"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son." The quote from the late John Vernon playing Dean Wormer in the movie "Animal House" is one of the most recognizable lines in the history of film. As someone who grew up hearing my father quote this movie, I was pleasantly surprised to see it listed as one of the movies being shown at the IAH film festival last weekend. After watching the film, there is still no doubt in my mind that "Animal House" is the greatest college film of all time.
To be a great college movie, there need to be three main things in the film; lovable relatable characters, an emphasis on frat life, and a heavy focus on the extracurricular activities in college, rather than strictly on the academic side. "Animal House" absolutely hits on all three.
When it comes to characters, who can forget the image of Bluto (played by John Belushi) piling his plate sky high in the cafeteria and then proceeding to start a food fight? Is it possible not to root for the two innocent, nerdy freshman pledges Pinto (Thomas Hulce) and Flounder (Stephen Furst) as they try and fit into the Delta Tau Chi fraternity? Even supporting characters like pot smoking Professor Dave Jennings (Donald Sutherland) or African-American singer Otis Day (DeWayne Jessie) had limited roles but were extremely memorable in the grand scheme of things. The characters in "Animal House" were very well defined and extremely relatable, as I know I wasn't the only one sitting in the crowd who knows a frat guy who's just like Greg Marmalard (James Daughton).
Frat life is huge in college. Everyone knows the stereotypes that come along with it, and "Animal House" hits on it in a comedic way. The top-tier Omega Theta Pi fraternity that Pinto and Flounder attempted to rush, but were shunned from, is a perfect replication of one of your "tier I" fraternities. The nice house, the high class suits, and the cheerleaders at the door let you know immediately that our two main characters, Pinto and Flounder, have no chance of getting in. Meanwhile, the disaster that is the Delta Tau Chi house, is you're typical "on probation" fraternity. The movie showcases them as a rules-don't-apply-to-us bunch who are always on the verge of being kicked out. The rivalry between these two fraternities is a huge story line and part of the film's lust.
The shenanigans that take place in college are memories for a lifetime. You might not remember what you learned in your freshman year english class, but you definitely remember that one crazy weekend you had with your best friends. "Animal House" does a great job focusing on the lighter aspects of college life, such as the scene where Delta Tau Chi brothers Otter (Tim Matheson) and Boon (Peter Riegert) hit golf balls at the ROTC cadet officer for picking on their pledges. The comedic aspect of being a young adult on your own for the first time is the main draw to a great college movie, and "Animal House" gives us plenty of situations that send us into laughter.
Like I said before, "Animal House" still stands as the greatest college film ever made. I would recommend seeing this move again and again, especially as a college freshman. Even though it's over thirty years old, "Animal House" is still a classic.
I actually wanted to see this movie, unfortuantly the library nor netflix had it. But I completly agree with you when you mention how we wont remeber stuff in our freshman year classes but how we will definatly remeber crazy weekends with our friends. Overall I agree with your statments and reading your post makes me want to watch this movie even more.
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to see this movie, (I'm one of the few people who have never had the chance to see it), but the time conflicted with my schedule. It sounds so funny though, and I definitely agree that all college movies need to have at least a few aspects of frat/party life mixed in with them. It's the fun times like those that will bring the best memories, afterall! Great review!
ReplyDeleteI have seen this movie over and over again and i agree that without a doubt it is the greatest college film. It is a timeless classic that not only relates to our generation but generations before us. I also wrote a review on this and i found that are two were very similar. You captured how the movie was about the fun, carefree part of college and that is very important. The summary was great also and gave the reader a real good idea of what the films focuses were, breaking rules and having fun.
ReplyDeleteI also selected this movie for this blog post. I completely agree on the humor of the film. It made me laugh on numerous occasions. Not being apart of frat life I do not have the first hand view of some of the similarities. The guys in this movie were very entertaining and I think your review hit every point of the movie. Great Job!
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