Caddyshack (1980)
Already a classic comedy that is referenced time and time again, Caddyshack starred and bolstered the careers of Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and Bill Murray. Set at a high-class golf course, Caddyshack is often acknowledged as one of the best sports comedies of all time. It has garnered a large cult following and secured a spot in today’s pop culture for its quotable script and slapstick comedy. Its legacy lives on not just in the public consciousness and Top 10 lists, but also in the form of a themed restaurant opened by Bill Murray and his brothers. Located at the World Golf Village resort in St. Augustine, Florida, the Murray Brothers Caddy Shack encourages guests to “Eat, Drink, and Be Murray!”.
Lawn Dogs (1997)
While this late-nineties indie movie didn’t necessarily garner national attention, it’s still an interesting look at the platonic friendship between a an upper class girl and a lower class guy who mows her lawn. While the rest of the community in Camelot Gardens looks down upon and makes fun of the mower-pushing “lawn dogs” that keep their sprawling estates looking manicured, ten year old Devon (Mischa Barton) chooses to start a friendship with one named Trent (played by Sam Rockwell). Devon doesn’t quite fit in at her house where her social-climber father lives. She begins to spend time with 17 year old Trent, who lives in a trailer on the poor side of town. The conflict of the movie comes form the prejudice and cynicism of her upper class counterparts, though their friendship is completely innocent and acceptable.
Mad Men: “A Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency” (2009)
Though technically not a movie, this episode of AMC’s period drama features an unforgettable scene with a John Deere riding lawn mower. The series follows the lives of employees at a 1960s-era advertising agency named Sterling Cooper. In this episode, a last-minute visit from Sterling Cooper’s British parent company causes a mad scramble in the office to get everything ready. Thankfully, everything goes to plan- almost. As the employees and their British counterparts are socializing after work hours, an ambitious account executive brings out a gift from one of their clients – John Deere. Simply put, in a freak accident, a drunk secretary accidentally runs over a Brit’s foot with the riding lawn mower, landing Sterling Cooper in hot water and the Brit in the emergency room.
Grass: A Nation’s Battle for Life (1925)
On a completely different note, this lesser-known silent documentary from 1925 has earned good scores from film critics for its portrayal of an ancient migration ritual of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe from current-day Iran to the western edge of the country. This film is widely recognized for being one of the very first ethnographic documentary films in history and was made part of the US National Film Registry in 1997 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant). The filmmakers wanted to document the ancient human struggles for life in harsh environments by following a nomadic tribe. The director of this film, Merian C. Cooper, went on the direct King Kong in 1933.
Emily Kaltman writes for The Grass Outlet in Austin, Texas. She enjoys writing about sod grass and watching movies.
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