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(1980) There are those who will say that this film about goofy golfers amid minefields set for gophers, directed by Harold Ramis, is hilarious; but I'm not among them (but then I don't play golf). Lame, silly, stupid, dumb - yes. Just not par for my course. There are those who will say such attributes constitutes comedy. Funny is in the chortle of the beholder.
Michael O'Keefe plays Danny Noonan (in remembrance, perhaps, of Peter Noonan of Herman's Hermits?), who comes from a large family and caddies at the Bushwood Country Club; he needs to win a scholarship if he hopes to go on to college rather than work in the lumberyard. Ty Webb (Chevy Chase), who doesn't keep score when he plays golf, imparts the wisdom of Zen-like concentration to Danny: "Be the ball."
Pompous, conceited Judge Smails (Ted Knight) owns the country club; his niece Lacey Underall lets Danny and Ty putt on her green. "You wanna tie me up with one of your ties, Ty?" she asks. Danny's girlfriend Maggie thinks she's pregnant.
Uncouth real-estate developer Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) arrives with his high-tech golfing equipment as a guest and quickly becomes the judge's nemesis. Meanwhile, lecherous, slovenly Carl Spackler (Bill Murray), the assistant greenskeeper, is charged with getting rid of a gopher and takes on the "Varmint Cong."
The judge teams up with Dr Beeper for an 18-hole match against Webb and Czervik with a wager of $40,000.
The best scenes occur in the swimming pool: water ballet to Swan Lake and a floating Baby Ruth candy bar accidentally dropped into the chlorinated blue becomes (Jaws music) a doodie! No gophers were harmed in the making of this movie.
Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.
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