| Puddle Cruiser | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover. | |
| Directed by | Jay Chandrasekhar |
| Written by | Broken Lizard |
| Produced by | Richard Perello |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Tony Foresta |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Jim Kremens |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $160,000 USD |
Puddle Cruiser is a 1996 Americancomedy film, the first full-length film created by theBroken Lizardcomedy group. It premiered at theSundance Film Festival. The movie was filmed entirely on the campus ofColgate University, thealma mater of all five members of the comedy quintet.[2] It was released on DVD in December 2005; the disc also features a 17-minute documentary calledRodeo Clowns on the marketing ofPuddle Cruiser andSuper Troopers with free previews on college campuses and using specially-painted tour buses. The extras and actors are almost entirely friends, family and other alumni, due to the very tight budget of the film. The film is repeatedly shown onComedy Central.[3]
While breaking in to the Coburn University dining hall, college friends Felix, (Steve Lemme), Matt (Paul Soter), and Grogan (Kevin Heffernan) are discovered by campus police. Felix manages to escape, but Matt and Grogan are caught, and await a disciplinary trial. Felix meets Suzanne (Kayren Butler), the student lawyer assigned to his friend's case, and begins a casual relationship with her. Suzanne is still dating her boyfriend, Traci (Jamison Selby), who is a rugby player at another school. Suzanne attempts to hide her relationship with Felix from Traci, causing Felix to sleep with Jennifer (Laura Arieh), another student. Suzanne becomes angry with Felix for pursuing another woman, while he insists that she is hypocritical, as she is still dating Traci. Matt and Grogan inform Suzanne that Felix was with them on the night they were caught breaking into the dining hall, forcing her to resign from the case, causing a guilty verdict and a community service sentence. Suzanne breaks up with Traci, only to find that he is scheduled to play against the Coburn rugby team. Suzanne begs Felix not to play in the upcoming game for his own safety and attempts to have him removed from the game by reporting his crime to campus police. The attempt is foiled when the players from both teamsparody the climactic scene fromSpartacus ("I'm Felix Bean!"). He succeeds in playing but is significantly injured by Traci who single-mindedly pursued him for the entire match. He is sentenced to community service during his recovery from the injuries. Felix and Suzanne admit that they love each other, as Felix begins carrying out his community service. Meanwhile, Matt, Grogan, and Freaky Reaky (Erik Stolhanske) are caught later that night stealing food from the kitchen.
It won the 1996 Golden Starfish Award at the 1996Hamptons International Film Festival where it received a positive review fromVariety (magazine)[4] and split the award withMatt Mahurin'sMugshot.[5]