Let’s be honest. Nobody goes into a Happy Madison production expecting Shakespeare. But there’s something about the cast of Just Go With It that sticks in the brain like a catchy pop song you’re slightly embarrassed to know the lyrics to. It’s been well over a decade since the movie dropped in 2011, yet it constantly bubbles up on Netflix or cable reruns. Why? It isn't just the Hawaii scenery or the slapstick humor. It’s the sheer, chaotic energy of the people on screen.
Adam Sandler plays Danny, a plastic surgeon who uses a fake wedding ring to pick up women. It’s a classic Sandler trope—the lovable loser with a secret heart of gold—but the magic happens when he’s paired with Jennifer Aniston.
Aniston plays Katherine, his overworked office manager and eventual fake ex-wife. The chemistry isn't just romantic; it feels like two old friends who have been making each other laugh for twenty years. They actually are close friends in real life, which makes the banter feel less like a script and more like a conversation you're eavesdropping on at a bar.
The unexpected heavy hitters in the cast of Just Go With It
The real surprise isn't the leads. It’s the supporting players. Most people forget that Nicole Kidman is in this movie. Yes, the Academy Award-winning Nicole Kidman. She plays Devlin Adams, Katherine’s college nemesis, and she leans into the role with an intensity that is frankly hilarious.
Seeing Kidman engage in a competitive hula dance or a coconut-carrying contest is the kind of "so bad it's good" cinema we don't get enough of anymore. She’s joined by Dave Matthews. Not a Dave Matthews lookalike, but the actual frontman of the Dave Matthews Band. He plays Ian Maxtone-Jones, Devlin’s husband, who claims to have invented the "mute" button on the remote control.
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Then you have Nick Swardson. He’s a Sandler regular, but as Eddie (aka Dolph Lundgren, the Austrian internet sheep salesman), he hits a level of absurdity that either makes you laugh until you can't breathe or want to turn off the TV immediately. There is no middle ground with Eddie.
The kids, played by Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck, actually hold their own. Usually, child actors in these comedies are just props. But Bailee Madison’s "Maggie" character—who insists on speaking in a fake British accent because she wants to be an actress—is genuinely sharp. She negotiates her "fees" for helping Sandler’s character with the ruthlessness of a Hollywood agent.
Why this specific ensemble worked (and why it shouldn't have)
On paper, the cast of Just Go With It is a mess. You have a prestige actress, a rock star, a sitcom legend, and a handful of stand-up comedians. It’s a remake of the 1969 film Cactus Flower, which itself was based on a French play. The 1969 version had Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman. Comparing Sandler to Matthau is a stretch, but they both share that "regular guy" DNA that makes the ridiculous plot somewhat digestible.
The movie works because everyone seems to be in on the joke. Brooklyn Decker, playing the young schoolteacher Palmer, had the difficult task of being the "straight man" to the insanity. She was mostly known as a Sports Illustrated model at the time, but she navigated the physical comedy better than most expected.
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Breaking down the main players:
- Adam Sandler (Danny): The anchor. He does the "Sandler thing," but with a bit more polish than his earlier 90s work.
- Jennifer Aniston (Katherine): The MVP. She grounds the movie. Without her, it’s just a series of fart jokes in Maui.
- Nicole Kidman (Devlin): The chaotic element. Her performance is a reminder that elite actors often have the best comedic timing because they take the absurdity seriously.
- Nick Swardson (Eddie/Dolph): The pure slapstick. He’s there for the physical gags and the weird accents.
- Bailee Madison (Maggie): The surprise. Her "Cockney" accent is a highlight of the first half of the film.
The "Sandler Verse" connections
If you look closely at the cast of Just Go With It, you’ll see the fingerprints of the Happy Madison family everywhere. Rachel Dratch shows up. Kevin Nealon has a hilarious, albeit brief, cameo as an over-adulterated plastic surgery patient whose face is frozen in a state of permanent surprise.
This is how Sandler operates. He hires his friends. He takes them to a beautiful location. They get paid to hang out. Critics usually hate it. Rotten Tomatoes scores for these movies are often abysmal. But audiences keep coming back. There’s a comfort-food quality to seeing the same faces pop up in different configurations year after year. It feels familiar.
What really happened behind the scenes?
The production wasn't just a vacation. While the movie looks like a breeze, filming on location in Maui and Kauai has its own set of challenges—mostly the unpredictable weather and the logistical nightmare of moving a massive crew across tropical terrain.
Interestingly, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler had wanted to work together for years before this project finally clicked. They met through mutual friends long before Friends or Saturday Night Live made them household names. That history is why their "fake" relationship in the movie feels more authentic than the "real" relationship Sandler's character has with Palmer. You can't fake decades of rapport.
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Where is the cast now?
Bailee Madison has grown up into a legitimate star, appearing in Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. Griffin Gluck has stayed busy with shows like Locke & Key. Sandler and Aniston eventually reunited for the Murder Mystery franchise on Netflix, proving that the audience's appetite for their duo hasn't faded.
Nicole Kidman went back to winning every award on the planet, but she’s often cited her time on this set as one of the most "fun" experiences of her career. It’s a rare moment where we get to see her completely unbuttoned.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Night
If you’re planning on revisiting the cast of Just Go With It, here’s how to actually enjoy it without overthinking the plot holes:
- Watch for the cameos: Keep an eye out for Jackie Sandler (Adam’s wife) and his daughters, who often make appearances in his films.
- Appreciate the improv: Much of the banter between Sandler and Swardson was ad-libbed on the day. You can tell when the other actors are genuinely trying not to break character.
- Focus on the kids: Maggie’s character arc—from a shy kid to a "professional actress"—is arguably the best-written part of the script.
- Double feature it: If you want to see where the story came from, watch Cactus Flower (1969). It’s fascinating to see how the same story beats are handled with a 1960s sensibility versus the 2010s Sandler vibe.
The movie isn't trying to change your life. It’s trying to give you two hours of escapism. By leaning into the weirdness of its ensemble, it manages to be a lot more memorable than the average romantic comedy. Whether it's the "Mahi-Mahi" scene or the intense hula-off, the cast is what keeps this thing afloat.
Next Step: Check out the Murder Mystery films on Netflix if you haven't yet. It's essentially the spiritual successor to this movie, featuring the same Sandler-Aniston chemistry but with a "Whodunnit" twist that arguably works even better than the fake-fiancée trope.