First-String ‘Waterboy’

Calling “The Waterboy a “sports movie” is like calling “Mildred Pierce” a “women’s movie.” (“Goofy Vs. The Gipper,” by Michael X. Ferraro, Nov. 28).

Ferraro did a good job of explaining why nobody wants to see an old-fashioned sports movie. Meanwhile, “The Waterboy” endures another blow of criticism.

The appeal of “The Waterboy” is simple. The hero is simple. He is a good person. He loves a rather unlovable mother who changes.

Simple as it may be, this is a revolutionary story line for our time. It represents a yearning for moral rightness, stability and endurance. The kinds of values Ferraro led us to believe were embodied by sports heroes of yore are the kinds of values that “The Waterboy” has.

This is what makes “The Waterboy” a freak of modern society. Our society has abandoned qualities such as perseverance against odds to do what is “right” (e.g., provide really good water).

This makes the water boy a comic figure in the mold of Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Jerry Lewis. Unlike Jim Carrey’s anarchic creations, this character is basically mild (supernatural tackle notwithstanding), seeking alliances and not chaos.

Finding the good in people and not taking the cheap shot.

Take it from this boomer, “The Waterboy” was a life-affirming breath of fresh air amid the nihilism, degradation, and graphic violence of so many current films.

After all, the guy loved his mother. It is a revolutionary concept.

BECKE ALLER

Irvine