The Waterboy

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The Waterboy

PG-13

Released Nov 6, 1998

1h 28m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

34%

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76 Reviews

71%

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250,000+ Ratings

Raised by his overprotective mother, Helen (Kathy Bates), Bobby Boucher Jr. (Adam Sandler) is the water boy for a successful college football team coached by Red Beaulieu (Jerry Reed). When Beaulieu fires Bobby, he takes up the same position for a losing rival team, led by despairing Coach Klein (Henry Winkler). After witnessing Bobby beat up a player who teased him too much, Klein adds him to the roster as a linebacker. Soon, Klein's players are championship contenders.

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Critics Consensus

This is an insult to its genre with low humor and cheap gags.

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Andrew O'Hehir

Sight & Sound

A witless and utterly predictable comic fantasy about a misfit turned hero.

Jun 18, 2012

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Really dumb, but many teens love it anyway.

Rated: 1/5

Dec 29, 2010

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Glenn Lovell

Variety

The formulaic mix of mirth and mayhem is aimed way down the MTV food chain...

Jun 2, 2008

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Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

The Waterboy is a much sharper satire of Saturday mornings in the South than you’d expect.

Oct 26, 2024

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

This juvenile, unnecessary, and utterly pathetic madness can barely be considered a comedy; the jokes are so immature and flat that it more closely resembles a tragedy.

Rated: 2/10

Sep 25, 2020

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

An agreeable yet forgettable comedy...

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 10, 2010

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Audience Member

very funny and very well done film 10/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

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Bryant C

Went back to watch this classic movie, the jokes still hit even after 17 years !

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/24/24

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Audience Member

Greatest movie ever, plain and simple. All these critic reviews are horse sh*t 🤷‍♂️

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/30/24

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Jade O

Our Year 7/8 Media Arts class had mixed reviews, with some of loving it and some of us hating it. Those who loved it said should be nominated for an Oscar award. Those hated it said they didn't find it entertaining.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/06/24

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Dale R

This Touchstone pictures release stars Adam Sandler as a social outcast with a stutter that uses his anger issues to become a college football star. This movie was written by Adam Sandler for Adam Sandler, so his style of humor is all over the place. That kind of humor works for me some of the time and this movie is one of those times. The performances are great, especially Kathy Bates who plays Sandler’s character’s mother. This movie has many quotable lines that makes it rewatchable. If you like Adam Sandler, then this movie is worth your time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/07/24

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ed m

Imagine a bad SNL skit stretched out to 90 minutes.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/09/24

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Frank Coraci

Director

Adam Sandler

Bobby Boucher

Kathy Bates

Helen 'Mama' Boucher

Henry Winkler

Coach Klein

Fairuza Balk

Vicki Vallencourt

Jerry Reed

Coach Red Beaulieu

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Synopsis

Raised by his overprotective mother, Helen (Kathy Bates), Bobby Boucher Jr. (Adam Sandler) is the water boy for a successful college football team coached by Red Beaulieu (Jerry Reed). When Beaulieu fires Bobby, he takes up the same position for a losing rival team, led by despairing Coach Klein (Henry Winkler). After witnessing Bobby beat up a player who teased him too much, Klein adds him to the roster as a linebacker. Soon, Klein's players are championship contenders.

Director: Frank Coraci
Producer: Jack Giarraputo, Robert Simonds
Screenwriter: Tim Herlihy, Allen Pasqua, Adam Sandler
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Waterboy Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 6, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $161.5M
Runtime: 1h 28m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS

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