# Waterboy, The (1998)

### reviewed by
Simon Calloway

    'The Waterboy'

    by Simon Calloway

Cast: Adam Sandler; Kathy Bates; Henry Winkler; Fairuza Balk

I have read numerous critical reviews on The Waterboy. Enough negative ones to rate this film the worst movie of the year. Now, in my oppinion, I don't think it is the worst. More like the second to worst.

Yes, everything you've heard about Waterboy is true. It is an unfunny, jaw-droppingly stale piece of toast of a comedy, but, what did you expect from the star of such other bombs as Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer. (Waterboy was likely dug up from script-reject hell after the success of Wedding Singer.)

A huge hit within the male 10-12 category, Waterboy is a fairly simple movie. Bobby (Sandler) is a "waterboy" for a college football team in his hometown. He lives with his mother (Bates; does she need work this bad?) in a small cabin in the middle of a swamp, and is rather physically challanged. Did I mention he is, I think it was, 31 years old.

When the coach (Winkler, never looking more at home) finds out about Bobby's enormous tackling abilities, he puts Bobby on the team, and they start to win all their games.

That's it. Not much else is circulating in this film, aside the ominous sexual jokes and Bobby's slurred speech. While in the theater viewing this film, I heard laughing I had never heard before. It was so loud and forced, it made me wonder if that person was actually getting an hilarious response from the movie, or if he was just a Sandler fan who felt bad for the actor and felt he had to laugh at all the jokes, even the unintended ones

The Waterboy is very juvenile. Only kids are likely to like this waterlogged movie, yet they are hardly the right age for Sandler's frank blue humor. But, compaired to Happy Gilmore, Waterboy is Lawernce of Arabia.

    **
    ~TeenViews (c) 1999~

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