Old School (2003)
April 22, 2024 9:33 AM - Subscribe
Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity near their alma mater.
After discovering his girlfriend (Juliette Lewis) has been participating in group sex, attorney Mitch (Luke Wilson) feels his world come undone. He moves into a new place, which happens to be near a college campus, and tries to get his life back together. Two of his best friends, Frank (Will Ferrell) and Beanie (Vince Vaughn), start hanging out at Mitch's house, eventually turning the place into a wild party pad, much to the ire of the college's dean, Gordon "Cheese" Pritchard (Jeremy Piven).
Karina Montgomery: Vince Vaughn's uptight speaker mogul dad Beanie vacillates between his Swingers character Trent and a sort of crazed yuppie, with amusing results. Luke Wilson is predictably appealing as the put-upon straight man Mitch with brains of gold. And Will Ferrell isŠvery very brave. And, I must say, appears to have actually memorized his dialogue, which I appreciated. It helps him be funnier. Also, his character actually has, well, levels. I KNOW. In addition, his self-deprecating loser Frank stole the show. Again, I reel with the shock! They prance merrily through a crass sea of overt product placement and classic gags and frat movie stereotypes, and they dance a good little jig. Some of the little side plots come off a little awkwardly (the girl who got away, Ferrell's wife's personal struggles) but nothing ruinous. A good, silly time, empty calories but oh so tasty. It's a beer on a hot day, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Prairie Miller: Bent on making the best of a messed-up situation, the three cook up a scheme of starting a fraternity house so as to qualify for the residency requirements. But the lure of leading an actual frat existence takes hold of their fantasy lives, and these over-the-hill hellraisers are soon giving in recklessly to their inner party animals.
Like their own personal return to college days, Old School is mostly a rerun of antics that have been played out many times before in campus comedies. Will Ferrell attracts the major attention on screen, in particular when sauntering through a Snoop Dogg concert and then about town in the buff after being stung by an animal tranquilizer gun.
A passing pleasure now and then (but not often enough) are the marginal characters who compensate for the bland plot. In Old School's favor also is a sly play on corny pop song backdrops that get redeemed here as self-parody, rather than the usual intermittent irritant soundtracks in such movies.
Liz Locke: I really shouldn’t like this week’s film as much as I do. Old School (DVD/Download) is, on the surface, a raucous comedy that should probably appeal to the lowest common denominator of frat-bros. But somehow, it still has me in stitches. Chalk it up to the surprisingly nuanced comedy of Will Ferrell, or perhaps just that one Graduate-throwback scene in the swimming pool. Whatever it is, it was enough to make me want to see this movie twice in the theater when it was released, and laugh my (earmuffs) ass off each time.
Although much of the action centers around three adult friends who decide to start a fraternity open to all ages, what always gets me are the simple jokes about real 30-something life. I mean, haven’t we all had a nice little Saturday involving Home Depot and Bed Bath ‘n Beyond? Or had to censor ourselves around small children? Or suffered through drunken wedding toasts? The more broadly comedic scenes involving old man Blue and KY wrestling matches may get more laughs, but for me, it’s the believable situations of couples counseling and children’s birthday parties that elevate the film to a higher standard.
Trailer
After discovering his girlfriend (Juliette Lewis) has been participating in group sex, attorney Mitch (Luke Wilson) feels his world come undone. He moves into a new place, which happens to be near a college campus, and tries to get his life back together. Two of his best friends, Frank (Will Ferrell) and Beanie (Vince Vaughn), start hanging out at Mitch's house, eventually turning the place into a wild party pad, much to the ire of the college's dean, Gordon "Cheese" Pritchard (Jeremy Piven).
Karina Montgomery: Vince Vaughn's uptight speaker mogul dad Beanie vacillates between his Swingers character Trent and a sort of crazed yuppie, with amusing results. Luke Wilson is predictably appealing as the put-upon straight man Mitch with brains of gold. And Will Ferrell isŠvery very brave. And, I must say, appears to have actually memorized his dialogue, which I appreciated. It helps him be funnier. Also, his character actually has, well, levels. I KNOW. In addition, his self-deprecating loser Frank stole the show. Again, I reel with the shock! They prance merrily through a crass sea of overt product placement and classic gags and frat movie stereotypes, and they dance a good little jig. Some of the little side plots come off a little awkwardly (the girl who got away, Ferrell's wife's personal struggles) but nothing ruinous. A good, silly time, empty calories but oh so tasty. It's a beer on a hot day, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Prairie Miller: Bent on making the best of a messed-up situation, the three cook up a scheme of starting a fraternity house so as to qualify for the residency requirements. But the lure of leading an actual frat existence takes hold of their fantasy lives, and these over-the-hill hellraisers are soon giving in recklessly to their inner party animals.
Like their own personal return to college days, Old School is mostly a rerun of antics that have been played out many times before in campus comedies. Will Ferrell attracts the major attention on screen, in particular when sauntering through a Snoop Dogg concert and then about town in the buff after being stung by an animal tranquilizer gun.
A passing pleasure now and then (but not often enough) are the marginal characters who compensate for the bland plot. In Old School's favor also is a sly play on corny pop song backdrops that get redeemed here as self-parody, rather than the usual intermittent irritant soundtracks in such movies.
Liz Locke: I really shouldn’t like this week’s film as much as I do. Old School (DVD/Download) is, on the surface, a raucous comedy that should probably appeal to the lowest common denominator of frat-bros. But somehow, it still has me in stitches. Chalk it up to the surprisingly nuanced comedy of Will Ferrell, or perhaps just that one Graduate-throwback scene in the swimming pool. Whatever it is, it was enough to make me want to see this movie twice in the theater when it was released, and laugh my (earmuffs) ass off each time.
Although much of the action centers around three adult friends who decide to start a fraternity open to all ages, what always gets me are the simple jokes about real 30-something life. I mean, haven’t we all had a nice little Saturday involving Home Depot and Bed Bath ‘n Beyond? Or had to censor ourselves around small children? Or suffered through drunken wedding toasts? The more broadly comedic scenes involving old man Blue and KY wrestling matches may get more laughs, but for me, it’s the believable situations of couples counseling and children’s birthday parties that elevate the film to a higher standard.
Trailer
Yeah I don't remember all that much from the movie except that I found it funny back in the day. However, the tranquilizer to the neck scene has me laughing just thinking about it.
posted by Literaryhero at 6:12 PM on April 22 [1 favorite]
posted by Literaryhero at 6:12 PM on April 22 [1 favorite]
Mainly I remember getting the nickname "Tank" for some reason.
posted by whuppy at 7:26 AM on April 23 [1 favorite]
posted by whuppy at 7:26 AM on April 23 [1 favorite]
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But in posting I realized I had forgot a lot of the actual plot. Great scenes, but I'm now curious how well it actually holds together.
posted by Carillon at 9:37 AM on April 22 [1 favorite]