R, 98 min.
Director: Harold Ramis
Writers: Brian Doyle-Murray,
Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney
Starring: Michael O’Keefe,
Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray,
Sarah Holcomb, Scott Colomby, Cindy Morgan, Dan Resin, Henry Wilcoxon
There was something about
the 80s that just got comedy right. “Caddyshack” was one of the decade’s first
R-rated early gross out flicks. It doesn’t really contain a whole lot of gross
out, but it’s a great example of the formula. Its plot is a very basic premise.
A kid works as a caddy at a high-class golf club to earn enough money for
college. During his time there he learns a lot about life and sex, and must
navigate greed and avarice to find a moral center on the side he doesn’t expect
to find it—with the crazies instead of the fine upstanding citizens.
That might even be the
overcomplicated version of the main story line. What the movie gets right is
that it hardly spends much time on its actual plot. As far as sub plots… well,
it doesn’t really bother much with subplots either, except for Bill Murray’s
assistant groundskeeper and his mission to kill the gopher. This is one of
Murray’s iconic roles.
Almost all of the other
jokes in the film are non-sequiturs involving various aspects of the golf club.
The priest who has the miracle round of golf is a bit that comes out of nowhere
and produces comedic gold. The yacht sequence is a classic scene of comedy
chaos. Chevy Chase’s entire character is like something that hopped a ride back
on the space shuttle.
Then there are the caddy
jokes. Murray and his brother, one of the film’s screenwriters and the film’s head
caddy, Brian Doyle-Murray used to caddy for summer jobs. Their observations on
course life are probably more accurate than they seem in their exaggerated
versions for the movie. There are some keen observations, like the old couple
who can’t even hit their balls in the right direction, or the rivalries between
the old rich fools who think they run the place, or the way caddies are treated
as second class citizens. The club’s Caddy Day at the pool is likely a spot on
representation of what such an event was actually like. Notice the times the
caddies are allowed in the pool.
3 comments:
I am not familiar with Caddyshack but after reading your post and watching the video, I have a background now. Mr. Gopher is a good addition to it :)
I glad I opened your eyes to a new movie. Be sure to watch it, the trailer doesn't do it justice. It may seem dated, but it's good. I see from your blog that you're a James Bond enthusiast. The Bond movies were instrumental in developing my own obsession with film. I've reviewed a few of the movies on this site. I can't wait for Skyfall. It's always nice to see a new follower.
Me too, can't wait for Skyfall, like a child waiting for Christmas. I will take a look at your reviews. I love watching old movies, too. The classics are great as well. I usually watch movies at home. I search for films on the internet. Thanks for the visit on my blog.
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