The Waterboy

Another nostalgia trip for me! The 90's Sander films are genuinely one of my favorite collections ever. While this is not my favorite of the bunch, it is darn close!

Rating: 5/5 - 95% - Highly Recommend

Perhaps the one Adam Sandler movie in which I found his character charming and funny despite being a dumbass (unlike most of all the other times when he plays an idiot, maybe Bobby's innocence is what sets the difference). I don't know if this is objectively kind of a bad movie idgaf I had fun and laughed so it's fine to me, although I don't know how much of that I can attribute to being wowed by Henry Winkler & Kathy Bates performances lol they're so legendary as usual

Also, whenever Farmer Fran talked nonsense I couldn't help but laugh my ass off 😭

Water sucks! a classic film

Arguably the last of Adam Sandler's long string of truly funny character comedies. It's dumb in an earnest and appealing way, with Sandler in his element as the dense, innocent hayseed with tons of peculiar charisma and an aggressively violent streak. He's undeniably the centerpiece of this story, but also isn't afraid to share the screen with the other denizens of this obtuse little world he's populated - a necessity, since a crippling stutter leaves him unable to complete more than a few sentences at a time.

Kathy Bates and Henry Winkler unleash their wickedly funny hidden talents in supporting roles as Sandler's sanctimonious, over-protective mother and cowardly savant football coach, respectively. Though the SNL alum would later dip into the well too often, at this point his backup squad of one-note bit characters and bizarre non sequiturs still felt fresh and genuine. Loaded with buried gems and unexpectedly brilliant one-liners, it left me grinning and wiping tears from my eyes in several spots. Much funnier than the absurdly simple concept would lead you to believe.

A classic Adam Sandler comedy, this time around football. Not his best but solid. If you like his humour, this movie is for you.

College football gets feisty when a championship program fires their stunted, long-tenured waterboy and he walks on as linebacker for a lesser school. Turns out the stuttering hayseed has a mean streak in him, one that’s informed and enhanced by his love of pro wrestling, and he immediately employs it in punishing the confused opposition. It’s like Happy Gilmore meets Cajun Man: physically unspectacular nobody takes the sporting world by storm with an unorthodox, brute force-driven method... in the Louisiana bayou.

As an Adam Sandler vehicle, written by frequent collaborator Tim Herlihy, _The Waterboy_ does very little to rock the boat. Like each of their preceding joints, this is an intentionally dumb, oddly charismatic production that bubbles and brims with Sandler-isms; the kind of character-driven comedy you can pick up and enjoy from just about any point. Perfect for cable TV. Sandler plays Bobby Boucher, a character no deeper than the ones he was crafting for cheeky, minute-long cameos on _Weekend Update_ a few years earlier, and clearly has a ball with the role. Bobby’s a sweet kid, softly spoken and non-confrontational, but full of caged frustrations. When a coach teaches him to direct and release that anger, he erupts into a font of simmering energy and spontaneous on-field violence that quickly elevates his new team into the national title picture.

All the non-sequiturs are fun, as usual, and Sandler is easy to pull for in the lead role, but the nature of his speech impediment means he needs frequent help from the supporting cast. He gets it. Kathy Bates is indispensable as Bobby’s lethally over-protective mother, while Henry Winkler leans way into his role as a spacey, sad sack coaching savant. Bates is so good, she often threatens to completely take over. I wonder if her part was originally intended to be so beefy, or if wily producers simply knew a good thing when they saw it and kept feeding her the ball.

Stupidity in a football movie.

Stupidity stupid in Football movie ;).

I know that this movie has been derisively referred to as "Happy Gilmore 2" but I thought I would give it a look while I jogged on the treadmill. Wow. Just wow. What a steaming pile of dung. I know that - given the last few "comedies" that Sandler has made - Sandler has little shame. But how did Kathy Bates and Henry Winkler end up in this steaming pile of dung?

follow me at https://IHATEBadMovies.com or facebook IHATEBadMovies

**T**_heme_- 8.5/10
**R**_ewatchibility_- 7.5/10
**A**_cting_- 6/10
**K**_inematography_ 6/10
**T**_ime_- 8/10
**Total** - 36/5 = ==7.2==

If you like the Adam Sandler gimmick performances like Billy Madison, then this one will likely be a fun flick for you. I enjoy Sandman movies myself, recognizing the wealth of mediocrity in his filmography. I consider Waterboy an upper mid-tier Sandler movie that despite a rich cast overacting their collective asses off, is fun enough to enjoy.