Caddyshack is set
against the backdrop of the typically stuffy Bushwood Country club, and pits the caddies vs. the establishment
with riotous results. Danny, a poor kid from the wrong
side of the tracks, is struggling to make it as a caddy at Bushwood. Terrified of being a caddy for life, he
is dying to win the Bushwood annual caddy scholarship and is willing
to do whomever and whatever it takes. The caddies carouse, smoke,
and curse their way around Bushwood, wrecking havoc on the uptight
rules and regulations strictly adhered to by most of the members
of the club. Chevy
Chase stars
as Ty Webb, a wealthy antiestablishment
member of Bushwood who tries to convince Danny that there is more
to life than playing by the rules. This wacky comedy also features
an insanely delightful performance by Bill Murray, as the local groundskeeper who becomes
obsessed with killing off the gophers who have infested the golf
course, with bang-up results. When Al Czervik
(Rodney Dangerfield) comes to town he sets
the country club--and Judge
Smails, played
by the fabulous Ted
Knight--on end
with his poor taste, bad humor, and big money. The final showdown
between the snobs and the slobs is not to be missed. CADDYSHACK
is one of the most-quoted comedies of all time, and with good
reason.
I love Caddyshack because of the characters. Ted Knight does an extremely funny job of portraying the stuffy Judge Smails, who's underhanded sliminess is matched only by his belief in Bushwood's exclusivity. He is delightfully out of touch with anything but his country club and his golf game. Ted Knight really is the man of a thousand faces, the emotions he gets out of Smails are imply marvelous, and I cannot imagine a funnier way to protray someone such as Smails. Spaulding, Smails' spoilt grandson, is a slobbish, foul mouthed moron, who get's bossed around by everyone. His slack natured mentality is used very well in the film to get on Smails' nerves. Danny is a guy who isn't ashamed to 'brown nose' to get what he wants. His attempts to win Smails over are as skin-crawlingly slimey as you can imagine. Ty Webb is an enigmatic character who seems to be completely out of context at the country club, giving very little away as far as his background goes.