The Waterboy (1998)

32% of critics liked it
(73 reviews)
74% of users liked it
(845,335 ratings)

As with his previous films, comedian Adam Sandler and writing partner Tim Herlihy have conceived a simple premise, character, and title, and peppered their creation with visual sight gags. The story concerns Bobby Boucher, a Louisiana-born-and-bred kid living in the swamps with his overbearing,… More As with his previous films, comedian Adam Sandler and writing partner Tim Herlihy have conceived a simple premise, character, and title, and peppered their creation with visual sight gags. The story concerns Bobby Boucher, a Louisiana-born-and-bred kid living in the swamps with his overbearing, alligator-eating mom (Kathy Bates). Bobby is a water boy for the local college football team, and a damn good one, even good at turning a deaf ear at the ridicule he gets from the players and coach (Jerry Reed). But when Bobby is fired from his job, he is forced to continue his water management skills at the rival college, a losing team with a washed-up coach (Happy Days' "The Fonz," Henry Winkler). It's here that the coach teaches Bobby to channel his anger, and he makes a surprising discovery. The water boy can tackle like no one he's ever seen. Forced to keep his football talents from his mom, Bobby soon joins the college as a student and learns that there's more to life than alligator stew. He even falls for a perky ex-con (Fairuza Balk) who teaches Bobby about the birds and the bees. As Bobby leads his team toward victory, they get an invitation to play in the annual Bourbon bowl against his old college rivals. Bobby must choose between the love of his ailing mother and the glory of the final game -- or maybe there's a way he can get both. ~ Arthur Borman, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Frank Coraci
Written By: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Nov 6, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Mar 16, 1999

Critic Reviews

Glenn Lovell, Variety
The formulaic mix of mirth and mayhem is aimed way down the MTV food chain...
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
The film is amiably goofy.
John Haslett Cuff, Globe and Mail
As a satire on the only true religion of the American South -- football -- The Waterboy is delightful.
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle
We've got somewhat entertaining trash here.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Sandler makes the laughs go down easy, even if The Waterboy isn't exactly quality H2O.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
A character whose manner and voice has the effect of fingernails on a blackboard!
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Really dumb, but many teens love it anyway.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
An agreeable yet forgettable comedy...
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]
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
The Waterboy isn't one of Adam Sandler's best comedies, nor is it one of his worst.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
A predictable, formulaic, dumb comedy that has about as much depth as Bobby . . . unless you think of it in Forrest Gump terms, and then it begins to get a little less offensive and a little funnier.
, Empire Magazine
Perfectly watchable, undemanding fun, but you can't help thinking that a slightly darker tone would have gone a very long way.
, Film4
Hands up anyone who shelled-out cash at the cinema to see this pathetic sporting comedy...What were you thinking of?
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
The Waterboy is scrappy and funny and achieves its modest aim, which is to make us laugh like grade-schoolers. The doofus boy triumphs again.
, Time Out
The direction is as blunt and vacant as the plotting, the jokes are obvious and the performances (with a couple of exceptions) charmless.
Ron Wells, Film Threat
No stretching involved, but he delivers. It's a safe date film.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
It's a piece of comic fluff that has lots of laughs and appeals to the kid in us all.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
The Waterboy is a disappointment, even by standards associated with Adam Sandler's work.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Adam Sandler movies are like kumquats -- you either like them or you don't.
Eugene Novikov, Film Blather
God knows, it tries, but most of the jokes fall flat, and the movie never gets off the ground.

