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The Waterboy

Play trailer Poster for The Waterboy PG-13 1998 1h 28m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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32% Tomatometer 74 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Raised by his overprotective mother, Helen, Bobby Boucher Jr. is the water boy for a successful college football team coached by Red Beaulieu. When Beaulieu fires Bobby, he takes up the same position for a losing rival team, led by despairing Coach Klein. 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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The Waterboy

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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Andrew O'Hehir Sight & Sound A witless and utterly predictable comic fantasy about a misfit turned hero. Jun 18, 2012 Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media Really dumb, but many teens love it anyway. Rated: 1/5 Dec 29, 2010 Full Review Glenn Lovell Variety The formulaic mix of mirth and mayhem is aimed way down the MTV food chain... Jun 2, 2008 Full Review 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 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews An agreeable yet forgettable comedy... Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 10, 2010 Full Review Peter Canavese Groucho Reviews There's an innocence to The Waterboy that makes the picture part slapstick and part fairy tale...The only problem with letting kids see this Adam Sandler movie? They might want to see another one. [Blu-ray] Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 12, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Frank R To the so-called critics that badmouth this film, you are all buffoons. You could not shut off your brain long enough to get the comedy you see it’s not about being brain dead will be watching a movie. It’s about enjoying something that’s not normal or does not fit to society, so you call it garbage or rubbish or pathetic or meaningless when it’s not it’s allowing you to enjoy something Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/28/25 Full Review Bobby E Stupid goofy . So what . Smoke a joint , eat some snack food and smile . Rotton maters got sticks up the ying yangs . Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/26/25 Full Review Noel L Well, Sandler's voice was pretty difficult to get through and some of the jokes were kind of cringy. But overall not as bad as I've heard other people say. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/15/25 Full Review Blu B Well it's better than Billy Madison but nowhere near as strong as Happy Gilmore or The Wedding Singer. Sandler seems to think having a dumb accent or stutter equals Marlon Brando/Daniel Day Lewis level Method Acting. He's an idiot but not an unbearable one. Umm what else..editing isn't that good. Very jumpy and can't focus long enough to fully develop any real subpot fully. His relationship with his Mama probably gets the most but the football stuff, the romance, and graduating all feel scattershot . Also the actual football stuff feels so...empty. I don't know the Bowl Game at the end feels...just very ho hum. I don't know if it's the gags inturupting or what but it just doesn't generate much cheers or anticipation. I think because it's not edited that well. But whatever, everything else is ok. It's got all the hallmarks of a Sandler comedy for better or worse. The jokes are random, dumb slapstick, more dumb, and maybe a hint or two of something clever. I don't it feels like once you seem him hit one guy you've seen everything this has to offer the next 20 times he does it. Far from the best but far from the worst comedy. There isn't enough sports stuff in this I feel ironically enough. Skip it. Pretty forgettable. Suprised that's my verdict on it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/12/25 Full Review Noah L. Absolute masterpiece. One of the best comedies I’ve ever seen. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/08/25 Full Review Audience Member Absolutely love this movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/23/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Waterboy

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Cast & Crew

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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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The Waterboy

The Waterboy (1998) The Waterboy (1998) The Waterboy (1998) The Waterboy (1998) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Raised by his overprotective mother, Helen, Bobby Boucher Jr. is the water boy for a successful college football team coached by Red Beaulieu. When Beaulieu fires Bobby, he takes up the same position for a losing rival team, led by despairing Coach Klein. 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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