OLD SCHOOL

US, 2002, 90 minutes, Colour.
Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughan, Jeremy Piven, Ellen Pompeo, Juliette Lewis, Leah Remeny, Perrey Reeves, Craig Kilborn, Alicia Cuthbert, Seann William Scott.
Directed by Todd Phillips.

A distraction from the raucous goings on of teenagers acting up in such films as American Pie or Road Trip would be to wonder what they would be like in ten years' time. Now we have the answer. In the words of the director, they regress and overact in juvenile drinking, sex and inane horseplay. And it is all up there on the screen in Old School. Unless you are identifying with the shenanigans, this can be hard going. The film rubs our noses in the antics and then tries to make some moral points, a kind of having one's cake and eating it. Yes, there are many gross moments. Yes, there are some funny moments. But, by and large it is a US campus version of Men Behaving Crassly. Vince Vaughan and Will Ferrall are convincing in their roles but main star Luke Wilson looks too much of a straight arrow to convince us that he is enjoying it all as much as he says he is.

1. The box office success of this film and films of its kind? The director at thirty, portraying adults acting in a juvenile way, the extroverted American style of crass comedy?

2. The university and city setting? The apartments, the fraternity houses, the university? The range of songs, Snoop Dogg and the other rap artists? The range of songs?

3. The credibility of the plot, the thirty-year-olds and their behaviour, their relationships, their attitudes towards drinking, having fun, responsibility and irresponsibility?

4. The three friends, the introduction to each of them, Frank's wedding, their behaviour at the wedding, at the reception? The bonds together, the past, the present? Their difficulties, Mitch and his accommodation, Beanie taking over? The big party, the conduct, their behaviour, the aftermath for each of them?

5. The introduction to Mitch, going out of the boring lecture, the early flight and the difficulties of security at the airport, finding his girlfriend and her behaviour? His disillusionment? Supporting Frank at the wedding, getting drunk, his speech and telling the story, the add with Nicole? The house, Beanie and his suggestion for the party? The raucous style? The aftermath, in bed with Darcy, the irony of her being the daughter of the boss and the consequences? The meeting with Nicole and his apology? The idea of the fraternity, Pritchard and his hostility? His being called The Godfather? The fraternity, the recruiting, the abductions? The training? The living of the rules, the stunts, the wrestling etc? Mitch at work, the friends wanting to join the fraternity? The clashes with his boss? The birthday party, Nicole, his catching Mark, Mark lying about him, Nicole believing it? The tests, the group fulfilling all the requirements? His deciding to get out of the fraternity, with Nicole, a future?

6. Beanie, the salesman, building up his companies, his TV advertisements? His irresponsibility - yet being with his kiddies, the earmuffs technique? Arranging the party? His work with the fraternity? Abducting the group? The training, his son's birthday party as a clown? Blue's death? The tests, his being on the hoops? His future?

7. Frank, his reputation, the marriage, the difficulties with Marissa, with the car, the loud music? Going to the party, drunk, running naked through the city, Marissa and the girls picking him up, going to the counsellor, talking about his straying eyes? The separation, with Mitch? The setting up of the fraternity? His compering the wrestling? His being stunned with the tranquilliser, his being brought back? His skills in the debate, in the athletics? His attack on Pritchard, getting the tape, Mitch helping him? His future - and meeting Heidi in the supermarket?

8. The women, secondary characters - yet standing up to the men? Nicole, memories of the past, her daughter, coming to the party, relationship with Mark, friendship with Mitch, getting the apartment, her attack on him, the reconciliation? Lara, the children, with Beanie, supporting him - and the end with Beanie and the kids at sport and attacking the referee? Marissa, wanting the ideal husband, the separation? With her girlfriends - the comedy of the blow-job instructor and Frank's reaction? Darcy and the youngsters, permissive, at parties?

9. The supporting characters, especially the members of the fraternity, Blue and his age, his death? Peppers and his having the tranquilliser and his place at the party?

10. Pritchard, his memories of the past, severity, bribing the student president, this backfiring on him, the tests, the chase? His being disgraced?

11. The people at the company, real estate and the law?

12. The popularity of this kind of comedy - for Americans - non-Americans not understanding fraternity houses or sharing in the comedy of adults acting like juveniles, regressing and irresponsible?