Why Caddyshack's Script Was Never Finished, A Hockey Coach's Decision From 100 Years Ago, And Oscar Winner Matt Damon Climbs A Tree: Why Calculated Risks Always Move Work Forward

The 3-Word Quote: ‘Renewal Requires Risk’

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1.

The movie received few positive reviews when it first came out in 1980.

It made a modest sum at the box office but was described in one review as 'forgettable' and 'unspectacular.'

Another reviewer said, 'There's nothing in the way of a cogent plot or character development.'

Even a positive review noted that the 'film fails as a coming-of-age film, fails as a romantic comedy, and fails as a class comedy'—and those were lines from a positive review.

But almost 45 years later, many consider Caddyshack a cult classic and one of the best golf movies ever made.

Caddyshack is an acquired taste - but disrespect the movie to golfers, and you might quickly find yourself in a heated argument.

Filmed over 11 weeks in Florida, it involved several comedy legends of the time - Chevy Chase, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and Rodney Dangerfield.

Whether you consider the film comedy gold or completely juvenile, it was fortunate to have even been made.

The film was directed by Harold Ramis.

He would go on to direct blockbusters such as Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Groundhog Day.

But Caddyshack was his directorial debut.

Ramis called it his '7 million dollar film school.'

In other words, he learned a lot about movie directing while directing this movie.

And even though he was an inexperienced director, he had written movie scripts before. He served as the main writer for Caddyshack.

When it came time to begin filming, everything was in place.

The financing had been secured.

The actors were on set and ready.

Filming was ready to begin.

But there was one thing that troubled some of those on set.

The script was incomplete.

The day of filming arrived, and Ramis' script had several large blanks. And the empty spaces were all for one character.

In fact, Ramis hadn't written any dialogue at all for one of the characters in the film.

It was odd - it appeared as if he had just developed writer's block when it came to this character's lines.

This was his first directing gig, and some wondered if Ramis was up for the task.

An incomplete script heading into the day of filming was usually a significant issue for actors and the film's success.

But it turned out Ramis knew what he was doing when it came to the script.

2.

They were losing 1-0, and he was desperate.

It had been a challenging game, with both teams skating hard.

It was similar to many National Hockey League games, but this was 1931.

And while some of the rules and equipment were different then, it was still ice hockey.

Teams were still battling - lots of hits, plenty of shots. It was a physical game.

This particular game was a Stanley Cup semi-final between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens.

Art wanted to win this crucial game, but his team was down a goal with only 40 seconds left.

Art was the Bruins' coach.

And in those final seconds, he was highly anxious and desperate to win.

In fact, he was so desperate to win that Art decided to do something no other NHL coach had ever done before.

3.

You might have heard of Jesse Iztler.

He's had several careers and started several successful businesses.

He's been everything from a rapper to a co-founder of a private jet company.

He's an author, a motivational speaker, and is even part owner of the Atlanta Hawks.

Through his many businesses, he has interacted with numerous CEOs and Hollywood stars.

For fun, he runs ultra-marathons.

As an athlete, he has researched and tried multiple methods to help keep him healthy and hydrated during his races.

Years ago, through his research, he discovered his favorite - coconut water.

He enjoyed the taste, loved that it was all-natural, and he felt it helped him hydrate in races better than most other drinks or products.

But there was one issue.

Coconut water wasn't widely available at the time. Coconut water fans couldn't just grab the drink at grocery or convenience stores.

It just wasn't easy to get.

So, like any good businessman, Itzler thought he had spotted a hole in the beverage market.  He couldn't be the only one who loved coconut water and wanted an easier way to get it.

So, he decided to try to start a coconut water business.

Itzler mentioned his coconut water idea to his friend, the actor Matt Damon.

Damon was excited by the idea. He told Itzler he loved coconut water, too, and even said he had a coconut tree in his backyard.

Damon's excitement confirmed his idea was a good one - others loved coconut water like Itzler.

So, Itzler set out to bring coconut water to the masses.

But he needed a partner. Through contacts, he had a meeting to pitch his idea to beverage giant Coke.

He brought his PowerPoint presentation and his ideas.

The meeting did not go well.

Itzler recalled he could feel the lack of energy in the room. He knew the meeting was going poorly.

But he needed Coke in the deal to make his coconut water business work.

So he decided to stop the meeting.

He told the Coke executive he needed to step outside the boardroom to make a phone call.

The Takeaway:

So what do a first-time director with an unfinished script, a hockey coach's decision nearly 100 years ago, and an entrepreneur who wanted to start a coconut water company all have in common?

In short, they are examples of bravery and calculated risk-taking.

Caddyshack could have been a disaster - for several reasons.

One reason was drugs.

Michael O'Keefe called the filming a 'permanent party.'

A good number of the actors were using hard drugs. O Keefe said, 'Cocaine was everywhere.'

On top of the drug use, the director had never directed before.

And on top of everything else, the script wasn't 100% complete.

Remember, the script had no lines for one character.

A few stage directions were written for this character, but no lines of dialogue were down on paper.

Ramis wasn't stuck when it came to these lines. He didn't have writer's block. He hadn't run out of funny lines to write.

Harold Ramis had purposely left this part blank.

It was a calculated decision.

It was a creative risk.

The actor who was to play the part that had no written lines was Bill Murray.

Murray's role was scheduled to be a smaller one. He was playing a character named Carl Spackler.

At the time, Murray was at the top of his comedy game. A gifted comedian, he had starred in several films and was a regular on Saturday Night Live.

