Bill Murray, who improvised nearly all of Spackler’s lines, as well as co-stars Chevy Chase and Michael O’Keefe, share intimate, often hilarious, memories of the blockbuster that seemed destined for disaster before unexpectedly setting the stage for a new era of loosey-goosey, juvenile romps. Nashawaty’s unabashed passion for the film is a little over the top, but his enthusiasm most likely persuaded the show’s major players to open up. Even nonbelievers will appreciate the valuable insight into how the style of comedy being practiced on Second City stages and Saturday Night Live began making its impact on the big screen.
His heartfelt (if obsessional) salvage job starts to make sense as you scan the endnotes and realize that Caddyshack has been the author's lifelong passion ... 'Oh!' exults Carl. 'He got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that.' Nashawaty should feel likewise about his scene-stealing book.
Nashawaty’s prose is lively, and his exhaustive research is bolstered by interviews with many of the film’s principle players, including the famously elusive Murray. A wonderful celebration of a passionately loved film.
An everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about look at a cult movie whose reputation has grown in the four decades since its initial release ... The book doesn’t quite hit the insightful levels of those by Scott Eyman or David Thomson, just as the film isn’t quite The Maltese Falcon. Still, Nashawaty provides an eye-opening pleasure for Caddyshack fans.
In Nashawaty’s hilarious depiction, the production is shown to have been utter chaos, albeit with some creative genius tossed in—notably from star Bill Murray, who turned his throwaway groundskeeper role into Caddyshack’s signature character. Moreover, the film’s fans may be surprised to learn that upon its completion, both Kenney and the film’s distributor, Warner Brothers, were convinced that it would be a flop. Nashawaty’s book provides both an entertaining showbiz chronicle and, by the conclusion, an unexpectedly moving tribute to Kenney’s short life and lasting comic legacy.
