Golf movies? Apart from The Legend of Bagger Vance, I can't think of too many golf movies. And we've yet to see the Tiger Woods True Story. But there is Caddyshack which mocks this elitist sport where business deals are made and fortunes lost on the putting green.
Caddyshack (1980) is a simple story of a young caddy who works at an elite country club, who wants to win the caddy scholarship so he can go to university. To do this he has to win the favour of a snobby golfer who’s part-owner of the club. But the real story of this movie classic is groundsman Karl Spackler (Bill Murray) and his attempts to destroy the gopher that’s tunnelling across the lawns.
Murray's interpretation of the slightly unhinged Karl is a cinematic classic. His improv sequence of the Master's as he whacks the heads off the uniform flower beds, is an AFI top 100 movie quotes. But his attempts to blow the gopher sky-high link this rather disjointed film, and have elevated it to cult classic status.
Starring Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield, and directed by Harold Ramis, the movie has a tendency to be less about the plot and more about comedy skits. Not suprising considering the Saturday Night Live alumni making up the cast. One of comedy's classic scenes has to be the infamous Babe Ruth and the swimming pool incident. Then there's Dangerfield. This late stand-up comedian's one-liners introduced his downtrodden humour to a wider audience.
Throw in Kenny Loggins's 'I'm Alright', and you'll be doing the gopher wiggle.
Can you think of any better golfing films for a long weekend?
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