My former boss describes this movie as the greatest ever comedy golf movie and I cannot disagree. Not that there are many competitors out there. That Gilmour movie had a few laughs but a movie with Bill Murray in it has to be good. In fact, it starred Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, and Bill Murray. Bill’s older brother was in it too so you could credit Brian Doyle-Murray with a role too. Released in 1980 and made on a budget of $6m it went on to generate $39.8m which is very tidy. Over to the Tri-Critic Sync Challenge and if wasn’t for the movie two positions lower than this one I would be crowing about being just 5 points away with 7.3/10 from IMDb & 74% from Rotten Tomatoes means it is currently in joint 3rd position with 5 points. Other movies with 5 points difference are Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Unbreakable and The Ring. So, this movie is in good company. Onto the plot if I can remember it as there are many scenes I remember but can I remember the story!
Danny is a caddie at a swanky golf club the Bushwood Country Club to earn extra cash for college. He works for Ty Webb a suave and good golfer and son of one of the partners of the club. Working for Ty gets him ‘in’ with Judge Elihu Smails the clubs co-founder and director of the caddie scholarship program. Meanwhile a new face is appearing on the course as Al Czervik a brash and obnoxious nouveau riche golfer. He heckles Smails making him miss his shot and he is furious and they have a wager which Smails’ loses. Danny wins the caddie championship which means he should earn a scholarship organised by Smails and gets him invited on the christening of his new ship. Where he meets Smails niece Lacey and then Smails catches the two of them in bed later. Rather than kicking him out Smails asks him to keep it a secret. The shenanigans continues between Czervik and Smails and rather than letting things go they end up squaring up over drinks and decide to break club rules and wager a round of golf with their usual partners for a dollar amount that keeps doubling and doubling every time they get annoyed with each other. The next day on the course and in the midst of the bet, Czervik then hits himself with his own ball and asks Danny to substitute for him. Time for a dilemma for Danny. I have to mention one other element of the plot namely Carl Spackler is the ground keeper who is not the sharpest tool in the box and his life is consumed by the wish to kill a gopher who is terrorising the fields of the course and his sole purpose in life is the death of that gopher.
This is a great and funny movie, it brought together Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. Golf is not my favourite sport but that won’t stop you from enjoying this romp. Its funny and many of the silly scene’s involve the grounds keeper chasing the gopher around with bigger and bigger weapons. Ted Knight’s and Rodney Dangerfield’s larger than life characters make this movie hard not to enjoy Rodney in fall flow. While the desperate and agitated Ted is played to perfection as well. The humour is out there to enjoy, you don’t need the brains on full functions 100% power just sit back and enjoy this golf club madness.
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