Oooh, that crusty dean is gonna get it this time. We’ll prank him up, Phi Beta Crappa-style! The frat house movie is a rich comedy tradition, and in that spirit, Old School is better than shotgunning a Heineken off some co-ed’s sweaty ass.
Luke Wilson plays the beleagured straight man to chronic asshole Vince Vaughn and Saturday Night Live alumnus and comic genius Will Ferrell in this tale of a trio of unhappy 30-year-olds who start a fraternity to deal with their mid-midlife crises, with wacky results.
After finding his girlfriend (Juliette Lewis) in a rather compromising position, Mitch (Wilson) moves into a new place near the local university, where his begrudgingly married chums Beanie (Vaughn) and Frank (Ferrell) proceed to party him back to health, much to the chagrin of the dean (Jeremy Piven).
When the partying gets the trio in trouble, their only solution is…more partying! They form a fraternity, though far from a traditional one. The multicultural group features Japanese businessmen, other middle-aged burnouts and a 90-year-old fellow named Blue, and Beanie promises they will contribute nothing to the community or the school.
With that established, the plot runs its course, battling the dean, fixing tattered relationships, trying to grow up, and finally pulling together at the end for one last stand. The fun, of course, comes in the gags. Far from the gross-out humour that plagued comedies in the late nineties, Old School mines the talents of Vaughn and Ferrell, with Ferrell shining as the recently married party animal still living out his college days. Streaking, K-Y Jelly wrestling and rhythmic gymnastics all come into play, as does a great creepy performance by late night talk show host Craig Kilborn and cameos by Andy Dick and Snoop Dogg. Good clean fun for the whole family. No, wait—good dirty fun for college kids and those who wish they still were. Rush Old School today, Greek!
