Movies I Love, Part XXIV: “Caddyshack”

Posted: August 6th, 2009 | Filed under: Cinema | 1 Comment »

My pal Bill is of the opinion that the best guy movie ever is “Diner.” And a reasonable choice it is.

Except that he’s dead wrong.

Clearly the most resonant guy movie ever is “Caddyshack.”

I know this because: 1) I’ve been in a lot of guy situations (even on date nights) when out of the blue, a line of dialog from this flick will fill the air (“This is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sinsemilia. The amazing thing about this is, that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night.”). 2) After once reciting the entirety of Carl Spackler’s soliloquy about looping for the Dalai Lama on the radio as part of retrospective of the films of 1980, I was accosted the following weekend by a group of thirtysomething guys at a couples wedding shower, who thought my homage was the coolest thing they’d ever heard in their life, and 3) After placing the entirety of that soliloquy in a Culture Maven column in LEO years ago, I received more praise on the street than after any other thing I’ve ever written.

All of which says to me: “Shut up, you dumpkopf, and play the video of the soliloquy already.”

Say what you want to about Bill Murray’s checkered film career, his Carl Spackler is one of the greatest if not the greatest acting performance in the history of film.

To be fair, however, I must admit there are other cinephiles who believe Rodney Dangerfield’s monumental portrayal of Al Czervik in this film is the equal of any male ever on the silver screen.

I cannot disagree with the plausibility of that assessment for fear of losing my license to critique films on public radio. So, to avoid the risk of offending the Czervik acolytes, a clip:

The film was directed by Harold Ramis and written by Ramis and Brian Doyle-Murray, Bill’s brother.

The humor is stupid, but clever. The caricatures rendered by Ted Knight as bombastic Judge Elihu Smails and Chevy Chase as straitlaced club champion Ty Webb are as good as either has ever done.

The movie has been criticized by many an alleged film buff for its failure to have a plot of any consequence, for the scatter shot scenes in which the main characters appear unrelated really in any way to the others. To which I say: Bullshit!

Is it funny? Does it entertain? Do you smile after it’s over when you think about it? Even years, decades later? Do you find yourself wandering over to YouTube to check clips from the flick? Do you use the dialog as a bonding experience with your pals?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, yes. Yes. And, yes.

Does the plot matter. Absolutely not. But I am going to summarize it, simply because I want this homage to be a little longer. Buffonishly formal Ted Knight is the main guy at Bushwood Country Club. Dangerfield is a crass but uproariously funny condo developer who joins the uptight place. Murray is the greenskeeper, whose main job is to rid the place of gophers. Chase is the best golfer in the place, kind of an asshole on the surface, but not a bad dude. He’s on top of his game here. Except of course when he avoids the advances of comely Lacy Underall (Cindy Morgan).

But they do have some dialog: Underall: “You’re crazy.” Webb: “That’s what they said about Son of Sam.”

Then there’s the whole thing about the caddies, which underscores the film’s anti-elitist bent. Not that this is a message film, mind you.

Okay, enough. You get the idea. It’s just stupid humor that carries the movie. But really funny and memorable stupid humor.

Okay, since I know you’ll want one, another clip before I close:

“Caddyshack” — I’m smiling just thinking about it. Need to go rent it for another looksee soon.

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