Caddyshack: The genius of Harold Ramis

Rating: 8/10 (24 September 2013)

The great comedy produced in Caddyshack can be found laughable by anyone, regardless of their golf expertise. The star-studded cast, lead by the likes of Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight, excellently meshes to form the great underdog story of Danny Noonan (Michael O'Keefe). Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) perfectly fits the typical country club hot-shot but oddly enough, is one of the most likable figures due to his generosity and fun-going personality. His nemesis in the film is the cheap and uptight Judge Smails (Ted Knight) who tries to encourage young Danny Noonan to go for the esteemed caddy scholarship. What truly makes the film a classic is the slew of one-line jokes, supported by a tremendous cast, excellent originality, and admirable animations, which are easily able to recite and hilarious in many different settings.
Caddyshack can be better thought of as many small movies put together, never really developing a plot but instead, letting the actors' brilliance control the true comedy. In this case, it really worked. Director Harold Ramis uses Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield's hilarious antics combined with Chevy Chase's laid-back, lovable nature to keep the dull moments few and far between. The way Ramis gives each individual character their own time to shine makes them all likable and gives the urge to experience more with each and every one. This phenomenal cast leaves you looking for a sequel, or at least to be a part of the typical, and at the same time hysterical, day at Bushwood Country Club.
The film's originality draws you into new territory in the comedy world. No other film of its kind previously chartered the waters of pure amusement at a relatively serious setting, Bushwood Country Club. On any given day, one can find the slob groundskeeper Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) using extreme tactics such as dynamite to take down the likes of the "enemy varmint gopher" or a slew of Al Czervik's caddies watching television from the side of his enormous golf bag right in the middle of the fairway.
Being from 1980 and not having the same technological capabilities of our modern era, the movie excels in the animations department. Some action scenes are even ahead of their time, including the fire shooting through the gophers' hole as it tries to frantically escape the blaze set off by the crazy groundskeeper Carl Spackler. Another includes Al Czervik using a video game like putter to automatically make shots. Both of which produce laughs that will last for days.
Ramis' genius script includes the one-liners that can be laughed at in almost any setting. Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) is the master of this; "don't sell yourself short judge, you're a tremendous slouch". Lines like this and others such as Al Czervik's "he called me a baboon, he thinks I'm his wife" can be funny regardless of context, but when put in action by the characters and their individual interactions, they become hysterical. For what Ramis intended, a movie designed to make people laugh, he greatly excelled in delivering a comedy on a level all of its own.