Le porteur d'eau

It's Adam Sandler. Are we expecting a smart comedy, along the lines of Woody Allen and Albert Brooks? Of course not. But like all his comedies, it works. Some of the jokes are truly lame (not in a funny way), but most of them worked. Sandler helped pen the script, so naturally the humor is cheap and juvenile. But everyone, young and old, has a kid or teenager inside of them that is dying to break out. That explains the success of "There's Something About Mary." I'm sure a movie with such widespread success didn't reach only a young audience. When an old man dressed like Colonel Sanders gets hit in the head by a paperweight, call me immature, but I'm going to laugh out loud! Sandler does a great job at awakening the kid in all of us. It's truly evident that the kid in him is fully awakened.

Honestly, I still prefer Sandler's "Billy Madison" (I will always love that movie!) and "Happy Gilmore," but this is a good one too. I never thought Fairuza Balk was hot, before checking out this film. Anyone who has seen "The Craft" knows damn well she looked horrible! And for good reason--she was playing a witch! Here, she looks hot, and walks around in a lot of skimpy outfits--MMMM! No matter how many times I watch this film, I can't help but crack up at Blake Clark as Farmer Fran. God, what an underrated talent! His main gag is you can't understand what the hell he's saying. Sure, it doesn't sound like much on paper--shows how the timing and execution of a joke can really work wonders. He also made a short appearance in "Joe Dirt," so look for him in that one as well. There are a good deal of notable gags: the Roy Orbison tattoo, Rob Schneider's "You can do it!" character, etc. I can't say this is a subtle comedy that you'll want to check out over and over again to search for jokes you may have missed. To tell the truth, I think the film gets more lame in further viewings. Which is why it's good to watch it once or twice. Don't wear it out, because this kind of comedy can wear out easily--like those supermarket brand AA batteries.

"The Waterboy" is funny, mindless entertainment. I recommend watching it--just read a book afterwards...LOL. Critics have criticized Sandler for lowering viewers' comic standards. Sure, his gags may not be as intelligently crafted as those of the late Marx Brothers or Buster Keaton, but he knows how to make people laugh and I'm not going to fry him for that. Some don't find him funny--and if you don't, I understand. But I'm not going to view Sandler as comedy's Hitler. Believe me, I've seen much worse.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Although I love a good foreign or independent film, sometimes I am in the mood for a good old stupid film like THE WATERBOY. This is not meant as an insult, as the makers of this film intended for it to be very dumb and in the process the film is also quite entertaining. There are many times I could just use some mindless fun and I am thankful that films like the Bill and Ted films, UHF, TALLADEGA NIGHTS and THE WATERBOY are there when I am in the mood for goofiness.

Adam Sandler stars as Bobby Boucher--a guy so socially inept people assume he is an idiot. His sole desire in life when he film begins is to be a water boy for a football team--even though he's in his 30s! When he shows up at South Central Louisiana State University looking for this job, the coach (Henry Winkler) lets him do it---provided he doesn't have to pay Boucher! Oddly, Boucher looks at his job as if it were a science and he takes amazing pride in such a menial and worthless job. In the process, he looks like a total geek and the players make fun of him constantly. Eventually, all the needling reminds him of all the many, many, many times others have made fun of him over the years and he reacts by knocking one of the players off his feet. Not realizing it, Boucher was able to channel his 31 years of rage into tackling. Winkler realizes Boucher's potential and gets him to agree to play football--even though Boucher's mama (Kathy Bates) thinks "foosball is of the Devil!". This is accomplished by pretending that he's just the team's water boy. I loved when he came home bruised up after a game and explained that it was because he was beaten up by an escaped gorilla....and she believed it!! However, when Mama finally learns the truth, she slips into an unknown illness and Waterboy is unable to bring himself to play in the super-important Bourbon Bowl!

The film abounds with stupid moments--the sort that make kids laugh and adult often pretend aren't funny. I believe that most sophisticated adults WILL like the film but should probably only watch it when the kids are asleep--otherwise the children will realize that their parents are capable of laughing at Adam Sandler.

Clever writing, lots of silly gags (such as his run-in with 'Colonel Sanders') and a part that works well for Sandler, this is one of his better films. I also recommend you try watching THE WEDDING SINGER. And, because I care about you, I advise you to avoid LITTLE NICKY like the plague, as its juvenile humor is something only the most seriously brain damaged can appreciate. It's just not funny.

By the way, the plot of THE WATERBOY is in many ways a variation on Stephen King's CARRIE. Carrie's mother IS Bobby Boucher's mother in many different ways. And, instead of cool telekinesis, Bobby's "magic power" is his ability to tackle. Think about it.

Amusing but typical Adam Sandler vehicle about a water boy for a football team who has the amazing ability to get extremely mad and violent (picture Sandler as the Incredible Hulk). When a football coach (Henry Winkler, a.k.a. The Fonz) sees Sandler's amazing talent, he gets him on his football team...much to the dissaproval of his overcontrolling mother (Kathy Bates).

A lightweight comedy handled with playfulness. "The Waterboy" scores big points for laughs. If you want an hour and a half of fun, see this movie!

3.5/5 stars -

John Ulmer

I do agree the story takes a long time to develop, the script at times is not great(too many dumb moments) and the pacing is uneven, but The Waterboy is actually somewhat endearing. And it has Adam Sandler in it, an actor I don't care for, but he was surprisingly amusing here. I do think though that Kathy Bates(ever the pro)as the Cajun mum and Henry Winkler as the bewildered coach gave much better performances. The film does look striking, with nice cinematography and scenery, and the soundtrack is nice. The sports sequences are lovingly done, and the direction is efficient enough. Overall, it isn't groundbreaking, but it is an endearing and amusing film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Adam Sandler's brand of humor may not be award winning,but it doesn't have to be.He creates another memorable character here,and surrounds himself with a good cast,including Henry Winkler,and Oscar winner Kathy Bates.You would be hard pressed to find a film about the sport of football that could be considered a great one,but the majority that I have seen are entertaining enough,and this one is no exception to that. If you are smart,you won't view this movie with an expectation of greatness,but if you want genuinely funny silliness,this is a film for you.It's a worthy edition to the comedy section of anyone's home library.