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July 25, 1980
Caddyshack is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney, and starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight (his final film role), Michael O'Keefe and Bill Murray with supporting roles by Sarah Holcomb, Cindy Morgan, and Doyle-Murray. It tells the story of a caddie, vying for a caddie scholarship, who becomes involved in a feud on the links between one of the country club's founders and a nouveau riche guest. A subplot involves a greenskeeper who uses extreme methods against an elusive gopher.
Caddyshack was the directorial debut of Ramis and the film boosted the career of Dangerfield, who was then known primarily as a stand-up comedian. Grossing nearly $40 million at the domestic box office (the 17th-highest of the year), it was the first of a series of similar "slob vs. snob" comedies.
The film has a cult following and was described by ESPN as "perhaps the funniest sports movie ever made."
A sequel titled Caddyshack II (1988) followed, although only Chase reprised his role; it was panned by critics and a box-office bomb.
Storyline
High school student Danny Noonan is anxious about his future. He hopes to go to college to avoid being stuck in a menial job with no prospects, but he is struggling to financially cover tuition.
Danny works as a caddie at the exclusive Bushwood country club catering to affluent clientele. Though he usually caddies for Ty Webb, a talented golfer and the free-spirited playboy son of the club's co-founder, Danny volunteers to caddie for the arrogant Judge Elihu Smails, the club's other co-founder and director of the caddie college scholarship program.
Meanwhile, mentally unstable greenskeeper Carl Spackler is tasked with exterminating a destructive gopher driven onto the course by work on the adjacent property development owned by Al Czervik. The fiery and eccentric nouveau riche developer attends the club as a guest, but his antics quickly annoy Smails.
After one encounter, Smails angrily throws his putter, injuring an elderly guest. Danny takes the blame for the incident to earn points with Smails. At Bushwood's annual Fourth of July banquet, Danny and his girlfriend Maggie work as wait staff. He becomes attracted to Smails's promiscuous niece Lacey Underall, who is visiting for the summer; she and Webb have a brief encounter.
Later, Danny wins the Caddie Day golf tournament, earning him an invitation from Smails to attend the christening ceremony for his boat at the nearby Rolling Lakes Yacht Club. There, Czervik disrupts the ceremony and accidentally destroys the boat, while Lacey seduces Danny and they have sex in Smails' house.
Smails returns home and catches them, enraging him as he chases Danny out of the house. Expecting to be fired and have the scholarship revoked, he is surprised when Smails only demands that he keeps the misadventure a secret in exchange for receiving the scholarship.
Unable to tolerate the uncouth Czervik's presence any longer, Smails announces that Czervik will never be granted membership. Czervik counters that he would never consider being a member and is only interested in buying the club. After an exchange of insults, Czervik proposes a team golf match with Smails and his regular golfing partner Dr. Beeper against Czervik and Webb.
Although Webb is reluctant to play for money, he agrees to join, and antagonizes Smails by saying that Webb's father never liked Smails. Against club rules, they agree to a $20,000 wager on the match, which quickly doubles to $40,000.
During the match the following day, Danny caddies for Smails but becomes frustrated with his constant cheating. Word of the wager spreads, drawing a crowd of club members and employees to observe the game. Smails and Beeper take the lead while both Czervik and Webb struggle.
Czervik reacts to Smails' heckling by impulsively doubling the wager to $80,000 per team. When his own ricocheting ball strikes his arm, Czervik feigns an injury in hopes of having the contest declared a draw but learns his team will forfeit unless they find a substitute. Webb selects Danny, which prompts Smails to revoke the scholarship, but after Czervik promises to compensate him if they win, he readily agrees to take Czervik's place.
At the final hole, the score is tied. Judge Smails scores a birdie, requiring Danny to complete a difficult putt to draw even. Czervik raises the bet, offering double or nothing on Danny making the putt, which Smails accepts. Danny's putt leaves the ball teetering over the edge of the hole, seemingly costing him the game.
At that moment, in his latest attempt to kill the gopher, Carl detonates plastic explosives that he has rigged around the golf course, shaking the ground and causing the ball to drop into the hole, handing Danny, Webb, and Czervik victory. Meanwhile, Carl coyly leaves the area after seeing the destruction his explosives have caused.
Czervik demands the money from Smails, who refuses to honor the bet. Figuring this would happen, Czervik sends enforcers after him to ensure he pays up. Afterwards, he tells the crowd gathered at the main house that they are all going to get laid. The crowd celebrates.
Elsewhere on the course, the gopher emerges from underground unharmed and dances to the song "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins.
Also See
Movie Trailer
- Caddyshack (1980) (Trailers)
Sound Effects Used
- Sound Ideas, PLUCK, CARTOON - VAROOP
- Sound Ideas, THUNDER - BIG THUNDER CLAP AND RUMBLE, WEATHER 01
- WB GOLF CLUB SWING & HIT (debut)