Main Cast: Stephen Geoffreys, Sheree J. Wilson, Cameron Dye, Leigh McCloskey, Tim Robbins, John Vernon
Release Year: 1985
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Delivering no more and no less than what its title suggests, this teen movie is about three frat brothers chasing down sex and women in Palm Springs for a long weekend escape from blizzard conditions at Iowa State. Wendall (Stephen Geoffreys) is the requisite nerd of the group whose heart throbs for a certain young woman, unfortunately, she is the daughter of Police Chief Ferret (John Vernon), an aptly-named tough cop who is hardly going to welcome anyone who is after his daughter. Wendall's two buddies (Cameron Dye and Leigh McCloskey) are hot on the heels of the beauteous Ashley (Sheree J. Wilson), but so are a few others, and she does not necessarily bestow her favors indiscriminately -- and so they are having a difficult time of it. Between the music, the locations, and the lightweight plot to match the clothing, this is a typical teen comedy, for and about teens, and aimed at a young teen audience. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Review
With the vast boom of '80s sex comedies out there, sometimes it's hard to distinguish one from another. One wonders if Fraternity Vacation would be so memorable if not for the very early appearance by Tim Robbins or the fleeting fame of Fright Night's Stephen Geoffreys as the nerd that finally gets some on the Florida strip. Without those two key ingredients, there's not much that holds this sucker afloat by itself. The humor is pretty standard, while the geek-to-chic conceit was basically nailed into the ground around this time. The flick does sport a fine soundtrack made of Bananarama tunes and other fine pop goodies, including a handful of tracks by Terminator composer Brad Fiedel, who croons a few hot tunes during some of the movie's many fun-under-the-sun montages. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Tracy Tynan - Costume Designer, James Frawley - Director, Chris Nelson - Editor, Brad Fiedel - Composer (Music Score), Art Names - Musical Direction/Supervision, Kyle Tucy - Makeup, Roberta Neiman - Production Designer, Paul Ryan - Cinematographer, Denise Di Novi - Producer, Chris Nelson - Producer, Robert C. Peters - Producer, Doanld Elmblad - Set Designer, Everett Creach - Stunts, Lindsay Harrison - Screenwriter
Fraternity Vacation is a 1985 B-movie romp starring Tim Robbins as an egregious frat boy of the Theta Pi Gamma fraternity (or, as they are known to their Iowa State frat rivals, the "Theta Pigs"). Also starring Stephen Geoffreys. On spring break in Palm Springs California, the midwestern frat animals' hijinks melt the icy winter away as rival fraternity beefcakes compete for the affections of a sophisticated co-ed. An innocent pledge provides the laughs as the "cool guys" try to pull off the big score.
Leigh McCloskey, of Just One of the Guys fame, plays Charles 'Chas' Lawlor III. Lawlor is the "pride of the Beta Ep's," a rival fraternity, the "bad guys" frat that boasts equally cool-dressed white men.
