Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that The Waterboy is a 1997 movie starring Adam Sandler as a bumbling waterboy from Louisiana who learns to channel his rage at being picked on his whole life into becoming a champion college football player. He endures physical bullying as well as verbal; he's called a "retard," "needled--k," and "s--thead," among other things. There is frequent profanity throughout, including "f--k." There's also drinking shown at a college party, and, in a recurring joke, the cheerleaders and mascot of the team are shown drowning their sorrows with whiskey while appearing almost passed out on the football field. There are some references to sex, including threesomes, and jokes are made at the waterboy's expense about him being a virgin. Brief shot of naked male buttocks. Talk of sex between the waterboy and his girlfriend. In one scene, his girlfriend removes her blouse. Overall, though The Waterboy can be just as crude (and formulaic in terms of story) as other Adam Sandler movies from the 1990s, this one isn't quite as funny, goofy, or silly as Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore.
Sexual
Content
Brief shot of naked male buttocks. Talk of sex between the waterboy and his girlfriend. In one scene, his girlfriend removes her blouse. A woman at a college party asks the waterboy if he has "ever been in a threesome." A man puts his hand on a woman's breasts. Jokes about the waterboy still being a virgin.
Violence
Football violence, over-the-top tackling in some instances for the sake of comedy.
Language
Frequent profanity. "F--k," "a--hole." The waterboy is verbally bullied by football players: He's called a "retard," "needled--k," and "s--thead." He receives a note telling him to "eat s--t."
Social
Behavior
Too goofy and silly to have much in the way of positive messages. Regional stereotypes.
Consumerism
To rile him up, the head coach of the football team tells the waterboy that "Gatorade is better than water"; this is repeated several times in a row. At a football game, a large banner advertises Ozarka Spring Water. Other banners advertise Casio, McDonald's, and ACDelco.
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
Drinking at a party. In a recurring joke, cheerleaders and the mascot of a terrible college football team are shown getting drunk on whiskey while on the field. College students drink alcohol in the bleachers. The title football game is called the Bourbon Bowl. After witnessing the strange behavior of the waterboy at a football camp for kids, the camp leader advises the kids, "Don't smoke crack."
