Where Was The Waterboy Filmed? Sandler’s Sports Dramedy Flick From 1998!!

If you’re looking for a perfect Adam Sandler film to watch this evening, then you can stop looking further. As today I will acquaint you with one such classic comedy film, The Waterboy, featuring Sandler and later let you in on where was The Waterboy filmed.

The American sports comedy film, The Waterboy saw a huge opening, upon its release in 1998. Adam Sandler, apart from starring in this film, also pitched in as a screenwriter along with Tim Herlihy. The story revolves around the character of Bobby Boucher Jr, a dyslexic 31-year-old man, working as a waterboy for the Louisiana football team. However, after getting spotted by the coach, Bobby finds his way to the pro team, playing as a quarterback.

The Waterboy was an instantaneous hit. The film earned over $192 million in total box office collections, against a production budget of $32 million. The critics and audiences simply loved the storyline of the movie, specifically the hilarious on-screen performance of Sandler. The Waterboy also won a number of awards including the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards and MTV Movie + TV Awards in 1999.

Ok, so without waiting any longer, let’s find out where was The Waterboy filmed. And later in this article, I will also discuss the plot of this slapstick-comedy film succinctly.

Where Was The Waterboy Filmed? Let’s Know This Comedy Movie Closely!

Despite the fact that The Waterboy is set in Louisiana, the makers insisted director Frank Coraci shoot the entire film in Florida. However, after reviewing the list of probable filming locations, Frank added a couple of places in South Carolina to the list.

The principal photography began in the first month of 1998 and was completed in just two months. The filming crew, extra-long hours, to stay on top of the filming schedule. All the required logistics, costumes and other necessary permissions required for filming, were pre-arranged. Reportedly, the director asked the actors to take part in special physical training routines, before the shooting commenced in Florida. 

Now, without any further ado, let’s discuss in-depth where was The Waterboy filmed, and check out the specific shooting sites.

Florida | USA

The opening scene of the film was shot at Stetson University in Florida. The production unit captured the interior as well as the exterior shots of the University, to depict the Cougars sequence in the film. Although while filming the outdoor shots at Stetson, which is located at 421 N. Woodland Blvd, the unit had to face challenges with managing the crowd. But, soon after maneuvering through the predicament, the unit moved on to the next location in Florida.

The Alltel Stadium or better known as the Everbank Field shown in the film was shot in the city of Jacksonville. This stadium was used to extensively film the sequences of the Mud Dog training games. The production unit booked the entire arena for two weeks to capture the interior sequences. Some other sequences were filmed in Florida Southern College to showcase the University games, after which the unit arrived in the city of DeLand.

The sequence in the film, where Bobby is shown taking his girlfriend for a romantic date, was filmed inside a posh restaurant in DeLand. The unit took hardly 2 days to film this scene. Then, finally, to shoot the sequence of the final game, the Citrus Bowl Stadium situated at 1610 W. Church Street was used.

South Carolina | USA

After filming the majority of the sequences in Florida, the unit arrived in the state of South Carolina. The interior sequences of Robert and Helena’s home were filmed inside a studio in Columbia. The filming crew constructed a make-believe house on set and captured the inside shots of the house. However, in order to capture the exterior shots, the unit used a medium-sized home located on the outskirts of the city. Filming lasted for about two and a half weeks in Columbia, after which the unit began working on film promotion.

Alright friends, let’s now briefly discuss the plot of the film. So that you can get an idea about the storyline. Plus, you can also check out Zombieland, Moonrise Kingdom and The Calling which are equally amazing.

Plot Of The Waterboy | What’s It About

The film opens by acquainting us with Robert Boucher, a 31-year-old introvert man, living with his mom in Louisiana. The lead character is shown to grow up in a strict Christian household, supervised by his mother, Helen. After enduring years of abuse from the players of a college football team, Robert finally quits his job.

Later in the film, he joins the Mud Dogs, as a waterboy. But to Bobby’s amazement, after a couple of weeks, he faces the same kind of treatment from the new players, which made him quit his last job. Only this time, Robert doesn’t let people run all over him, and instead angrily tackles the quarterback of the Mud Dogs. Coach Klein readily asks Bobby to join the team, after witnessing his strength and resilience.

Midway through the film, Helen barges her way into Bobby’s life again, asking him not to join as a player, but the male lead joins the Mud Dog’s team anyway. Soon, the coaching of Mr. Klein inspires Bobby to play like a beast on the field, propelling his team to the finals. Although the growing tensions within the team almost force him out of the last game.

In the final quarter of the film, Robert asks his teammates to join him for a beer or two, at the local pub, where he meets his childhood crush, Vicki Vallencourt. The players make amends with each other, and form a strong bond. While the male lead goes on a date with Vicki. Eventually, on the matchday, the Mud Dogs beat the Cougars, with convincing margins, and Bobby is awarded the MVP title, for his high-flying performance in the game. The credits roll, as the male lead kisses Vicki passionately, after doing his victory dance.

Final Words

Ok guys, now that you know where was The Waterboy filmed, I hope you had a good time and enjoyed reading this article. Do let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.and don’t forget to check out other amazing articles on Viebly.