Read all 21 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

One of Sandler's best loved movies of the 90s, this comedy is fun, humourous, and full of life. Of course there are a good number of stupid jokes in it too, but overall it's very funny.
Alexander D

THE WATERBOY is a dumb football farce and just another predictable Adam Sandler comedy. It was possible to laugh in some scenes, but this, overall, was not very funny. It stars Adam Sandler as the title role, a 31-year-old named Bobby Boucher with the obnoxious voice of a… More
THE WATERBOY is a dumb football farce and just another predictable Adam Sandler comedy. It was possible to laugh in some scenes, but this, overall, was not very funny. It stars Adam Sandler as the title role, a 31-year-old named Bobby Boucher with the obnoxious voice of a 10-year-old, who has been bringing water to football teams for a lot of his life. He becomes angry when he is insulted early on, and he tackles the man who insulted him quite hard, leading the football team's coach to believe he is fit for the team. The problem is he is true to his "mama", who says he cannot play football and that it is "the devil" (like almost everything else, in her opinion). I would not recommend this is you can stand 90 minutes of asinine, juvenile humor. Otherwise, go ahead--you'll laugh a lot.
Unknown H

I don't know what to think about Adam Sandler half the time and although I would say I am most certainly a fan, I found this movie more irritating than amusing. Saying that though, talking like his character in this movie is definitely a must when completely drunk.
Eric A

I used to think it was funny, but that's because I was younger when this came out.
Brad W

Adam Sandler is a very stupid guy, because he is funny and chooses to do bad films. After being fired from his job as a waterboy, Bobby Boucher tries getting another job as a waterboy, but learns his anger gives him talents in football. Its a very stupid film, and the plot is… More
Adam Sandler is a very stupid guy, because he is funny and chooses to do bad films. After being fired from his job as a waterboy, Bobby Boucher tries getting another job as a waterboy, but learns his anger gives him talents in football. Its a very stupid film, and the plot is basically stupidity for almost 2 hours. Adam Sandler tries doing a lisp in the film, and its pretty damn annoying. This was stupid beyond all belief, but id be lying if I said I never laughed at all while watching.
Jeff "

By 1998, Adam Sandler became fairly irrelevant. Sandler basically has one trick up his sleeve, and over the course of his career, has managed to turned out a few decent comedies, but nothing really special. The Waterboy is quite possibly one of his worst films. The comedy expressed on… More
By 1998, Adam Sandler became fairly irrelevant. Sandler basically has one trick up his sleeve, and over the course of his career, has managed to turned out a few decent comedies, but nothing really special. The Waterboy is quite possibly one of his worst films. The comedy expressed on screen feels strained and forced. If you're looking for a good comedy, you won't find it here. Sandler has managed to make a few decent films that actually were pretty funny, but The Waterboy is simply a stupid exercise in comedy. I don't see the appeal of The Waterboy , as it is a total waste of film. This is a stupid film that has the potential to irritate the viewer. Sandler has made three funny films over the course of his career: Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy and The Wedding Singer. However this film is terrible. The Waterboy is an unfunny mess that has few funny parts. Like I said, the films brand of comedy feels forced upon the viewer and it feels like there wasn't too much thought put into the script to try and create a very funny and witty film. Adam Sandler is pointless in this film, and if this film is your type of thing, then give it a shot. But be warned, this is one of the worst comedies with Adam Sandler, and saying that, it says something. I'll stick with Happy Gilmore and Big Daddy.
Bethany M

Another Adam Sandler classic!
Martin S

Still fun after many viewings...And that's all there is to say
Spencer S

Another wildly funny, inappropiate, and perfectly plotted Sandler film. His collection of films from the 90's are all enjoyable, and highly guilty pleasure for any fan of the "cinema." (So pretentious) Love ya Sandler, forever and ever.
Richard C

C+
Film C

i really liked this movie, although im not entirely convinced by adam sandlers acting i still really enjoyed this movie becuase i found it silly, but amusing enough!!
Conner R

Dear god, I hate this movie like no other. It's just incredibly corny and highly annoying. Adam Sandler essentially plays a mentally challenged Southern white trash character for an hour and a half. It's just one very long SNL skit that never should've seen the light of… More
Dear god, I hate this movie like no other. It's just incredibly corny and highly annoying. Adam Sandler essentially plays a mentally challenged Southern white trash character for an hour and a half. It's just one very long SNL skit that never should've seen the light of day.
KJ P

