Orange County
5/13/2002
COMEDY
Color, PG-13 (mature themes, language, sexual situations, drug usage), 82 min.,
VHS rental, DVD $29.99
Street: June 18, Prebook: May 23 (DVD May 7)
First Run: W, Jan. 2002, $41 mil.
Cast: Colin Hanks (Get Over It), Jack Black (Shallow Hal), Schuyler Fisk (Skeletons
in the Closet), Catherine O'Hara (Best in Show), John Lithgow (A Civil Action)
Director: Jake Kasdan
PARAMOUNT
Story Line: Desperate to leave his dysfunctional family in suburban California, high school senior Shaun Brumder (Hanks) goes to great lengths to get accepted to Stanford. Unfortunately, his drug-addled brother (Black), alcoholic mother (O'Hara), self-absorbed father (Lithgow) and overly optimistic girlfriend (Fisk) "help" his effort, causing disaster at every turn.
Bottom Line: The fact that Orange County performed well at the domestic box office despite largely tepid reviews suggests there is an audience for absurd farces reminiscent of After Hours and Go. A music-laden thinking teen comedy (there's not much gross out factor), Orange County plays better on the small screen, where the boundless energy and spiraling story are more tightly focused. Critics were hung up on cast and crew pedigrees (Kasdan is Lawrence's son, Colin is Tom's son, Fisk is Sissy Spacek's daughter), but who cares? On video, the audience can enjoy the well-structured chaos and eccentric characters. Word-of-mouth should keep this turning, particularly with the college and high school crowd. --Buzz McClain
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