The Waterboy
Stream
Rent & Buy
Bobby Boucher is a water boy for a struggling college football team. The coach discovers Boucher's hidden rage makes him a tackling machine whose bone-crushing power might vault his team into the playoffs.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics were largely dismissive of Adam Sandler's bayou idiot-savant comedy, finding its humor cheap and its central character actively grating — Roger Ebert famously placed it on his most-hated list. The split that defines the film is between professional reviewers who couldn't get past Sandler's deliberately irritating character and the audiences who embraced it warmly, making it a massive hit despite the panning.
“Sandler is making a tactical error when he creates a character whose manner and voice has the effect of fingernails on a blackboard, and then expects us to hang in there for a whole movie.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Geek triumphs after all comedies can be charming, but in this one the triumphing begins so early it's hard to feel for the geek.”
Lisa Alspector·Chicago Reader
“Of course it's dumb, but every 10 minutes or so, it's also pretty funny.”
Manohla Dargis·LA Weekly
“This yahoos on the bayou farce is neither inventive nor outrageous enough.”
Glen Lovell·Variety
“so cheerfully outlandish that it's hard to resist, and so good hearted that it's genuinely endearing.”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
Genres
Comedy
Cast & Crew
Frank CoraciDirector
Adam SandlerBobby Boucher
Kathy BatesMama Boucher
Henry WinklerCoach Klein
Fairuza BalkVicki Vallencourt
Jerry ReedRed Beaulieu
Lawrence Gilliard Jr.Derek Wallace
Blake ClarkFarmer Fran
Peter DanteGee Grenouille
Jonathan LoughranLyle Robideaux
Clint HowardPaco
Allen CovertWalterAdam SandlerWriter
Tim HerlihyWriterThe Waterboy
Bobby Boucher is a water boy for a struggling college football team. The coach discovers Boucher's hidden rage makes him a tackling machine whose bone-crushing power might vault his team into the playoffs.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics were largely dismissive of Adam Sandler's bayou idiot-savant comedy, finding its humor cheap and its central character actively grating — Roger Ebert famously placed it on his most-hated list. The split that defines the film is between professional reviewers who couldn't get past Sandler's deliberately irritating character and the audiences who embraced it warmly, making it a massive hit despite the panning.
“Sandler is making a tactical error when he creates a character whose manner and voice has the effect of fingernails on a blackboard, and then expects us to hang in there for a whole movie.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Geek triumphs after all comedies can be charming, but in this one the triumphing begins so early it's hard to feel for the geek.”
Lisa Alspector·Chicago Reader
“Of course it's dumb, but every 10 minutes or so, it's also pretty funny.”
Manohla Dargis·LA Weekly
“This yahoos on the bayou farce is neither inventive nor outrageous enough.”
Glen Lovell·Variety
“so cheerfully outlandish that it's hard to resist, and so good hearted that it's genuinely endearing.”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
Genres
Comedy
Cast & Crew
Frank CoraciDirectorAdam SandlerBobby BoucherKathy BatesMama BoucherHenry WinklerCoach KleinFairuza BalkVicki VallencourtJerry ReedRed BeaulieuLawrence Gilliard Jr.Derek WallaceBlake ClarkFarmer FranPeter DanteGee GrenouilleJonathan LoughranLyle RobideauxClint HowardPacoAllen CovertWalterAdam SandlerWriterTim HerlihyWriterStream
Rent & Buy