Never get's old! But his voice does!
Anthony L

Silly but inoffensive, not as horrible as I'd thought but still not exactly a masterpiece.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Adam Sandler really knows how to bring the funny and he definitely did that in water boy. It was a great comedy like all Sandler films. Loved Kathy Bates, thought she was really funny. I however could have went the rest of my live without seeing Henry Winklers ass. Yeah.. could have… More
Adam Sandler really knows how to bring the funny and he definitely did that in water boy. It was a great comedy like all Sandler films. Loved Kathy Bates, thought she was really funny. I however could have went the rest of my live without seeing Henry Winklers ass. Yeah.. could have done without that..lol
Lenny M

Saw this movie on a boat in 1998, everybody thought this was the funniest movie ever at the time with all the catch phrases and stutters. Saw it again recently and its still funny but real dumb. It's the last classic in Sandler's 90's movie formula in my opinion.… More
Saw this movie on a boat in 1998, everybody thought this was the funniest movie ever at the time with all the catch phrases and stutters. Saw it again recently and its still funny but real dumb. It's the last classic in Sandler's 90's movie formula in my opinion. What came after? Little Nicky, Mr. Deeds, Big Daddy, Eight Crazy Nights, Anger Management. Some of those are funny but not like Sandler's comedies from Billy Madison to the Waterboy.
Jason O

"The Waterboy" is definitely the best Adam Sandler movie so far in my opinion. He plays a waterboy that is babied by his mom until everybody finds out he's a good tackler and he gets on the football team. He becomes the heart and soul of the football team and everybody,… More
"The Waterboy" is definitely the best Adam Sandler movie so far in my opinion. He plays a waterboy that is babied by his mom until everybody finds out he's a good tackler and he gets on the football team. He becomes the heart and soul of the football team and everybody, even the ones who bullied him to begin with or made fun of him, start rooting for him the more he plays. For awhile, there is skepticism about whether he should get to play or not because he doesn't have a high school education, and his mom doesn't want him to do anything but stay home. I recommend "The Waterboy" to anybody who likes good comedy movies so you can see how it turns out and how far the waterboy will be able to take his football team. "The Waterboy" does have a few parts in it that are kind of stupid, but most of the movie is hilarious. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2000. Yes, this is one of my favorite Adam Sandler movies. I love the part where the players are trying to get hyped up and a black kid sees the football as a Ku Klux Klan head and it brings out his rage. LMAO!
Jennifer D

My favorite modern comedy and my favorite Adam Sandler movie hands down.
Josh L

One of Adam Sandler's better comedies.
Lorenzo v

"Instant Hero. Just Add Water." The story concerns Bobby Boucher, a Louisiana-born-and-bred kid living in the swamps with his overbearing, alligator-eating mom (Kathy Bates). Bobby is a water boy for the local college football team, and a damn good one,… More
"Instant Hero. Just Add Water." The story concerns Bobby Boucher, a Louisiana-born-and-bred kid living in the swamps with his overbearing, alligator-eating mom (Kathy Bates). Bobby is a water boy for the local college football team, and a damn good one, even good at turning a deaf ear at the ridicule he gets from the players and coach (Jerry Reed). But when Bobby is fired from his job, he is forced to continue his water management skills at the rival college, a losing team with a washed-up coach (Happy Days' "The Fonz," Henry Winkler). It's here that the coach teaches Bobby to channel his anger, and he makes a surprising discovery. The water boy can tackle like no one he's ever seen. Forced to keep his football talents from his mom, Bobby soon joins the college as a student and learns that there's more to life than alligator stew. He even falls for a perky ex-con (Fairuza Balk) who teaches Bobby about the birds and the bees. As Bobby leads his team toward victory, they get an invitation to play in the annual Bourbon bowl against his old college rivals. Bobby must choose between the love of his ailing mother and the glory of the final game -- or maybe there's a way he can get both. Review Adam Sandler takes on a role of a moderate mannered waterboy to a vicious killing machine. Now I must say that the movie had its laughs, but fell short of any real super comedy. The ending game in the movie was not only predictable to the last play but old and overdone. Henry Winkler and Kathy Bates stole the show, but even Bates's character was overdone and tiresome by the end.