Many films are considered to be the funniest of all time. The short list probably includes Airplane!, Blazing Saddles and Planes, Trains And Automobiles. However, in my book it doesn't get any better than Caddyshack. It is just jam packed with humor and it is virtually impossible not to laugh for basically the entire film. Whether it's Bill Murray's Carl, Chevy Chase's Ty Webb or Ted Knight's Judge Smails, everything comes up aces in this comedy. Every character is funny and there are tons of classic lines that my friends and I quote daily. The plot is a little lackluster, but in a farce comedy like this, it's easy to forgive that.
As I mentioned, the plot of Caddyshack is probably its weakest aspect. While it is the standard comedy script, the personalities make the film a winner. The film stars Michael O'Keefe as Danny Noonan. He is a struggling high school student who caddies at the local country club and desperately wants to attend college. However, with the cost of college these days, he needs a little help. Along the way, the country club stud, Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) mentors him somewhat and gives him some valuable advice. Sure, none of it is helpful, but it sure is funny.
Danny also has the help and support of the country club blow hard Judge Smails (Ted Knight). He's in charge of the caddy scholarship and Danny knows it. He spends a good part of the film kissing up to Judge Smails in order to receive the coveted scholarship. Unfortunately, the Judge's niece, Lacey Underall (Cindy Morgan), gets in the way and reeks havoc on his chances. Of course, he has fun while screwing up his changes to receive the scholarship.
The film climaxes with a high-pressured golf match between Danny/Ty and Judge Smails/Dr. Beeper (Dan Resin). Ty's original partner is the visiting loudmouth Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield). Czervik is injured on an errant golf shot and Danny is chosen to sub for him. Ty and Danny then proceed to rally the club's member and employees and stick it to the greedy and annoying Judge Smails. They win and all is well in the world.
Throughout the entire film, there are various scenes with Bill Murray that just can't be described with words. Murray plays Carl Spackler, the assistant greens keeper. He's usually drunk, dirty and doing a poor job. However, his quest to kill a pesky gopher is awfully funny and he unwittingly helps impact the results of the high-pressure golf game between Ty/Danny and Smails/Beeper.
The thing that makes Caddyshack great is the cast. It seems as if each character was written with a specific actor in mind. And, those specific actors where actually cast in the correct roles. Chevy Chase plays the wise cracking playboy, Ty Webb. This role was perfectly made for Chase. Ty Webb is a smartass and consistently funny. If anyone could play Carl better than Bill Murray, I'd like to see it. He's funny, stupid and lovable all at one time. You root for the poor loser and just want him to succeed. Rodney Dangerfield plays the rude, obnoxious boob to perfection. He annoys everyone and he does it perfectly. To me, the real star of the film is Ted Knight. Judge Smails is the butt of most of the jokes and his facial expressions are worth the rental price (or DVD purchase price in my case). You can almost feel the pain he is going through when trying to deal with all the crazy characters that bug him.
The supporting cast is also top notch. Michael O'Keefe and Sarah Holcombe as Danny's suffering girlfriend are perfect in their roles as well. It's also important not to overlook D'Annuzio (Scott Colomby), Danny's golf rival and Brian Doyle Murray as the head of the caddyshack. All are wonderful and have entrenched themselves into movie lore.
While plot is adequate, the dialogue is just priceless. Nobody is going to confuse Caddyshack with The Godfather or The Conversation. The script isn't award winning, but that's ok. It's just plain hilarious. Who can't quote a famous line from the film? Whether it's: "Cinderella story, about to become Masters champion," "Spalding, get your foot off the boat," or "Gunga galunga," the laughs are never ending. The scene with Ty and Carl is just non-stop humor. The amazing thing is the whole scene was basically ad-libbed which makes it all that more incredible.
When the DVD was re-released about two years ago, there was a psuedo-documentary included. It's a behind the scenes documentary entitled: "Caddyshack: The 19th Hole." It's an entertaining look at the making of the film. Many of the actors share humorous stories and funny anecdotes about the filming process. Unfortunately, that's about the only thing included on the DVD. Sure, there are production notes, the theatrical trailer and the movie is presented in wide screen. The wide screen version really adds a lot to the film, but the other extras are nothing special.
If you are looking for a great Friday night rental with plenty of laughs, pick up Caddyshack. And, if you are looking for a new addition to your DVD collection, Caddyshack is a must have. The quality of the DVD is great and a welcome improvement from any old VHS tape. The film is simply a classic and belongs in everyone's collection.
Comical goings on at an exclusive golf club. All the members are wealthy and eccentric, and all the staff are poor and slightly less eccentric. The ma...More at BiggSports
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