The Waterboy, Regal Cinemas

Judging by the amount of sellouts that took Regal Cinemas by storm on the opening weekend of “The Waterboy,” many of you have probably already taken the liberty of seeing this film. “The Waterboy” not only hit it big here in Boone, but it destroyed its competition everywhere, grossing a whopping $39 million its first weekend.  

So what’s so special about an Adam Sandler movie?  That’s your answer, Adam Sandler.  There’s no pressure for it to be a great film. The audience knows what they’re in for, and “The Waterboy” did not disappoint.

The basis for the movie is the standard Saturday Night Live-alum script: an hour and a half of story based around characters developed on the show.  

Although Bobby Boucher has not appeared on SNL, he is a culmination of characters that Sandler developed while doing SNL. And be sure not to miss the gratuitous cameo by fellow SNLer Rob Schneider.  

At its core, The Waterboy” resembles a Disney movie. It has the hero, villain and supporting cast to accompany a storyline that is laced with a humane moral.  

Sandler takes this base and twists and tweaks it until it is emblazoned in his own image. Besides, Disney could never produce anything this funny. Critics nationwide are panning it as a flop, due to the silliness displayed by Sandler and his colleagues, but what they fail to see is that is the exact reason  millions of people are going to see this film.

For the five or six people who haven’t seen “The Waterboy,” let me fill you in on the plot. Sandler plays Bobby Boucher, a 31-year-old waterboy who has been sheltered from society, who gets fired from his dream job of “aqua technician.”  

Legendary Jerry Reed plays the vile coach who torments Bobby and finally sends the waterboy packing. Bobby eventually recaptures his dream on another team that has lost 40 straight games.  

Once Bobby’s hidden talent is discovered, he becomes a starting linebacker. Coached by a mentally defective Henry Winkler, Bobby becomes an overnight sensation.  

But Bobby must hide this new-found fame and flame Vicki Vallencourt (Fairuza Balk) from his mama, who says that everything that enters Bobby’s life from the outside world is “the devil.”        

For those of you who are expecting a follow-up performance similar to “The Wedding Singer,” don’t hold your breath. 

“The Waterboy” is more comparable to “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gillmore.”  

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s good for the movie-going public to have an ocassional “Billy Madison” to distract them from the rigors of reality.  

Now that the crowds are finally slimming down, do yourself a favor and go join Bobby,  Coach Klein and Mama Boucher for the laugh-a-minute adventure your inner child has been dying for.