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Caddyshack may be a smidgen outdated, with its catchy soundtrack and music by Kenny Loggins, but it still demonstrates an eye for comedic timing. Director Harold Ramis would write, direct, produce and even star in several influential, important comedy works of the 80’s, but this envelope-pushing laugh fest kicked off his directing career. Although Dangerfield, Chase and Murray could definitely use more screen time (there involvement was originally meant to be mere cameos), especially considering how much of the film is improvised, Caddyshack works on many levels and is incredibly quotable, often being considered one of the all-time funniest comedies, with dozens of lines of dialogue ranking among the most memorable in cinema. Who knew golf could be so much fun? Danny Noonan (Michael O’Keefe), a member of an impossibly large family, is preparing to disappoint his parents with news of failed scholarship opportunities. He’s doomed to work at the lumberyard, but currently spends his time as a caddie at the exclusive Bushwood Country Club, contending with old people, drugs, fighting, his girlfriend Maggie (Sarah Holcomb), a lusty newcomer (Cindy Morgan), crazy partiers and generally mischievous activities. When he learns of a caddie scholarship that could change his future, he’s determined to win a golf tournament and to suck up to Judge Smails (Ted Knight), the man who can recommend him for the funding. As the film progresses, a $40,000 illegal game of golf and a plastic explosive-obsessed maintenance man fuel the climax. |
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Assistant greenskeeper Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) is a reclusive wacko with a fetish for older women, constantly muttering nasty things under his breath, charged with taking care of a destructive gopher plaguing the golf course (he’s got a six-year plan for eventually becoming head greenskeeper). Treating the rodent like the Vietcong, he wages a personal war that’s sure to cause more damage than an army of critters. Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) is a millionaire golfer who never keeps score, a philosopher with odd advice and random comments, and Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) is a wealthy investor with loud-mouthed jokes and crude sarcasm always at the ready. It’s just an average day on the golf course. The story itself is rather disjointed, with three characters all trying to achieve separate goals. The gags appear to have been written first, with the plot formed around various witty setups, much like every Saturday Night Live movie adaptation. The story is simple and rarely interferes with the delivery of humor, as if in place just to get the actors to cross paths, but the oddball characters are the best part of the nonsense. It’s infrequent for three vastly different comedians to have such fitting performances together without trampling on each other’s skits. With a dancing gopher, hilarious dialogue and edgy elements that would lead the way for raunchy teen comedies of the future, Caddyshack proves that irreverence toward everything is gut-busting and that golf doesn’t have to be just for the elderly (although maybe chiefly for the rich). - Mike Massie
The 30th Anniversary Edition includes a newly remastered soundtrack, the theatrical trailer and a retrospective featurette. The most peculiar thing about this new set is the lack of any branding or advertising on the package about being an anniversary or special edition. The artwork is the same as in the last couple of standard single-disc releases. CADDYSHACK, Also Available ON DEMAND (at Amazon: http://amzn.to/OD_Caddyshack) and FOR DOWNLOAD (on iTunes: http://bit.ly/DL_Caddyshack).
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