The Waterboy (1998)

The Waterboy (1998)

 

4/10

Starring

Kathy Bates

Fairuza Balk

Jerry Reed

Henry Winkler

 

Directed by Frank Coraci

 

Adam Sandler’s cheap shot at a comedy sports movie in the 90s is very annoying, sad, not well written, and in some ways an insult to the viewer.

I think, at one time, even if we don’t want to admit it, there was a place for the kind of comedy that Adam Sandler did in the 90s, especially in this movie, The Waterboy. I don’t think the woke crowd of today could handle the idea of a character who is teased day in and day out for being slow, obscure, and generally not present. Then, add the violence that followed this character. Some violent acts were done to him, and he was a raging bull, enacting violence on others too. The fact that this movie was a huge box office success further proves my point: there was a market for this kind of movie back then, and I’d even bet now. The movie made more than ten times its production cost.

Now, seeing this movie after having watched better comedies—well written and well-crafted—this movie is not going to be one of those fun memories of my childhood. I didn’t enjoy it as much now as I did when I was thirteen and thought the violence was funny. Now, the comedy seems lazy, with cheap gags and a plot that seems to draw inspiration from nowhere, aiming to leave no impression at all.

The movie’s plot is about Bobby Boucher (Sandler), a socially inept, stuttering, mentally challenged man who could only get work as a water boy on a university football team. He lives with his overprotective and looney mother, who says everything she doesn’t like is from the devil.

Bobby was a regular victim of bullying, and the coach of the university football team fired him for being a joke. Bobby then approaches the coach of another university football team, Klein, for a job as their water boy and gets hired. While being bullied and picked on, Klein asks him to stand up for himself, and Bobby takes the message to heart and tackles a player. Klein is shocked by this rage but loves the tackle and sees potential in Bobby as a linebacker.

Bobby’s mother would not let Bobby play, so he and the coach come up with the most ridiculous lies for his injuries when he gets home.

I cannot suggest this movie to anyone. It’s one of those oldies that should just stay in the past and not peep into the present.