Themes: Sibling Relationships, Fathers and Sons, Mothers and Sons
Main Cast: Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara, Schuyler Fisk, John Lithgow
Release Year: 2002
Country: US
Run Time: 81 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Some cast and crew from NBC's highly acclaimed, little-seen series Freaks and Geeks reunite for this teen comedy that also marks the first starring role for Tom Hanks' son, Colin. The younger Hanks plays Shaun Brumder, a high schooler eager to propel himself out of the land of surf bums and ranch homes to which the film's title refers. He's had his sights set on Stanford ever since he read the works of professor Marcus Skinner (Kevin Kline), and his transcript is stellar enough to gain him admission. Shaun is understandably furious, then, when he receives a rejection letter in the mail; after some detective work on his part, he realizes that his flaky counselor (Lily Tomlin) mistakenly sent the university the wrong papers. It's up to him to get to Stanford within 24 hours to set the record straight -- literally -- and he enlists the help of his slacker brother Lance (Jack Black) to do so. Orange County co-stars Catharine O'Hara and John Lithgow as Shaun and Lance's slightly unhinged parents; the film was directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Mike White, both of whom contributed to several episodes of Freaks and Geeks. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Review
Director Jake Kasdan's shaggy, haphazard teen comedy scores points for its likable (if miscast) leads and some inspired comic situations, but it's hard to think of the film as anything more than a missed opportunity. Orange County's scant 81-minute running time may provide some clues as to why: The best jokes in Mike White's mildly subversive script were most likely left on the cutting-room floor to avoid an "R" rating. What's left is a hodgepodge of gags about sex, substance abuse, and class privilege, some of which are spot-on in lampooning Southern Californian affluence, while others feel half-baked and perfunctory. Kasdan shoves the film along at a sprightly pace, but the economy comes at a price: The quick cutting and frequent close-ups rob County of its atmosphere and style, and most every role feels like an extended cameo. Even the inspired supporting work by Jack Black, Kevin Kline, and Catharine O'Hara fails to make an impression. On the plus side, the film's wall-to-wall pop/rock soundtrack -- a prerequisite for an MTV Films release -- makes room for some unexpected pleasures, including several sun-kissed Brian Wilson tracks and even a running parody of Crazy Town's corny hit single, "Butterfly." ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Felicia Fasano - Casting, Mary Vernieu - Casting, Anne McCarthy - Casting, Debra McGuire - Costume Designer, Carey Dietrich - First Assistant Director, Jake Kasdan - Director, Tara Timpone - Editor, Herbert W. Gains - Executive Producer, Adam Schroeder - Executive Producer, Michael Andrews - Composer (Music Score), Manish Raval - Musical Direction/Supervision, Tom Wolfe - Musical Direction/Supervision, Gary Frutkoff - Production Designer, Greg Gardiner - Cinematographer, Scott Rudin - Producer, Van Toffler - Producer, Scott Aversano - Producer, David Gale - Producer, Steven Schwartz - Set Designer, Keith A. Wester - Sound/Sound Designer, Mike White - Screenwriter, Robert Grieve - Supervising Sound Editor, Joel Shryack - Supervising Sound Editor, Chris Spellman - Set Decorator
Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) is a local surfer kid from Orange County, California who, after the death of his best friend Lonny (Brett Harrison), becomes disillusioned with his life and looks for another path. He stumbles upon a book titled "Straight Jacket", and decides to become an author. He dreams of going to Stanford University to study with the book's author, Marcus Skinner, and to get away from his dysfunctional household. When his application is rejected after his dim-witted guidance counselor (Lily Tomlin) sends in the wrong transcript, Shaun goes to great lengths to get into Stanford by any means possible, with a little help from his girlfriend Ashley (Schuyler Fisk) and his drugged-out older brother Lance (Jack Black).
