Caddyshack is a classic cult comedy released in 1980 and directed by Harold Ramis. Starring Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield, the movie follows Danny Noonan (Michael O’Keefe) as he works as a caddy at the prestigious Bushwood Country Club while struggling to pay college tuition fees.
The movie starts with an introduction of the main characters of Bushwood Country Club, including members such as Ty Webb (Chevy Chase), the zen-like golfing expert who has zero interest in making money; Judge Smails (Ted Knight) – the wealthy club owner obsessed with keeping up appearances and Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield), a loudmouth businessman from out of town who tests everyone's patience during his visit.
At first, Danny attempts to win over Judge Smails hoping that he can earn enough tips as a caddy to pay for his college tuition but soon finds himself caught between these three larger-than-life personalities. As their antics unfold throughout the movie viewers are exposed to some iconic comedic moments such as when Ty Webb teaches Danny how to relax under pressure on or off the green or when Al Czervik embarrasses Judge Smails with idiotic jokes that oftentimes go above everyone’s heads except perhaps those of Al himself.
Bill Murray also contributes greatly to this movie by providing humour through his role as Carl Spackler – a delusional groundskeeper who wages battles against “gophers” instead of investing his energy towards earning money. His performance is unique and so memorable that it led Murray to become one of America’s most beloved comic actors for many years afterwards.
Caddyshack is not just hilarious but it also contains some smart dialogue about class status, societal expectations and other important topics not usually found in purely comedic films which makes it stand out among other comedies from its time period and even today. The film also continues to inspire younger generations due to its timeless humour finding itself remembered even nearly four decades later - influencing TV shows like South Park, and Family Guy and even quotes used by people daily on social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram reinforcing how powerful this film remains in pop culture today.
