The Waterboy . Tucson Weekly . 11-16-98

The Waterboy

DIRECTED BY: Frank Coraci

REVIEWED: 11-16-98

Going into an Adam Sandlar movie, I expected his aren't-mentally-challenged-people-funny persona, an aren't-gay-guys-funny joke or two, and maybe a cameo from a Saturday Night Live cohort. I got all this, and so much more. This is no mindless comedy, it's a message movie--proof that those Hollywood CEOs do care about our futures, and the futures of our children. No one wants that "Mommy, what were trees like?" bumper sticker to come true, so the masterminds behind The Waterboy demonstrate the importance of environmental consciousness by recycling the Forrest Gump script. It killed enough trees, so these eco-friendly folks simply took the story of an oddly athletic man with a IQ of 90 and set it on a football field. And to fill in plotholes without wasting additional paper, there's lots of recycled music, from Rush to Anita Ward, to help you along. For example, when Waterboy is awfully lonely, "Lonely Boy" plays in the background. Get it? Apparently careers are reusable, too, as witnessed by the dynamic screen presence of Henry Winkler as a coach. The funniest parts, though, are the recycled stereotypes. Southerners are especially hee-larious, what with those durn accents and all.

--Higgins

Capsule Reviews
The Waterboy
The Waterboy
The Waterboy

Other Films by Frank Coraci
The Wedding Singer

Film Vault Suggested Links
I Think I Do
Plump Fiction
Liar Liar

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