So why did Ramis not write any lines for Murray?

Because Murray was a master at improvisation - at ad-libbing, at creating great material on the spot from nothing.

So Ramis took a risk to let Murray improvise - he would let the actor create his lines as they filmed.

While this choice took bravery, Ramis wasn't just hoping and praying that Murray would get lucky with some funny lines.

Murray had years of improv practice.

He was a veteran of the Second City comedy troupe.

He had worked on Saturday Night Live.

And so almost everything Bill Murray says in Caddyshack was improvised.

And if you're a golfer—or you know one—you know Caddyshack is one of the most quoted movies of all time.

And most of the lines people recite from the film are Bill Murray's improvised lines.

His lines worked.

His scenes worked. 

The movie worked.

All because Harold Ramis took a calculated risk.

But it started with bravery. Ramis could have written some good dialogue for Murray.

But he wanted something better than good. And he trusted his actor to deliver it for him.

He allowed his actor to create and explore within the project.

And there's something for everyone to learn from that when trying anything - allow room to roam.

Room to explore.

Room to try new things.

Room to use new tools or methods.

They won't always work. Murray could have been awful (some thought he was).

But Ramis was brave enough; he took the risk.

And it worked.

***

Art was losing. There were only 40 seconds left, and he wanted to win badly.

His Bruins' team was down one goal in the Stanley Cup semi-final.

And Art Ross was so desperate to win that he did the unthinkable.

It was something no coach had ever done before.

He pulled his goalie.

Now, if you know hockey, you've heard of Art Ross or the trophy named after him.

And if you know hockey, you know pulling the goalie is a common move today.

But Ross did it first - back in 1931.

If your hockey knowledge is limited, pulling the goalie is a maneuver often done by the losing team toward the end of the game.

The coach will instruct his goalie to skate off the ice and onto the bench - he has been pulled completely out of the game.

A replacement skater jumps in the game to replace the goalie - but that new skater is not a new goalie.

The replacement is an additional player looking to score - after all, pulling the goalie is done by the losing team when they need a goal.

In essence, the losing team now has an advantage on offense with that extra skater.

But the losing team's net is empty, as they are now playing without a goalie.

It's an aggressive move made by teams in a desperate position.

And it is a risk.

And in 1931, this move would have been wildly risky and unusual.

And it was.

But Art Ross did pull the goalie from the game in the final minute.

It was a risk.

And it didn't work.

His team lost that game in 1931.

Their extra skater didn't pay off. They lost 1-0.

However, pulling the goalie has been studied since Ross first did it nearly 100 years ago.

Clifford Asness and Aaron Brown, who conducted the modern study, concluded that coaches don't use this risky move enough.

They recommended the coaches take more risks - not less.

They also recommend that coaches pull the goalie much earlier than the final minute, saying the coaches are 'too conservative.'

But aren't we often 'too conservative' in our work?

Calculated risks move work forward.

We don't want our favorite musicians to record new albums that are just clones of their last. We want them to explore more. 

We want something familiar to the old yet slightly new to our ears - something different.

Risks help us create the new; they help us explore material or use a new method to create.

They don't have to be dramatic, just different.

In other words, sometimes, we all need to pull the goalie and take a little risk.

Sometimes risks pay off - like in Caddyshack, where Bill Murray improved wonderful lines.

Other times, risks don't pay off - Art Ross lost the game after his risk.

But Ross was fearless in trying.

***

And Jesse Itzler knew he had to take a risk, too.

He wanted to start a coconut water company, but he needed help from Coke.

His meeting was trudging along. He was struggling to convince Coke to partner with him.

The meeting's energy was waning. He could feel he was failing.

So, he took a couple of risks.

Right before he felt the meeting was about to end, Itzler blurts out, 'You know my partner Matt Damon and I…'

He knew throwing out Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon's name would make the Coke executive perk up.

The executive responded, 'Matt Damon is your partner?'

Itzler answered, 'I didn't mention that?'

To be clear, Matt Damon was his friend at this time, but they were not business partners.

Itzler had lied.

But the Coke executive's interest grew upon hearing Damon's name mentioned. A little energy returned to the meeting.

The deal wasn't quite dead after all.

Itzler then asked if he could pause the meeting. He told the executive he had to leave the room to make a phone call.

So Itzler left the room.

And he called his friend Matt Damon.

And he took another risk. 

He asked Damon for an unusual favor.

He told his actor friend:

'That coconut tree in your backyard? Can you climb up that tree, get a coconut, chop it open, go into your kitchen, and put a straw into it?'

Itzler then asked Damon to take a drink from the coconut, look into the camera, and say, 'There's got to be a better way.'

And Itzler requested one more item. He had asked if Damon wouldn’t mind filming the entire event and sending it to him.

It was an unusual request.

Matt Damon's reply to this odd request? He simply said, 'Alright.'

Damon completed the task, filmed it, and sent it to his friend.

Jesse Itzler has described the short video that Damon made as 'an award-winning 35-second short film.'

Coke saw the video, and the deal was done.

Ziko Coconut Water was formed, and bottles of coconut water were placed in stores nationwide.

All because Itzler took a calculated risk.

Maybe you should, too.

3 things before you go:

1. listen: somehow stumbled upon this song; the simple drumming holds this together; good stuff

2. listen: one the greatest blues song of all time; simple and raw

3. listen: a 90s ska band covers an 80s one hit wonder; how could this not work?

See you on the 4th.

-Jeff