ORANGE COUNTY
US, 2002, 82 minutes, Colour.
Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Schuyler Fisk, Catherine O' Hara, John Lithgow, Mike White, Lily Tomlin, Chevy Chase, Gary Marshall, Dean Ivey, Lizzy Kaplan, Harold Ramis, Jane Adams, Kevin Kline, Ben Stiller.
Directed by Jake Kasdan.
A film of only 80 minutes but one with much more charm and much more humour than the average high school story. Colin Hanks (son of Tom) is more persuasive as a would-be writer than as a surfer. He wants to get into Stanford and be taught by a novelist he idolises. When his school counsellor sends in the wrong grades and he is rejected, a couple of days of chaotic comedy ensue - until he realises that home is where the heart is (no matter how dysfunctional it is) and that to be a writer, there is no substitute for one's own real experience.
Causing the chaos are the parents (John Lithgow and Catherine O' Hara at their best, giving their characters more depth than the caricatures they might have been) and Jack Black, fast becoming the Hollywood master of double-take yobbery (High Fidelity, Jesus Son, Shallow Hal). Helping our hero through are Schuyler Fisk (in real life Sissy Spacek's daughter) as the generous girlfriend and Harold Ramis as the Dean of Admissions. Mike White, who wrote the screenplay, is the English teacher.
The film is spiced with cameos from Chevy Chase (the teacher preparing the graduation day and wanting Britney Spears as guest speaker), Lily Tomlin as the befuddled counsellor, Ben Stiller as a firefighter, Gary Marshall as a Stanford professor and, ultimately giving the film its serious message, Kevin Kline as the novelist. It's not bad at all.
1. The title, the place? The county? California? Expectations?
2. A short story, the background of surfing, writing, college, Stanford University, family?
3. The strong cast and guest cameos?
4. The locations, the beach, the giant waves and surf, homes, school and offices, parties, the road, the Stanford campus, the burning building, the beach? The musical score and the range of songs?
5. The moral of the story: be true to oneself, honest?
6. The blend of beach and surf, sex with serious themes, and ambitions?
7. Sean, his age, the narration, a surfer, his stoner friends, Lonnie and the accidental death? The funeral? Finding the book, reading it many times, the letter to the author, Sean thinking, beginning to write, continued writing?
8. The background of his family, his mother, her story, the divorce, marrying Bob, his inabilities? Drinking? Creating scenes? Self-preoccupation? Lance as his brother, Jack Black style, the comic scenes, stoned?
9. Going to visit his father, the bratty child, the wife and her flirting, his father and business, not doing anything for Sean, his being struck by what Sean said?
10. School, the friendship with Ashley, the Marine biology class, her ambitions, Chevy Chase as the teacher, wanting Britney Spears as the guest lecturer? Mike White as the Teacher trying to get class attention? Lily Tomlin as the dean, daffy, the wrong documents, saying Sean will be a shoe-in, his failure, his return and attacking her?
11. The girl getting in, her letter, Sean ringing home, Lancet’s awkwardness, Ashley and her friendship, blackmailing her friend, making contact with the authorities?
12. The visit of the authorities, proper, husband-and-wife, the mother promising to be good, welcoming them, telling her story, drinking? Lance, the parole officer wanting the urine sample, wanting Sean to supply it, spilling it, in his underpants? The stoners coming in, challenging Sean about his priorities and the memorial for Lonnie? The couple rushing away – no entry to Stanford?
13. Ashley, confessing that she prayed that he would fail, the suggestion about the decision to go to Stanford, Lance and his driving, erratic?
14. The secretary refusing, 10 PM? The decision to go to the Dean’s house, the wife and the daughters and their the packing, giving the Dean the wrong tablet, the sympathetic Dean, being on high, discovering the fire?
15. Lance, going back in, the encounter with the secretary, the sex, burning the document, the fire, the police arriving, Ben Stiller as the policeman, Lance and the driving away, escape?
16. Sean, seeing the author, his having read the story, affirmation, the discussion, his good advice? Then Sean writing a letter that he would stay in Orange County?
17. The father coming to the house, the attraction of the parents, their spending the night together, his organising the divorce, the wife very glib, landing the son with him?
18. Sean staying in Orange County, to be himself, to be a writer, the bond with Ashley, going back into the surf?
