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ShareAs I see it, the world is divided into two distinct camps.
There are those who believe that the 1980 film “Caddyshack” is the funniest movie ever made, and then there are those who did not stagger through the 1980s in a drunken stupor.
I suppose that sounds a little harsh, but I have grown weary of the praise heaped on this third-rate movie that, in recent days, has been elevated to the level of reverence.
The reason is a promotional campaign behind the release of the 30th anniversary edition of the film. Writers, including an otherwise respectable and rational sportswriter named Randy Youngman, have been singing the praises of the comedy in response to the DVD release.
I concede that comedy, like art, is subjective. There really is no right or wrong because, if you think something’s funny, then it’s funny to you. But that doesn’t mean it’s funny to me.
“Caddyshack” has not been funny to me since it came out. I didn’t think it was funny then, I didn’t think it was funny re-visited 10 years later (out of sheer curiosity because I couldn’t fathom why so many guys liked this movie), and I didn’t like it in the last year when I watched it for a third time. To me, it remains a stupid movie.
I gave it three tries because I am certainly not infallible in my opinion of movies. I admit that I was wrong in my initial assessment of the 1994 film “The Shawshank Redemption.” I did not love it the first time I saw it, but so many people are crazy about that film that I forced myself to watch it again and again, growing to appreciate it more with each successive viewing.
The same cannot be said for “Caddyshack.” Before you ask, let me say that I am a huge Bill Murray fan. Not only do I feel that “Groundhog Day” is one of the best comedies ever, but I even hold a special place in my funny bone for the very silly movie “Stripes.”
But “Caddyshack” is my least favorite Bill Murray movie, and one of the reasons is his ridiculous character, groundskeeper Carl Spackler. I didn’t buy it for one moment (even using the most liberal translation of “suspension of disbelief”) but more important, every appearance of that phony gopher is like a dagger to the comedic heart. I equate it to watching one of those old comedies when the director speeded up a scene — usually a car chase — for comic effect.
The best comedies have some ring of truth to them, and “Caddyshack’s” ring is on vibrate.
To be sure, Rodney Dangerfield almost makes it worth watching, but he isn’t acting as much as he’s doing his stand-up act. He’s always funny, but that doesn’t make it a great movie comedy. And Chevy Chase is essentially playing Chevy Chase.
There was, however, a bedroom scene with a topless woman, which I suspect is the chief culprit in explaining why so many adolescent boys loved this movie. It was a comedy AND it had breasts.
Anyway, if I’ve ticked you off so far, you’re going to really hate my list of “The 10 Most Overrated Movie Comedies of All Time.”
One disclaimer — these aren’t the worst comedies of all time (that explains why Sandra Bullock’s “All About Steve” is absent), but the worst of the more highly-regarded comedies of all time.
1. “Caddyshack” (1980): Definitely not Bill Murray’s finest or funniest hour.
2. “The Hangover” (2009): Repeated viewing doesn’t explain why this movie made $462 million at the worldwide box office.
3. “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (1997): I could put all the Austin Powers movies on this list with a clear conscience. I just don’t get it.
4. “The Waterboy” (1998): Ah, the eternal question: How many Adam Sandler movies does one put on a list of the most overrated movie comedies of all time? It is a question that people have pondered since the dawn of time. I could easily have gone with at least three, but I’m going to stick with two — this one, which could be considered the worst comedy of all time if Sandler hadn’t made “Little Nicky,” and the next selection.
5. “Billy Madison” (1995): I have nothing against juvenile comedies, but I have never figured out exactly what is age-appropriate for this comedy. I know that guys in their 20s loved it, but that’s just sad, isn’t it?
6. “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo” (1999): Rob Schneider. Enough said.
7. “Weekend at Bernies’s” (1989): I played softball with star Jonathan Silverman, and still hated this movie.
8. “Three Amigos!” (1986): Three paychecks!
9. “Meet the Fockers” (2004): As lame a sequel as you’ll ever see. Same director as “Dinner for Schmucks.”
10. “Step Brothers” (2008): The same guys who brought you “Anchorman” and “Talledega Nights,” only less so.
