Meatballs is a 1979 Canadian comedy film. It is noted for the first film appearance of Bill Murray in a starring role and for launching director Ivan Reitman into a distinguished career of financially successful comedies including Stripes and Ghostbusters. The film also introduced child-actor Chris Makepeace in the role of Rudy Gerner. Considered somewhat raunchy in its day, today the film is considered a classic. It was followed by several sequels, of which only Meatballs III: Summer Job had any connection to the original.
The title of the movie refers to an epithet used in the film, which is not further explained.
Plot
The film follows the antics and foibles of head counsellor Tripper Harrison (Bill Murray) and the counsellors-in-training (CITs) at Camp North Star, a cut-rate summer camp located in the "North Woods." The characters range from reasonably sane to zany and screwball.
The main plot involves Rudy Gerner (Chris Makepeace), a lonely kid who is sent to summer camp by his father (assumedly a single father, as his mother is not seen or mentioned). Noticing Rudy is unable to fit in, Tripper takes him under his wing and each morning they go jogging and bond as friends. Tripper helps Rudy gain confidence while Rudy gives Tripper the courage to start a romance with Roxanne (Kate Lynch), the female head counsellor.
Love is also in the air for other CITs. Candace (Sarah Torgov) "kidnaps" Crockett (Russ Banham) in a speedboat and confesses her feelings for him. Wheels (Todd Hoffman), who had broken up with A.L. (Kristine DeBell) the year before, successfully rekindles their relationship during a dance. The nerdy Spaz (Jack Blum) develops a crush on Jackie (Margot Pinvidic), who appreciates his kindness and decency.
Morty Melnick (Harvey Atkin) is the North Star Camp director and the butt of the camp's practical jokes. Tripper's favorite running gag on Morty is invading his cabin in the middle of the night and relocating the deep-sleeping director to unusual places such as in a tree or on the roadside, or even placing him on a raft and sending him out to the middle of the lake.
A parallel plot deals with Camp North Star's rivalry with Camp Mohawk, a wealthier camp located across the lake whose members treat them with disdain. During a basketball game, North Star is being thoroughly trounced by Mohawk when they attempt their own perverse form of victory. This sets the stage for the yearly Olympiad held between the camps in which Mohawk carries a 12-0 record against North Star.
During the first day of competition, and as with the previous 12 Olympiads, Mohawk dominates North Star, utilizing cheating tactics in many cases to win. Crockett fails to clear the high jump bar, Hardware (Matt Craven) gets pummeled in boxing, and Jackie suffers a broken leg in field hockey, thanks to the dirty work of two Mohawk girls. The score at the end of Day One is: Mohawk-170, North Star-63.
Demoralized that evening at the North Star Lodge, Tripper gives a rousing speech, telling crestfallen camp residents that it doesn't matter whether they win or lose, because all the really good looking girls will still go out with the guys from Camp Mohawk because they've got all the money. In unison, Camp North Star begins to chant, "It just doesn't matter!"
Newly inspired, Day Two of the Olympiad belongs to North Star as they defeat Mohawk in every event. Wheels outwrestles his opponent, Spaz defeats Rhino (Vince Guerriero) in a stacking contest with inspiration from Jackie and a thwarted Mohawk cheating attempt, and after 12 years of defeat Fink finally beats "The Stomach" (Peter Hume) in the hot dog eating contest. With North Star now trailing Mohawk by only 10 points and one event left, a 4-mile cross country marathon for 20 points, North Star needs a participant to replace the injured Jackie. Tripper steps forward and elects a surprised Rudy to compete against Horse (Jim McLarty), Mohawk's star runner. The many mornings Rudy spent jogging and training with Tripper pay off as he wins the race in dramatic fashion, giving North Star its first Olympiad victory over Mohawk.
Later that evening, Morty, Tripper, Roxanne and the CITs sing around a campfire and say their final goodbyes as the camp prepares to close for the summer. Roxanne agrees to come live with Tripper and, on a motorcycle, the two of them lead the buses out of camp.
Cast
Filming locations
The movie was filmed at Camp White Pine and other locations near Haliburton, Ontario, Canada. It features a number of Canadian actors, most notably Chris Makepeace and Harvey Atkin, who plays the long-suffering Morty, the camp director who is the butt of practical jokes made possible by his tendency to sleep deeply.
Reception
The film currently holds a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Music
The instrumental music was written by Elmer Bernstein. Musicians contributing to the soundtrack included Mary MacGregor performing "Good Friend," David Naughton performing "Makin' It" and Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots performing the title theme "Meatballs." "Good Friend" and "Makin' It" made the Billboard and Cashbox pop charts (see below).
Soundtrack discography
Singles
- Makin' It (by David Naughton) (Billboard #5, Cashbox #5) / Still Makin' It (instrumental of A-side) -- RSO 916—1979
- Good Friend (by Mary MacGregor) (Billboard #39, Cashbox #44) / Rudy and Tripper (dialogue from film) -- RSO 938—1979
Album
- Meatballs Soundtrack (Billboard #170) -- RSO 1-3056—August 1979
-
- Tracks: Are You Ready For The Summer (North Star Camp Kids' Chorus) / C.I.T. Song (The cast) / Good Friend (Mary MacGregor) / Makin' It (David Naughton) / Meatballs (Rick Dees) / Moondust (Terry Black) / Olympiad (instrumental) / Rudy and Tripper (instrumental) / Rudy Wins The Race (instrumental)
Production notes
- During filming of the movie during the summer of 1978, Camp White Pine continued business as usual, resulting in many campers and staff members being used as extras and secondary characters in the film.
- An actual Camp North Star exists in Poland Spring, Maine and Hayward, Wisconsin.
- In the DVD release of the film, all of the music remains except for the title track, which seems to have been slightly redubbed by Bill Murray and the pace changed to a faster tempo.
- In one scene Bill Murray is seen wearing a Chicago Blackhawks jacket. Murray is a native of Wilmette, IL, a Chicago suburb.
- According to the DVD commentary, scenes of the first day of camp were the first day of actual shooting for Bill Murray. He was signed to do the film at the last minute because of his commitment to Saturday Night Live. His outfit, the Hawaiian shirt and red shorts, were his own clothes that he showed up on set with.
- Chris Makepeace started going through puberty during filming. He started to show signs of facial hair so Bill Murray assisted him with his very first shave.
- Kate Lynch was chosen for the role as Roxanne because she did not look like a supermodel and would be taken more seriously.
- Harold Ramis said that Reitman didn't know for certain whether Murray would be in the movie until he showed up for the first day of filming.[1]
Home video and DVD
Meatballs was first released on DVD in 1999 by HBO (although Paramount Pictures was behind the original theatrical release and the first VHS and Selectavision release in the 1980s, and also continue to hold international video rights.) Sony Pictures issued a special-edition DVD (with an anamorphic transfer, a director's commentary, and a "Making of" featurette) on June 5, 2007. However, the sequels did not receive the same treatment of re-release.
Sequels
References
- ^ Martin, Brett (July 2009). "Harold Ramis Gets the Last Laugh". GQ: 64–67, 124–25. http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_9558&pageNum=3. Retrieved 2009-06-22. "Bill left Ivan hanging, though. Ivan didn’t know if he was going to be there until the day they started shooting.".
External links
