Actor/director/writer Harold Ramis (GHOSTBUSTERS) made his directing debut with this comedy. Centering on the shenanigans that occur on a country club golf course the film is filmed with laughs and anchored by several good comedic performances.
The film is pretty typical of the ‘80s sex comedy. Caddy Danny Noonan (Michael O’Keefe, THE SLUGGER’S WIFE) is kissing as much butt as possible to secure himself the club’s caddy scholarship. The chief recipient of his butt kissing is conservative judge Elihu Smails (Ted Knight, TV’s MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW). Serving as Danny’s mentor is the free-spirited heir Ty Webb (Chevy Chase, FUNNY FARM), who is wooing Smails niece Lacey Underall (Cindy Morgan, TRON). Hanging around the clubhouse to the chagrin of Judge Smails is millionaire land developer Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield, LADYBUGS). In addition, assistant groundskeeper Carl Spackler (Bill Murray, GROUNDHOG DAY) is on a mission to rid the golf course of one pesky gopher.
Most of the humor comes from the performances of Chase, Dangerfield and Murray. With Chase and Dangerfield it’s all in the timing and with Murray his character is so loopy that you can’t help but laugh. O’Keefe does a good job of serving as the film’s anchor and propels the theme of “the outcast who gets sick of kissing elitist butt.” Despite the randomness of some scenes and its sexist tendencies, the film is fun and the performances are funny. You just have to be ready to laugh and not take the whole thing seriously.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
