This is one of my favorite Adam Sandler movies. You know a movie is good when it makes ugly actors/actresses look good, in this case Fairuza Balk. The supporting cast is also strong and it is just a good, clean, fun.

The story is about Bobby Boucher, played by Adam Sandler (The Longest Yard,) who is fired as the waterboy of the University of Louisiana football team by Coach Red Beaulieu, played by Jerry Reed (Smokey and the Bandit,) and his hired by the South Central Louisiana Coach Klein, played by Henry Winkler (Scream,) a team that has lost 40 in a row. Coach Klein discovers that Bobby has a gift for tackling and convinces Bobby to play football for his team and go to school. Bobby does this behind the back of his overprotective mother, played by Kathy Bates (About Schmidt) and also falls in love with his hoodlum girlfriend Vicki Vallencourt, played by Balk (American History X.)

The story is very average and very conventional. For example, at the start of the season, the SCLSU football team plays in rags to an empty stadium and are terrible. By the end of the season, the team has new uniforms, has ESPN televising their games, and the whole team is great. Bobby falls in love with Vicki, mom backs off, and the team wins the game.

The reason why this movie is funny is because it is two hour satire on Louisiana people and football in general. Bobby's mom fixes meals that involve alligator, snake, fog muffins, and catfish with heads still on. The assistant coach Farmer Fred can not be understood by anyone. The cheerleaders of the team are constantly drunk and are hilarious. The hillbillies in the stands that watch the games are also great. Writers Sandler and Tim Herlihy did a good job at keeping the stale story funny. A great scene is when Coach Klein tries to teach Bobby how to tackle. Frank Coraci directs the movie and does nothing spectacular but doesn't do anything bad.

Sandler does a great job taking on the character as Bobby. He accent is constant from beginning to end and this movie proves he is a great character actor. Henry Winkler also does a great job as a coach who lost his confidence. As Bobby gets the team better, he gets better, and eventually beats his nemesis Red Beaulieu.

This was Sandler's third movie in two years that proved he could act and made him a legitimate super star in film. This movie should be added to your collection to help fill in your comedy quota.

Brian - the Naked Gun