We begin the movie with Happy Gilmore’s childhood. Happy has a very hard childhood. His mother abandons him and his father is subsequently killed shortly after this. Both of these tragedies in young Happy’s life revolve around the sport of Hockey. Happy is blinded by these tragedies and unknowingly submerges himself in the very thing that cost him so much joy as a child. All too often in the world around me, I see children of alcoholics who in turn grow up to be alcoholics. That is one unfortunate example, but I can offer many… from domestic violence to drugs to workaholics. Often we forget the misery of our childhoods and go on to repeat it because that is what we are conformable with. This is precisely what Happy does. You can choose any of these world views you like, but the game of hockey clearly represents this enslaved mentality. (Happy, if you have not yet realized, represents each one of us.)
Years pass and Happy’s obsession with hockey just leads him into more and more frustration. Until something happens one day… through a quirky turn of events, Happy comes into contact with the game of golf—that is spirituality. Happy is kind of awestruck at this newfound “power” and tries to exploit it. Enter Chubbs Peterson—i.e. Jesus Christ. Chubbs is the most creative use of a Christ figure since D. W. Griffith’s Intolerance (1916). Chubbs is a master of Golf and takes Happy under his wing to teach him. Just as we are often reluctant to live the Gospel, Happy wants nothing to do with Chubb’s teachings. But something changes Happy’s thinking. He realizes that if he follows what Chubbs has to say he can get his home back—i.e., achieve salvation.
A few words about Chubbs… We do not know much about his childhood. (Sound familiar?) We do know that he is now regarded as a great teacher. There is a story about Chubbs’s past of how he once struggled with an alligator in Florida. A story about a great teacher struggling with a beast in a hot place… hmmm… Sounds an awful lot like Jesus’ temptation is the desert doesn’t it? Moreover, I think it is hardly a coincidence that Chubbs sustains an injury to his hand, just like Jesus. Chubbs does have a replacement hand made out of wood which breaks during the course of the film. This is followed by a sceen with Chubbs repairing his hand, no doubt analogous to that other famous woodworker.
Anyway, back to the story… Even though Happy now realizes the need for Chubbs in his life, he still rebels against him… trying to struggle through the golfing world (spiritual world) without him. When he realized he could not do it, he returns, begs Chubbs to forgive him, and then asks Chubbs to instruct him. Chubbs, of course, takes him back and teaches him all about golf and the “Happy place,” that is to say, Heaven. Just when everything seems to be going well, tragedy strikes once again, and this time it is brought on by Happy himself. Just as Judas lead the Romans to Jesus, Happy brings the alligator to Chubbs. And we know the next part to both of those stories.
However, when you deal with Christ figures, death is not the end, just a stepping stone. Even though Chubbs has died and been laid in the grave, his story is not over. Happy continues on playing golf, and just as with the early Christians, his life is threatened. After an attempt is made on Happy’s life, he falls into despair. It is now that Chubbs appears to Happy in order to console him and to lead him to peace. Furthermore, the resurrected Chubbs is more glorified than the earthly one, with spectacular white clothes and a restored hand. He tells Happy to remember his happy place, and through Chubbs' words of encouragement (or is it Chubbs' gift of the Holy Spirit?) Happy is able to win the golf tournament and get home (attain salvation.)
It is quite significant that Abraham Lincoln—who is perhaps the greatest symbol of freedom in our country—is waving at Happy from heaven in the last scene. Through Chubbs' intercession, Happy has been ably to break the bonds of the Hockey world that have enslaved him since childhood and has been set free into the liberating world of Golf.
“For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman.” 1 Corinthians 7:22
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