Caddyshack

It’s summer and thus time for golf and smart-dumb humor. After hitting the links during Marietta Main Street’s “First Friday: Downtown Mini Golf” event, join us for a throwback screening of the 1980 comedy Caddyshack.

Harold Ramis, making his directorial debut from a script he wrote with Brian Doyle-Murray and Douglas Kenney, said he originally envisioned this as a comedy about teens working at a country club, but soon he realized it actually was about the wisecracking, troublemaking adults — namely Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and Bill Murray (who improvised the bulk of his lines). Oh, and let’s not forget the gopher puppet. Caddyshack is the ultimate tale about the snobs versus the slobs. Some folks, including a bunch of reviewers upon its release, consider Caddyshack a dud. Others, including those who requested it at previous “Is It Still Funny?” screenings, think it’s one of the funniest comedies ever. (It’s ranked 71st on the American Film Institute’s 100 greatest comedies list.) Which way will you swing?

While you’re waiting for the movie to roll, learn how Caddyshack helped usher in a new age of American comedy.

Rated R / Running time 99 minutes