'The Waterboy' - Gunga Dim by Homer Yen (c) 1998
Actually, if you've seen any of Adam Sandler's films, you know that you can expect a film that is likably dim-witted. Sandler was affable in his last film, theWedding Singer. Here as the meek Bobby Boucher, he hasn't lost any of his charm as a doofus whose greatest desire is to become a respected water distribution engineer for the local college football team. He talks about PH levels, temperature, purity and other snippets that could make him the top sales person for Evian. But his doltish demeanor doesn't wash well with the players. They constantly make fun of him, and he is eventually fired by the mean-spirited coach (Jerry Reed).
He eventually finds work at another local college, whose football team, the Mud Dogs, is the laughing stock of the region. Those players also make fun of Boucher, but here the coach (an affable Henry Winkler) tells him to stick up for himself. During a scrimmage play when the school's quarterback pushes Boucher too far, he begins to visualize all of the people that have ever been mean to him and then Presto - he charges him with the fury of a raging bull and levels him flat on his back. This act of tackling brilliance catches the coach's eye, and he begs Boucher to become the new linebacker for the team. But there are lots of obstacles. Boucher has never played football. He'll have trouble in a college atmosphere because he was home-schooled (he declares in animal biology class that alligators are not aggressive because of an enlarged medulla oblongata, but that they are ‘ornery because they have lots of teeth and no toothbrush.'). He'll need to win the respect of his team. Finally, his eccentric mother (Kathy Bates) opposes her son playing ‘foozball'. What's a dim-witted doofus to do? Well, you can expect Boucher to make enough of an impact to guarantee them a spot in the highly touted Bourbon Bowl where Boucher will have the chance to face the football team and the mean-spirited coach that made his life Hell.
Admittedly, there were several parts of the movie that I found fairly funny, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the humor of it all as well. Sandler has a boyishness that is endearing and even sympathetic. The movie gave us enough to keep us involved for the 90-minute duration, and I liked this movie a little bit better than The Wedding Singer because there was more of a story to tell and more things to laugh at. Still, the film itself is only about as good as the Mud Dogs, whose current losing streak of 41 straight games is enough to make you wonder if one man can change the fortunes of a whole team. Sandler gives it the old college try.
Grade: B-
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