“Orange County”

By Julie Kane
Staff Writer

There should be some kind of law against showing scenes in the trailer that don’t actually appear in the film. Some editing is necessary, yes, but they should do that before they piece together the trailer for the film. Over 50 percent of the trailers seen on commercials, the ones that made the movie seem so appealing, never showed up on screen, making “Orange County” quite a disappointment.
Although it is not a good movie by any reasonable standard, “Orange County” still has its amusing moments. The hero of the flick is Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks), a California high schooler devoted to surfing and goofing off with his empty-headed buddies until he discovers a novel that entrances him and makes him want to become a writer. He submits a manuscript to one of his favorite writers at Stanford based on his own life in Orange County. He plans on attending Stanford after he graduates. The counselor assures him that his chances are so good at getting in, he won’t need to apply to any other schools. However, his application is mistakenly sent in with the wrong transcript, and he is denied entry. The movie takes Shaun from one ill-fated scheme to another to gain admission to the University while someone in his family always ruins his efforts.
When laughs do come in here and there, we can thank Jack Black. He has the best lines and the most animated presence. Jack Black makes the movie what it is. His brand of comedy succeeds in adding a few funny moments to the movie. He is also the driving force behind most of the storyline. Your opinion of the movie basically boils down to your opinion of Jack Black. If you don’t think he is funny, then you won’t think the movie is either–my advice: Stay Home!

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 8 2002. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry