Review by Jim Chastain II
Norman Transcript

I realize my review of The Waterboy (Touchstone Pictures) will be beside the point to many, if not most of you. Many of you have already decided to see this movie simply because you have seen the trailer or because it stars Adam Sandler. At the same time, many of you have already decided not to see The Waterboy for the very same reasons. That being so, my task is to speak to those of you who have yet to make up your minds.

Although I like to be a little more subtle, with some films you simply have to speak the truth in crystal clear terminology. The Waterboy is all wet. It reeks. It is wholly unfunny. It is one of the dumbest pieces of garbage Hollywood has put out this year. I hated it.

I knew things were bad with the very first joke. Seconds into the film, Sandler emerges as Bobby Boucher, the waterboy for a college football team in Louisiana, and is pelted in the head with a football by one of the teams players. Sandler falls to the ground. INSERT BIG LAUGH HERE. My instant reaction, “uh, oh.”

From there, things only get worse. Sandler uses his irritating Saturday Night Live “dummy” accent, one of only one or two in his repertoire, and it grates at you like fingernails on a chalkboard. The film’s stereotypical portrayal of Louisiana is offensive and sad. Many of the gags simply don’t work, and the audience responds with appropriate silence. The screenplay could have been written by your average third grader, but only if he or she was instructed not to use any imagination. The film’s complete lack of interesting material is highlighted by the frequent use of “filler” in the form of some well known sports figures, coaches, and play-by-play commentators. For some reason, this reminded me the Super Bowl Shuffle, that lame rap video the Chicago Bears did after winning the Super Bowl years ago. The production values are about on the same level.

The Waterboy is about Boucher’s miraculous transformation from a ridiculed water boy to a college football hero. This transformation comes about when the team coach (Henry Winkler) discovers Boucher’s uncanny ability to channel his anger and absolutely demolish opponents on the football field. Thus, the film is basically a running one joke gag. We see Boucher pounce upon, mangle, and frequently knock out anyone who stands in his way. Unfortunately, this gag is simply not enough to sustain the film.

The cast is only as good as the material they have been given. Winkler’s performance makes his former role as Fonzie seems like the glory days. Kathy Bates, who plays a sort of cross between the mothers of Forrest Gump and Norman Bates, is fine, but she has almost nothing to do. Jerry Reed is probably the best of the group, but his one dimensional character is about as interesting as a Barney video.

Nevertheless, I'm fairly certain The Waterboy will rake in a lot of money at the box office. That’s too bad. Very little creative effort was put into this film. By supporting it with our dollars, we only encourage filmmakers to give us more of the same. Blech!!!

© 1998 Jim Chastain II