Watered Down.

Rating: 3/10 (6 January 2016)

The Waterboy (1998): Dir: Frank Coraci / Cast: Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler, Fairuza Balk, Jerry Reed: Standard comedy about the little guy who will become a big somebody. Adam Sandler plays the waterboy for a football team. He lives with his overbearing mother who claims that everything is "the Devil." His mother will not allow him to play football but the coach puts him on the team anyway suggesting that he visualize an attack. He visualizes everyone who has insulted him throughout his life. Predictable and ridiculous with characters that seem like distant cousins of Farmer Vincent of Motel Hell. Directed by Frank Coraci who previously directed Sandler in the more appealing The Wedding Singer. Part of the problem is that Sandler is not only unsympathetic but his voice is irritable. Supporting actors suffer from characters who come off as comic types rather than personalities. Kathy Bates as his strict mother is straight forward right up to her mind change regarding the apron strings. Henry Winkler as a struggling coach is pretty much what viewers can expect. Fairuza Balk as his trashy girlfriend is more a thought than an actual person. Jerry Reed is cast as a nasty coach who belittles Sandler. Strong theme of self respect and standing up for oneself with a screenplay that is washed up with little to keep it afloat. Score: 3 / 10