Caddyshack

Rating: 5/10 (20 November 2011)

This directorial debut from Ghostbusters writer/star Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day, Analyze This, Bedazzled) I had heard about and knew one of the stars, and I knew it involved golf, so I decided to give it a go. Basically at Bushwood Country Club is a popular exclusive golf course, and it is there that we see numerous workers and players on the course getting up to all sorts of antics. All the members who play are mostly wealthy, and many eccentric as well, it is only most of the staff, especially the younger ones, who are slightly less eccentric and obviously less well off. The characters include Judge Elihu Smails (Ted Knight) who is being constantly irritated by very rude and always chirpy millionaire Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) who wants to buy Bushwood. Ty Webb (Chevy Chase), another big shot player on the course is meanwhile just pining around as a friend of Judge, and with the conflicts going on they are all giving young caddy Danny Noonan (Michael O'Keefe) ideas of where he should go in life. Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) is the near brainless psychopathic grounds keeper who has been given the task of eliminating all gophers who are digging around ruining the course, and he is going to great lengths to destroy them, such as pumping water through the holes, using a gun, and even explosives. The conflict between Judge and Al gets so bad that they decide to settle their differences once and for all with a match to win their right to own the club all together, to which, after explosions rumble, Al is the winner, and with the help of bruisers does get the deal done. Also starring Sarah Holcomb as Maggie O'Hooligan, Scott Colomby as Tony D'Annunzio, Cindy Morgan as Lacey Underall and Dan Resin as Dr. Beeper. I agree with the critics that the small teenage subplot is pointless and was probably only put in to draw that age audience, but Dangerfield creates an amusingly vulgar persona, Knight gets his time as his rival, Chase doesn't really do anything, and Murray steals the show creating a completely different character to his usual sorts, being the thick Elmer Fudd type hunter trying to catch the lovable pest gopher. The writing for most of the jokes is good enough, I did find enjoyment watching the chocolate bar in the swimming pool mistaken for excrement, and of course all the dangerous antics of Murray, and some of the golf playing is okay too, so while it is not all original, there are moments to like in this comedy. "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!" was number 92 on 100 Years, 100 Quotes, and the film was number 71 on 100 Years, 100 Laughs. Worth watching!