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Waterboy Pours On the Comedy
No one will ever confuse Adam Sandler with the subtle comedic talent of Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart, but the humor in his movies is a guilty pleasure. With The Waterboy, Sandler brings his off-beat brand of humor to college football and the backwater bayou of Louisiana.
With a slow stammer, Sandler portrays a simple young man from the deep South whose life's passion lies in dispensing water to the local college football team. Bobby Boucher is a waterboy -- or "water distribution engineer," as he calls himself. He is also an everyman, trying to find a little happiness while helping others.
When Bobby finds himself unemployed, he turns to a smaller Lousiana college in the hopes of finding work. He gets more than a job, however, when Coach Klein (Henry Winkler) realizes the untapped potential in his repressed anger. After seeing him unleash his fury on the team's quarterback, Coach Klein asks the waterboy to join the team.
One obstacle stands between Bobby and his college football career. His mother. Kathy Bates plays Mama Boucher, an overprotective mother whose life revolves around her son. Unwilling to share him with the world, she refuses to even listen to Coach Klein's offer. As the coach tells Bobby, though, "What Mama doesn't know, won't hurt her."
There's a lot of sillyness in The Waterboy, and nothing that will force you to use your brain cells. Despite the predictable nature of the story, the movie is entertaining. The football scenes are just enough to be enjoyable without becoming tedious. The real story is Bobby and the changes that overcome him. Whether from football, college classes, or his girlfriend Vicki Vallencourt (Fairuza Balk, from The Craft), Bobby finds his world expanding and his life changing.
Aside from the principal cast, there are a number of surprising cameos by veteran sports announcers and NFL coaches. In addition, Rob Schneider (Sandler's fellow SNL alum) makes a reoccuring cameo as one of the earthy locals.
MY RATING: 5 out of 10.
RATED: 
RUN TIME: 87 min.
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