Orange County
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Written by: Mike White
Starring: Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Schuyler Fisk, John Lithgow, Catherine O’Hara, Harold Ramis

Like many other Jack Black fans, I have been waiting for Jack’s big breakthrough performance. He has been around for awhile, landing small parts in “Bob Roberts” and “the Cable Guy” , and his most famed role as a snarky store clerk in “High Fidelity”

It was the latter of those I mentioned, as well as an HBO series based on his band Tenacious D where he really started to get attention. He’s had chances since then that havent really worked out in the form of “Saving Silverman” and “Shallow Hal”. There really hasnt been a successful film vehicle to appropriately show Jacks dirty, funny-yet-sorta-vulgar humor.

With the Orange County trailers, it would seem that Jack had been put in a buddy comedy with Colin Hanks (yes, Tom Hanks’ son, we’ll get to that). All the posters have them billed as co-stars. I expected a big heap of Jack Black as a dirty, stoner brother. This character, I thought, IS PERFECT for Black, and should propell him to a new level of notoriety.

Well, I’m sad to report three words: bait and switch. Jack Black isnt in this movie half as much as the trailers would make you believe. Its not that this role still wasn’t perfect for Black (because it is). Its just disappointing to be let down by not enough of a good thing. I wanted more from this film, and it didn’t want to give me what it promised.

Oh, the movie itself? Colin Hanks plays Shaun Brumder, who is a high school student who has decided to enroll to Stamford in order to get away from the city, which isnt exactly, as Shaun says “a good environment for an aspiring writer”. One would have to agree, with Shauns stoner friends trying to divert him from his goals, his divorced parents not really paying attention to him, and his stoner brother Lance (Black) being “an embarrassment”.

A series of events that should garner laughs but really only induce “Meet the Parents”-esque “I feel sorry for that guy” moments cause Shaun to lose his spot at Stamford. Since his counsellor (a cameo by Lily Tomlin) said he was a ’shoo-in’, Shaun hasnt applied anywhere else. He is truly screwed. So of course, he and Lance take off to Stamford to try to convince the Admissions staff to take him back in, as well he sorta roams around and gets a little bit of what its like at college. Again, more falling, hurting, misunderstandings and things misplaced of the “Meet the Parents” variety make everything look hopeless for Shaun. Hanks does good in his role as Shaun, playing him as a smart kid who you worry for. Its pretty fun to see just how much he is like his dad, from his expressions to the same wacky screaming. Compare “Because thats what you do after high school!” to “There’s no crying in baseball!” and you’ll see what I mean.

Meanwhile, Lance does his own wandering around the campus which results in much funnier results. The best sequences of the film are with Black (of course), particularly a scene between Lance and Ben Stiller, in another of a countless amount of cameos.

I’m sure what I have listed sounds like a decent film. It should have been and could have been if they had focused on these characters. However, there are several x-factors I have to mention.

You see, Shaun has a girlfriend named Ashley (Schuyler Fisk, the redheaded best friend in “snow day”). She doesnt want Shaun to leave, even going so far as praying that he stays in Orange County. However, she still tags along for pretty much EVERY SINGLE MINUTE. She’s about as funny as a broomstick, has less personality as a broomstick, and if I had the choice of having sex with Schuyler Fisk or a broomstick, I’m picking the broomstick. Fisk is so damned ugly I could weep. I would usually never try to bring someones looks into a review, but I really feel strongly about this case. Her face – it hurts me.

Also, a Catherine O’Hara/John Lithgow subplot doesnt really go anywhere but to lead to a deus ex machina ending with a message that doesnt really make sense considering the way the characters were portrayed, and considering how people really think.

In its defence, Orange County is never stupid or pandering. It is not a typical teen movie (thank god), but I’m not sure the majority of the teen audience really appreciated it. It plays out like the series premiere of a TV show, where it would be much more watchable and forgiving of the parents subplot. I’d suggest the writers focus on that medium instead, but they did, and it was called “Freaks and Geeks” and no one watched. Will the writers do better next time round? I think they will, as theres enough good in this film to hold hope. Cross your fingers. — The Goon