Caddyshack Memories

Wanting to wathc something the other night, and learning that Corrie hadn't ever seen Caddyshack, we decided to broaden her comedic horizon a little and put on one of the "funniest films ever from America."

I remember one of those fake commercials from ESPN a few years back where they asked a golf caddy "What's the best golf movie ever?" The caddy's response: "Oh, that's easy: Caddyshack." Right away the 'interviewer' asks "What's the worst golf movie ever?" The caddy responds even faster this time: "Oh that's easier: Caddyshack II." I relayed my memory of this commercial to the girls here before we watched the original, since I noticed that both the original and the sequel were in possesion by members of the house.

How could one not like Caddyshack? Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight...Well easy enough, I suppose, if, like my mom, you don't like Chevy Chase, or if, like Corrie, you don't like Rodney Dangerfield. Then I bet it wouldn't be that hard to really dislike it.

From my own memory, I remember liking the hell out of Caddyshack and really being annoyed with Jackie Mason in the sequel. Then we watched the original, and the classic lines still resonate, and the culture clash I can see in a different light, but the humor is mostly one-liners and slap-stickery. My opinion of it dropped anyway, if that's not too blasphemus.

Then we watched the sequel, ready to make like MST3K and talk trash throughout the film, but I found myself not as annoyed with Jackie Mason, and enjoying Randy Quaid's psychopathic lawyer more than I remember. Jackie Mason's character, a developer of lower-to-middle income housing, going up against the rich WASPs? The culture clash from the first movie is revived here, but with a social concious, a social commentary besides the original's "nouveau riche vs old money". I'm not sure I like it more than the first, but my opinion of it climbed precipitously.

Weird note: Did you know that Bill Murray was on the set for only six days and had no scripted lines?

For the record, and from the films I've seen, Tin Cup, with Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, and Cheech Marin is my favorite golf movie.