Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Moviewise ((The Water Boy))

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Bobby Boucher is a socially inept, stuttering water boy with hidden anger issues due to constant teasing and excessive sheltering by his mother, Helen, (Kathy Bates). He became the water boy as a child for the (fictional) University of Louisiana Cougars after being told his father died of dehydration in the Sahara Desert while serving in the Peace Corps. However, the players always torment him and the team's head coach, Red Beaulieu (Jerry Reed), eventually fires him for "disrupting" his practices. Bobby then approaches Coach Klein (Henry Winkler) of the South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs and asks to work as the team's waterboy. Coach Klein has been coach of SCLSU for years without success, after his brilliant playbook was taken by Red Beaulieu.

After being picked on again by his new team, Coach Klein encourages Bobby to stick up for himself or else the tormenting will never end. When the ridiculing occurs again, Bobby finally has enough and angrily lashes out by tackling the Mud Dogs Quarterback (who had been the one making fun of him) with so much force he knocks him unconscious. Impressed, Coach Klein convinces Bobby to enroll as a student at SCLSU and play for the team.

Coach Kiein attends a dinner at Bobby's house to try to win over Helen and convince her to let Bobby play for the team. Bobby's mother tells the men of the evils of football and forbids him to play. Coach Klein shows Bobby his tattoo of Roy Orbison encouraging him to clandestinely go against his mothers' wishes because, "what Mama don't know, won't hurt her."

Bobby quickly becomes one of the most feared linebackers in college football, using his anger to hit opposing players with superhuman-like ferocity. The Mud Dogs manage a winning streak due in large part by Bobby's play and earn a trip to the annual Bourbon Bowl to face the Cougars and Coach Beaulieu. Bobby's newfound fame also allows him to rekindle a relationship with his childhood friend and crush Vicki Vallencourt (Fairuza Balk), who has been in prison multiple times.

Coach Beaulieu reveals that Bobby never finished high school, making him ineligible for college and football. Coach Klein later admits that he forged Bobby's transcript so Bobby could play for the team. However, Bobby manages to pass his GED exam, despite his mother's objections about him going back to college. Helen then fakes falling ill to keep Bobby from playing. However, she eventually relents after witnessing the town residents' overwhelming support for Bobby. The next day, Helen tells Bobby the truth about what really happened to his father. Years ago, Roberto left her while she was pregnant with him for another woman, a voodoo priestess, and it lead to her sheltering him most of his life. She was afraid of losing Bobby and tried to keep him to herself by hiding him from everyone else. Helen realised that the best thing for her to do is let him go since he's made some wonderful friends. His mother encourages Bobby to play in the Bourbon Bowl with his team and they arrive at halfime on their airboat with Vicki's help.

With his arrival at halftime of the Bourbon Bowl, Bobby encourages the losing Mud Dogs to make a comeback and the team in turn admits that he has become their heart and soul. With Bobby's help, Coach Klein overcomes his fear of Red Beaulieu by imagining him as someone that he's not afraid of(i.e. a baby and a cocker spaniel puppy) and creates spectacular new plays that allow the Mud Dogs to catch up. Helen helps the cheerleaders out by making coffee, which helps them keep their energy up as they help their fans rally the Mud Dogs to win. During the final play, Bobby throws a touchdown pass and the Mud Dogs win the Bourbon Bowl. Bobby is named the MVP of the game.

Sometime later, Bobby and Vicki are getting married. Although, Helen still has some reservations about Vicki, she admits that he has a fine woman who'll take care of him. On their way out Bobby's father makes an unexpected appearance, telling him the he heard on the news that he may go to the NFL. Bobby tells him that he's not going to the NFL draft and wants to stay in school and graduate. Roberto tries to convince Bobby to leave school and go to the NFL, hoping to personally profit as his father. However, an enraged Helen charges in (much like her son) and tackles him down. Bobby and Vicki then ride off to consummate their marriage.