Genre: Stoner Comedy | Slacker Comedy | Cult Classic
Grandma’s Boy (2006) is the kind of goofy, raunchy stoner comedy that proudly wears its immaturity like a badge of honor—and for good reason. Directed by Nicholaus Goossen and produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions, this cult favorite is a gleefully ridiculous ode to video games, weed, and the perpetual man-child who refuses to grow up.
The film centers on Alex (Allen Covert), a 35-year-old video game tester who basically lives every gamer’s dream—getting paid to play all day and hang out with his slacker buddies. But Alex’s cushy life hits a snag when his roommate blows all their rent money on Filipino hookers, leaving him homeless overnight. With nowhere else to go, Alex sheepishly moves in with the only people who will take him: his sweet, clueless grandmother Lilly (Doris Roberts) and her two eccentric housemates—Grace (Shirley Jones), who’s more wild than she lets on, and Bea (Shirley Knight), who lives in her own strange little world.
What follows is exactly the fish-out-of-water chaos you’d expect: Alex tries to hide his pot-smoking, late-night antics, and video game consoles from his grandma and her friends, only to discover that these elderly ladies are more open-minded—and nosier—than he ever imagined. Meanwhile, at work, Alex faces off with J.P. (Joel David Moore), a hilariously robotic, pretentious video game designer who tries to steal Alex’s ideas and sabotage his budding relationship with the company’s new project manager, Samantha (Linda Cardellini).
The film’s charm comes from its unapologetic silliness and absurd characters. Whether it’s watching Alex teach his grandma’s friends how to get high for the first time or seeing stoned developers battle over the ultimate game cheat codes, Grandma’s Boy piles on one goofy set piece after another. There’s a monkey butler, a dance battle with a robot, pot brownies that lead to an all-night sleepover rave—if it’s dumb, it’s probably in here, and fans wouldn’t want it any other way.
Allen Covert is perfectly cast as the underachieving hero whose heart is in the right place, and Doris Roberts (of Everybody Loves Raymond fame) steals every scene she’s in with her gleeful cluelessness. The supporting cast—packed with Happy Madison regulars like Nick Swardson and Peter Dante—brings an infectious “hangout movie” vibe, making you feel like you’re crashing a party where the only requirement is to relax and laugh at jokes about weed and video games.
Critics might not have been kind when it first dropped (like many Happy Madison comedies, Grandma’s Boy wasn’t made for the awards circuit), but it’s found a loyal cult following thanks to its quotable lines, goofy charm, and nostalgic snapshot of early 2000s slacker culture. For a certain crowd—late-night gamers, stoners, and anyone who still laughs at a good “your mom” joke—Grandma’s Boy is cinematic comfort food, best enjoyed with pizza, friends, and maybe a little something extra.
Nearly 20 years later, Grandma’s Boy still stands tall as a prime example of stoner comedy done with zero shame and maximum laughs—a dumb, joyful tribute to the simple pleasures of getting high, playing games, and realizing sometimes your grandma might just be cooler than you are.
