I’ve never quite
understood why Caddyshack is so
beloved, even though it features an unusual confluence of comedy actors—notably
two generations of Saturday Night Live
stars, Bill Murray and his predecessor Chevy Chase—and even though the movie
fits into an appealing slobs-vs.-establishment continuum that stretches from Animal House (1978) to Ghostbusters (1984) and beyond. Maybe
it’s my disinterest in sports, and maybe it’s my disinterest in stupidity, but
the magic of Caddyshack escapes me.
That said, it’s fascinating to observe how many different levels of comedy the
film contains.
The main plot, about a working-class caddy who endures rotten
treatment from obnoxious country-club members until turning the tables on his
oppressors, is satisfying in an obvious sort of way. A secondary thread, about
the mano-a-mano competition between nouveau-riche vulgarian Al Czervik (Rodney
Dangerfield) and old-money creep Judge Elihu Smails (Ted Knight), is performed
in broad strokes by traditional comedy pros who make no pretense to real
acting. Intermingled between these elements are scenes featuring the SNL guys, and that’s where Caddyshack really springs to life.
Chase, who has top billing even though he plays a supporting role, is
leading-man handsome as he performs at the apex of his charming-smartass
skills, so watching him effortlessly render one-liners and sight gags is a kick.
Chase only shows up every 20 minutes or so, but he crushes every time. Concurrently,
Murray plays his scenes in virtual isolation, rendering a batshit-crazy characterization
as a demented groundskeeper waging ultraviolent war against the pesky gopher
who’s digging holes in the golf course where most of the movie’s action takes
place.
The irony is that none of these name-brand comedians is the movie’s
protagonist. That honor falls to young Michael O’Keefe, so impressive in The Great Santini (1979) and so outgunned
by his costars here.
Cowritten and directed by frequent Murray collaborator
Harold Ramis—who cowrote Meatballs
(1979) and Ghostbusters, then cowrote
and directed Groundhog Day (1993)—Caddyshack employs a scattershot
approach to jokes. Some of the lowbrow stuff is embarrassing, such as the gag
about a candy bar floating in a pool causing a panic among swimmers who mistake
the thing for excrement. And some of the throwaway stuff is great, like the
bits with a sleazy caddy supervisor played by Brian Doyle Murray, Bill’s
brother and also one of the film’s screenwriters. However, the gulf between
Dangerfield’s overbearing joke-a-minute attack and Murray’s sly shaping of a
complete mythos is massive. And maybe that’s why fans dig Caddyshack—it’s got something for everyone, except for
discriminating filmgoers. As a sidenote, Caddyshack
introduced the theme-song artistry of soft-rock star Kenny Loggins, who later
created tunes for Footloose (1985)
and Top Gun (1986). Oh, and Chase was
alone among the stars of the original film to reprise his role in the commercial
and critical failure Caddyshack II
(1988).
Caddyshack:
FUNKY
