Movies a Bite at a Time #1 – Caddyshack

Adding yet another spin off series for this blog, today is the introductory post for Movies a Bite at a Time. This is about movies that I have managed to watch over the course of my lunch breaks. Some of my coworkers consider me crazy for watching movies during my lunch break since I only have about 25 minutes of viewing time available after I prepare my meal. Thus, a two hour movie would be broken into four or five viewings. They argue that movies are media that were meant to be watched in one full sitting, and are structured story wise to allow for that. Plus, they could never do it because it would “drive them crazy.” I started doing this because there are a number of movies that I want to see, but would not be able to watch with my wife, much less would I want my daughter watching.

I unintentionally started off with Caddyshack because my in-laws had it, Caitlin had already seen it, and it starts Rodney Dangerfield. However the version my wife saw was the edited for television version. Less skin scenes, and I'm guessing a bit less language too. I surprised my boss when I was watching it during lunch, and a rather steamy scene popped up that he hadn't seen previously. Thankfully, I was familiar with the fast forward function on Toshi and was able to spare myself from most of the nasty bits and further embarassment.

I admit, with some shame, this was my first time seeing this movie. This shocked many of my coworkers since it is one of the quintessential sports movies, and it was on television multiple times. How I did not watch it previously is not really a mystery, because my parents were rather strict with what we watched on TV, and I didn't have cable until a few years ago. I have yet to see it on TV, but after watching it on DVD, I think I've had my fill.

Bill Murray and Chevy Chase are ridiculously funny and I am very curious to know just how much of the actual golf shots were done by Chevy Chase. The putting scene was like watching a river of golf balls flowing into the practice green hole. Rodney Dangerfield was funny, obnoxious, and fit right in with this film. It's not fair to compare King Kong to this movie, but I felt the final line of the movie left it on a off note, much like "It was beauty that killed the beast," spoken by Jack Black. You hear that line, and you just hope there's something else to follow that up. In Caddyshack, the movie doesn't finish right after Dangerfield's line, but with the gopher dancing, showing the audience that it survived the explosive charges set by Bill Murray's character.

In terms of sports movies, this is one of the movies that showed the lighter side of the sport reserved for the upper class. In terms of comedies, it's one of Rodney Dangerfield's best, and was a stepping stone for Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Harold Ramis in his directorial debut. Ramis has gone on to write and direct a number of classic modern comedies such as Groundhog Day, Vacation, Analyze This, and Analyze That. I'm very much looking forward to Ghostbusters III slated for release in 2012.

Would I ever allow my daughter to watch this? Maybe if it was on TV and edited for general viewing. Otherwise, I would not feel comfortable with her watching the DVD by herself, or until she's eighteen.

Knowing my luck, she's going to see it behind my back as an act of rebellion when she's fourteen.