15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Finally! A teen movie worth watching., December 13, 2001
Here's the upfront skinny (If you know the premise already, skip to "What I think"):
Orange County, an MTV Film, is a flic about a high school senior, Shawn (Colin Hanks,
Tom's son), who finds a book written by a Stanford University professor, becomes
obsessed with writing, and prays to study writing with that professor (Kevin Kline). As he
pursues his dream, with no help from his extremely dysfunctional family, he begins his
pursuit to be accepted at Stanford. When his high school counselor (Lilly Tomlin) sends
the wrong transcript desperate mad-capped antics frequently pop-up as the team of
Shawn, his nature loving girl friend and his loser brother go to the Stanford campus to try to
convince the dean of admissions (Harold Ramis - Egon from Ghostbusters) to let him in,
regardless of the error.
Here's what I think: This movie had an Indie feel, with a big studio budget. The star power
alone was amazing. Overall, I thought Orange County was a really good, but not the best, motion picture
in the teen genre. Story background was desperately missing, as well as character development which would
have made this film easier to swallow instead of having to guess at the reasoning behind character
behavior. However, once the movie progresses the viewer can't help but be sucked into the plot, the
urgency, and the insanity of the cast.
It may seem a little exaggerated at first but to realize that each character represents a unique
aspect of our American culture is quite mind bending. It had the smart-assed, immature
essence of an American Pie but the moral value of a fairy tale. The character portrayal was strong.
The dialogue was intelligent and fresh. The examination of current pop culture was evident. The soundtrack
was scrumtrelescent. The typical teen movie cheese was minimal.
The main character's odd ball surfer friends were great. His divorced, self-centered parents
(Catherine O'Hara and John Lithgow) were great. And all of the cameo appearances by big stars
were great - Chevy Chase as the high school principal, Ben Stiller as a firefighter, Kevin Kline,
etc. etc. etc.
If you are a fan of Tenacious D, or in fact, any other movie Jack Black has been in, you will bust a gut at
his hilarious contribution to this film. However, if you have heard this was Jack Black's
new film, that's only a half truth. Yes, JB is in it but only as the drugged out loser brother, which is
a role that JB probably didn't have to practice much for. Even though he was the comic relief, he
only had a supporting role.
This film is intended for the teen-young adult. Those who closely remember the college
acceptance process will get the most out of this movie and have the most empathy for
Shawn.
It was funny, it was touching, and best of all, it wasn't annoying. And my wife liked it too.
(We both recently graduated from college). If anything it is a warning against ditzy high
school, college counselors.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasantly Surprised, August 11, 2002
Okay, I wasn't expecting much out of this movie. A standard comming of age/struggle to get into dream college story added with some comic relief was all I was expecting. Yes, the movie is all of that, but more. It has real heart that comes through to the audience. There's some good acting and good character development. Jack Black is of course gleefully absurd as usual, and Colin Hanks is solid as the main character. Also watch for a delightful cameo by Ben Stiller. Schuyler Fisk is a welcome and refreshing addition to the cast as Hanks' charming girlfriend. What can I say? She's just really really...likeable. She's very pretty, but not unbelievably so. She's got that down-to-earth, girl-next-door quality that many boast but few possess. In other words, we believe she's a real person. And the ending is very good, very original. I won't spoil it per se, but let's just say that I'm a UC Berkeley student, and the ending made me happy. Go Bears....
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16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable Romp, August 26, 2002
"Orange County" offers us something already done, but something wonderfully refreshing: a teen-ish film that is genuinely funny
I think I avoided seeing this film for months on end because of the reason that may have drawn so many people to it: an all-star stellar cast that drips with many wonderful cameos. It seems, in the past, that a film that brought in major stars only did so to bring in the crowds because the script lacked something. Not here! This script carries a wallop of laughs from the moment it starts until the end, and the cameos only add a wonderful surprise element to this film.
Colin Hanks wonderfully struggling college student trying to fulfill a dream of attending Stanford is a role particularly suited to some wonderfull comedic talents. He plays straight man to a cast of totally insane characters that orbit his life, sometimes unfortunately, to dire results. Two of my favorite: Jack Black's older, oft digusting brother, and Catherine O'Hara's drunken mother both left me laughing out loud, as I watched this movie alone.
In fact, the strength of this piece is not really the story, which is strong, but those characters as they begin to realize their potential throughout the film. It's been a long time since I've met so many memorable characters in a film. These ones will be staying with me for a long time.
Looking for a fun, goofy movie to put you in a good mood? Toss "Orange County" in your cart, and settle down for a great giggle.
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