After recently seeing `Not Another Teen Movie,' I was understandably a little leery of seeing another teen movie. But last weekend when `Orange County' came out, I figured that since nothing much else was in theaters, then I'd might as well take my chances. Good move by me.
`Orange County' opens with our hero, Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) acting, as he would describe it, as a typical Orange County teenage guy-going surfing. Calamity strikes, however, one day when he and his buddies try to surf a tsunami, thus causing the death of one of his friends. While reflecting upon this terrible twist of fate, Shaun comes across a book that will change his life-instead of wanting to surf for the rest of his life, he will be a writer, but the thing is, he can only become the writer he wants to be by attending Stanford
Shaun is a talented writer and a bright guy (1520 on his SAT's), so his guidance counselor (Lily Tomlin) tells him that he should only apply to Stanford where he will be a lock to get in. But in a perverse twist of fate, she sends in the wrong transcript, which lists his SAT as 900. But all is not lost. Perhaps he can convince a regent of the university of his worthiness, so Shaun invites his seemingly last chance to his home. Big mistake. At best, the Brumder family is.dysfunctional. With an alcoholic, hysterical, scene-stealing mother (Catherine O'Hara) and a perpetually drunk, drugged-out, and scantily clad brother (Jack Black), the impression that he will make will turn out to be quite negative.
With seemingly nowhere else to turn, he goes to his absentee, yet well-off father (John Lithgow), who is preoccupied in HIS world and predictably turns Shaun down. Now Shaun is grasping at straws when he resorts to making a last-ditch trip to Stanford in hopes of convincing the admissions director of his worthiness of admission. Accompanying Shaun on this noble `quest' are Ashley (Schuyler Fisk), his animal-loving and devoted girlfriend along with his brother. What ensues is best described as a melee of confusion and destruction.
As every other critic has found issue to mention as if he/she was the first to break the news, are the famous parents of the two stars and the director so I guess that I'll follow the trend. Colin Hanks (Son of Tom), Schuyler Fisk (daughter of Sissy Spacek) and director Jake Kasden (son of the famous director Lawrence Kasden) all have served their families well in their roles. Hanks is able to pull off a nerdy well-grounded youth in search of his dream; Fisk is excellent as an animal/cause-loving activist; and Kasden just lets everything flow along with little, if any turbulence.
But the actor that I really want to talk about is Jack Black. If he can be a movie star, then so can everyone else. To start with, he looks as if he has been lost in the Boundary Waters for several years and has only now made it back to civilization. And in `Orange County' he has the (painful) distinction of revolting the audience in multiple appearances clad only in his underwear. Despite all this going against him, Black turns in a hilarious performance every time he is on screen. Not quite at a gut-ripping level of humor, but impressive nonetheless. Another performance to watch for is Catherine O'Hara's presence whenever she is onscreen. Personally, I cannot think of anyone else better suited at playing a neurotic mother than Ms. O'Hara.
`Orange County' marks a dramatic change from the recent teen films that were skewered in `Teen Movie.' Instead of a focus on prom, sex, and sports, `Orange County' chooses to focus on what most high school students are stressing about-going to college (for an insightful look at the process, be sure to read Sarah Voskuil's columns on the College Search Saga). It magnifies the fear of a clerical error causing a rejection to one of your desired colleges. I am confident that this will not befall me, after all, the Guidance Office here at Lourdes seems to be extremely competent.
In the end, `Orange County' marked a renaissance from the dire straits that teen movies have entered in the past five years. Here's to hoping that this is a permanent shift in quality rather than an aberration. I would give it a high percent, but its weak ending doomed it to a lower rating of 90 out of 100.
`Orange County' opens with our hero, Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) acting, as he would describe it, as a typical Orange County teenage guy-going surfing. Calamity strikes, however, one day when he and his buddies try to surf a tsunami, thus causing the death of one of his friends. While reflecting upon this terrible twist of fate, Shaun comes across a book that will change his life-instead of wanting to surf for the rest of his life, he will be a writer, but the thing is, he can only become the writer he wants to be by attending Stanford
Shaun is a talented writer and a bright guy (1520 on his SAT's), so his guidance counselor (Lily Tomlin) tells him that he should only apply to Stanford where he will be a lock to get in. But in a perverse twist of fate, she sends in the wrong transcript, which lists his SAT as 900. But all is not lost. Perhaps he can convince a regent of the university of his worthiness, so Shaun invites his seemingly last chance to his home. Big mistake. At best, the Brumder family is.dysfunctional. With an alcoholic, hysterical, scene-stealing mother (Catherine O'Hara) and a perpetually drunk, drugged-out, and scantily clad brother (Jack Black), the impression that he will make will turn out to be quite negative.
With seemingly nowhere else to turn, he goes to his absentee, yet well-off father (John Lithgow), who is preoccupied in HIS world and predictably turns Shaun down. Now Shaun is grasping at straws when he resorts to making a last-ditch trip to Stanford in hopes of convincing the admissions director of his worthiness of admission. Accompanying Shaun on this noble `quest' are Ashley (Schuyler Fisk), his animal-loving and devoted girlfriend along with his brother. What ensues is best described as a melee of confusion and destruction.
As every other critic has found issue to mention as if he/she was the first to break the news, are the famous parents of the two stars and the director so I guess that I'll follow the trend. Colin Hanks (Son of Tom), Schuyler Fisk (daughter of Sissy Spacek) and director Jake Kasden (son of the famous director Lawrence Kasden) all have served their families well in their roles. Hanks is able to pull off a nerdy well-grounded youth in search of his dream; Fisk is excellent as an animal/cause-loving activist; and Kasden just lets everything flow along with little, if any turbulence.
But the actor that I really want to talk about is Jack Black. If he can be a movie star, then so can everyone else. To start with, he looks as if he has been lost in the Boundary Waters for several years and has only now made it back to civilization. And in `Orange County' he has the (painful) distinction of revolting the audience in multiple appearances clad only in his underwear. Despite all this going against him, Black turns in a hilarious performance every time he is on screen. Not quite at a gut-ripping level of humor, but impressive nonetheless. Another performance to watch for is Catherine O'Hara's presence whenever she is onscreen. Personally, I cannot think of anyone else better suited at playing a neurotic mother than Ms. O'Hara.
`Orange County' marks a dramatic change from the recent teen films that were skewered in `Teen Movie.' Instead of a focus on prom, sex, and sports, `Orange County' chooses to focus on what most high school students are stressing about-going to college (for an insightful look at the process, be sure to read Sarah Voskuil's columns on the College Search Saga). It magnifies the fear of a clerical error causing a rejection to one of your desired colleges. I am confident that this will not befall me, after all, the Guidance Office here at Lourdes seems to be extremely competent.
In the end, `Orange County' marked a renaissance from the dire straits that teen movies have entered in the past five years. Here's to hoping that this is a permanent shift in quality rather than an aberration. I would give it a high percent, but its weak ending doomed it to a lower rating of 90 out of 100.