmly in a private phone booth.

A man hangs up the phone and looks out of the telephone-booth window.

A man and woman carrying bags approach an airport.

A man and woman sit in the window of an airport, a plane driving behind them.

Lights flicker on in a garage, and the door begins to open.

A garage door opens to reveal a car turning in to park.

A man in the driver's seat of a car is thrown backwards as the car spins.

A woman in the passenger seat of a car is thrown backwards as the car spins.

The car stops moving, and the truck passes it.

A woman looks offscreen, blood dripping from her head.

A man gets out of the driver's seat of a car and walks.

A man gets out of the passenger seat of a truck, holding a tire iron.

A man walks with purpose, buttoning his sport coat.

A smirking man walks confidently, another appearing in the background.

One man hits another over the head, and he falls to the ground.

One man hits another with a tire iron, and he falls to the ground.

A man climbs out of the backseat of a truck, revealing another remaining.

One man kicks another in the groin before hitting him over the head.

A man walks behind a truck and smashes a rear window with a tire iron, while a man in the backseat moves to avoid him.

A man smashes the side window of a truck with a tire iron before pointing it at a man in the backseat, who takes it from him, and walking away.

A man sits in the driver's seat of a car and slams the door.

A man gets in the driver's seat of a car and speaks to the woman in the passenger seat.

A woman lies on a hospital bed, following a doctor's penlight with her eyes.

A man stands at the foot of a hospital bed, looking around and then stepping sideways out of the room.

A man walks through a hospital lobby, turning to look behind him.

A man begins to jog down a hospital hallway.

A woman reads a magazine in an office, facing the TV.

A woman takes a phone call on her headset.

A man paces in an office, speaking loudly on the phone.

A woman expresses frustration while listening to a voice on the phone.

A man gestures angrily while pacing and speaking loudly on the phone.

A woman talks on the phone through her headset.

A furniture and mattress store, with a man inside.

A man working reaches to pick up the phone.

A man turns around and speaks on the phone.

A man paces quickly and talks on the phone.

A man gestures emphatically, yelling into the phone.

A man pauses nervously while on the phone.

A woman lying on a hospital bed speaks with someone offscreen.

A man holding a phone to his ear runs out of an office, the phone cord disconnecting.

A man runs out of a garage, holding a phone to his ear, the cord trailing behind him.

A man runs down an alley, holding a phone to his ear, the cord trailing behind him.

A man walks up behind a hospital curtain.

A man walks out of a hospital room and into the lobby, holding a phone receiver behind his back.

A man paces around a hospital lobby, speaking to a receptionist.

A man stands at a hospital reception desk, speaking with a receptionist.

A furniture and mattress store fades in as thick stripes of red and blue fade out.

A man walks crosses a parking lot to enter a furniture and mattress store.

A woman stands behind a seated man, cutting his hair, and they look up in unison.

A man stands in the doorway, looking at the two others.

A man holds up a finger under a hairstyling cape.

One man walks away, while the other stands still.

A man gestures threateningly with a phone in his hand.

A man shouts and walks away, a woman following him.

A man carries a harmonium as he sprints out of a garage, and a crowd runs after him.

A man exits an elevator and runs through a hallway, carrying a harmonium.

A man runs through a hallway, carrying a harmonium.

A man places a harmonium outside an apartment door and rings the doorbell, and a woman answers.

A woman listens as the man in the hall speaks.

A woman cradles a man's head as he hugs her.

A woman puts her hands on the shoulders of a man who is playing a harmonium.

Credits over silhouettes layered with bright, glittering shapes.