The Waterboy – Blu-ray Review

THE FILM:

The Waterboy is a true underdog story.  Bobby Boucher is not what you’d call a handsome man.  The good Lord chose not to bless him with charm, athletic ability… or a fully functional brain, which is why he becomes an inspiration to all the town rejects when he goes from the geeky water boy living with his mama to a ladies’ man and football stud overnight.

Bobby (Adam Sandler) gets fired from his job as “water distribution engineer” for a local college football team, but soon starts work with another team, a pitiful team, a losing team.  The coach (Henry Winkler) spots potential as a star player from Bobby, and although his Mama (Kathy Bates) doesn’t approve, Bobby becomes part of the team and gains a large fan base and media coverage when he takes the Mud Dogs to victory again and again.  Along the way, the 31-year old also finds his first romance in the form of Vicki Vallencourt (Fairuza Balk); Mama doesn’t approve of that either.  Bobby is then faced with a difficult decision—stay true to his “only friend,” his mama, or go after the things that make him happy.  Is Mama ready to let her little boy become a man, or will she feed him to the ornery alligators?

I will never complain about a movie with Adam Sandler.  I think he is a comedic genius, and this movie is one such example.  The Waterboy doesn’t showcase smart or witty humor; it is all mockery of small minds and the deep South, specifically Louisiana.  I liked it all the same.  The movie drags towards the end, but the supporting cast helps pick up the pace.  Fairuza Balk plays outlandish outstandingly.  Kathy Bates portrays the obsessive, possessive mother immaculately.  Balk and Bates are true leading ladies.  Even Clint Howard and Rob Schneider in their combined three minutes of screen time stand out.

This movie is simple, silly, and strange, and it will definitely put a smile on your face.

BLU-RAY:

The “foos-ball” games and crazy crowds came to life on blu-ray with vivid colors and sound.  The blu-ray’s only fault is its lack of special features.  I was honestly hoping for some additional Adam.

Film: Rating:

Blu-ray: Rating: