Look, this was huge in 1998, but it's 2025 and The Waterboy has not aged like fine wine—more like milk left in a hot car. The entire comedic engine runs on mocking Bobby's intellectual disability, which feels increasingly gross as cultural awareness has evolved.
The sports underdog story has bones, and some kids genuinely enjoy the slapstick physical comedy, but the 'solve your problems by tackling people really hard' message isn't exactly enriching. Add in the overbearing mother dynamics played for laughs and crude humor that feels dated, and you've got a movie that's hard to enthusiastically recommend.
If your kid is really into '90s Sandler or needs a football-themed comedy, it exists. But there are better uses of 90 minutes that won't require you to explain why making fun of people with disabilities isn't actually funny. This gets a low WISE score because while it's technically 'safe' in the no-gore-or-sex sense, it's not wholesome, not imaginative, and definitely not enriching.






