Customer Reviews

Freshman Orientation

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

During "Freshman Orientation" (2004), incoming freshman Clay Adams (Sam Huntington) spots freshman co-ed Amanda (Kaitlin Doubleday), a perky blonde former prom queen, who is clearly out of his league. Amanda later notices Clay, but - due to a fraternity pledge prank - assumes that he is gay, and Clay plays along, thinking it is his only chance to date let Amanda get to know him. He is unaware that Amanda isn't really interested in him, but is playing along with a sorority dare to string along a gay boy as a boyfriend, until breaking up with him at the first sorority party of the season. Of course, Amanda falls in love with Clay almost as much as he is with her, resulting in a rather predictable comedy of errors.

In essence, this is a typical college student sex comedy, with a definite gay bent (hence the subtle play on words in the title "Orientation". Hey, it beats the heck out of its original title, which was "Home of Phobia"!). Besides "fake gay" Clay, there are several other gay characters, including a flamboyant bar owner, played by John Goodman ("Roseanne") who offers the non-stylish Clay a "makeover." There are scemes at the college GLBT student group meetings, a night out for Clay and Amanda at a gay dance club, a roving campus slut (played by SNL's Rachel Dratch), a queer "poetry slam" night with a surprise star, a campus protest to the supposed gay-bashing of Clay, and the "coming out" of someone close to Clay.

Some reviews have compared it to "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry", and it would be a masterpiece based on that criteria. But the truth is that this film also relies a bit too much (although not as much as C&L) on tired old stereotypes about gays and lesbians. More than that, it suffers from the typical college sex comedy malady of lacking any real focus or direction, for the most part, and seems longer than it really is. Rated R for sexual content, female frontal nudity, and some drug use. On DVD, and occasionally on rotation on Here!TV On-Demand. DVD has no real extras. I'll give it three stars out of five.

This movie is hilarious, but it also grapples big subject matters too. It has heart, insight, and is thought provoking. It's a coming of age movie that handles subjects like the battle of the sexes, gay and straight issues, muddles them, ridicules them, then comes up singing with humanity. This movie is an excellent mixture of comedy and social criticism. The main character is a dorky sex-crazed freshman in college that has several experiences that transform him for the better. It's heartfelt and side-splitting at the same time. I would recommend this movie to anyone, no matter what your age or sexual preference.

I watched this movie expecting a silly and insensitive story, making gay people the butt of all the jokes. Pleasantly surprised. It showed some real sensitivity and compassion toward gay people, coming out to friends, and being aware of our similarities more than differences. Maybe someone will watch it and have their mind opened even just the tiniest bit.

real popcorn film. funny, light hearted, directed towards a late teen audience but can be appreciated by others.

A fair-to-middling low-budget comedy, "Freshman Orientation" has some good-natured fun lampooning the stereotypes and cliches of college life. Kewpie-faced Clay Adams is an undergrad frat pledge who pretends to be gay in order to snag the girl of his dreams. Just how this paradoxical turn-of-events comes about need not be reiterated here. Suffice it to say that it involves fraternity and sorority initiation pranks that wind up at cross purposes with one another.

Suffering from its own case of identity confusion, director Ryan Shiraki's screenplay reinforces stereotypes even as it's working hard to beat those stereotypes down. Gays, in particular, may find themselves evenly divided between encouragement and dismay over how they are portrayed in this film.

Still, there are enough moments of loopy charm to make the film worth seeing on a slow, rainy afternoon, and Sam Huntington and Kaitlin Doubleday have appeal and charisma to spare as Clay and his girl. And, as an added bonus, they are joined by John Goodman and Rachel Dratch in minor supporting roles.

One word says it all. HORRIBLE! I'm shocked that John Goodman would lower himself to be in this film. Times must be tough.