Adam Sandler plays yet another socially maladroit individual with a hidden gift in The Waterboy, which is essentially a remake of the comic’s earlier Happy Gilmore, with football replacing golf. Bobby Boucher (Sandler) may be a 31-year-old water-obsessed loser, but when angered he can tackle gridiron players several times his size. The setup is familiar and doesn’t tax the brain too heavily. Nonetheless, the film is sprinkled with inspired gags. Keep an eye out for the alcoholic cheerleaders and the biology professor who is a magnet for bizarre injuries. The film could have been even funnier if some of the characters could have been better developed. Henry Winkler has some moments as the shell-shocked coach, but the script never really gives him much room to work. Writer Tim Herlihy and director Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer) could make better use of Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, who plays Sandler’s overbearing mother, but they do come up with enough laughs to keep The Waterboy from drying up (PG-13). Rating: 6.

© 1998 Touchstone Pictures. Used by Permission.