Puddle Cruiser (1996)

Director:

Jay Chandrasekhar

Writers:

Jay Chandrasekhar (written by)
Kevin Heffernan (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A student falls in love with a fellow student who is defending his buddies in university court. He "proves his love" (more like his masculinity) to her by playing rugby against her ex-boyfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Sketch Comedy | Monty Python | Independent Film

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jay Chandrasekhar	...	Zach
Kevin Heffernan	...	Grogan
Steve Lemme	...	Felix Bean
Paul Soter	...	Matt
Erik Stolhanske	...	Freaky Reaky
Zach Chapman	...	Greg / WCOB Deejay
Alison Clapp	...	Emily
Kayren Butler	...	Suzanne
Arik Treston	...	Bailiff (as Arik Ben Treston)
Jamison Selby	...	Traci Shannon
Charles Lloyd	...	Officer Reese
Leanne Cummings	...	Woman Jogger
Sally Brackett	...	Cup Dropper
James P.Q. Sperber	...	Pasta Fagioli
Patrick R. Heffernan	...	Lamb Chop / Rugby Player #4

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content and brief drug use.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, USA

Company:

Broken Lizard Industries

Trivia:

The cafeteria woman who answers the phone while Zach is trying to get in touch with the girl is actually Kevin Heffernan's mother. The man who plays the character of Pork Chop and one of the Rugby players is his brother.

Quotes:

Grogan: No book bag no deal! No book bag no deal!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nothing (2003)

Comedy About College Done Right . . . Pretty Much

"Puddle Cruiser" is a very funny movie, and it surprised me how good it was when I saw it. I saw the movie recently after seeing Broken Lizards other three more recent and more popular movies. There was the hilarious "Super Troopers" (2001), the not-quite-as-funny follow-up "Club Dread"(2004), and the redeemingly funny "Beerfest" (2006).

One of my friends had a DVD copy of "Puddle Cruiser" which had the cover art stating "From the guys who brought you 'Super Troopers'". I read the description on the back and thought that because this movie takes place on a college campus, it could be either really good, or really bad.

One problem with movie comedies that take place in college is that it seems as though the movie makers want to make another "Animal House". Hence, they inundate the movie with binge drinking, dumb frat guys with no apparent study habits or visible means of income, bikini-clad girls with similar ambitions, and the tired misconception that college is one big 24-hour orgy. Mind you "Animal House" was a great movie, and one of the Top 10 best comedies of the last 50 years. However, when other filmmakers try to top the "Animal House" antics with outrageous stunts, they forget one main ingredient: actual genuine humor.

Fortunately, to Broken Lizard's credit, they made here a smart college movie with absolutely no ambition to be the next "Animal House". They made a college comedy on their own terms, and the results are surprisingly good.

The characters in the film are well developed and often times appealing, even when they're dislikeable (the character of Traci Shannon comes particularly to mind here). They're also memorable with a slew of unforgettable lines. My personal favorite characters include Freaky Reaky (Erik Stolhanske), the mailroom worker who talks like a late night DJ, and Emily (Alison Clapp), the hottie's best friend who really sells each scene she's in. It's surprising that this movie is Clapp's only movie credit to date. All the performances are relatively consistent, and that's rare for a movie made by first timers.

The scene at the end is probably the best, when the big rugby match is about to be played. Not only does it start out very funny with a scene that deliberately spoofs "Spartacus" (1960), but the game commences in a very unpredictable way. It still has me laughing weeks after seeing it.

What differentiates this film from "Super Troopers" is the fact that the humor is very deadpan. There isn't as many visual gags, nor is there as much swearing, as in Broken Lizard's breakthrough cult hit. It also seems as though each member of Broken Lizard takes turns in each movie playing the straight man and the funny man. The character Steve Lemme plays in "Puddle Cruiser" is mild mannered, likable, and slightly naive, far different from the slightly dumb risk taker he later played in "Super Troopers". I could go on forever with comparisons between the two movies, but the films should really be watched side by side because they are funny differently, but equally.

Regardless of whether you've seen "Super Troopers" already, this film is worth checking out. I'm not sure its cult status, but it deserves to be recognized for the incredibly funny movie it is. I highly recommend it.