Hair High

Last updated
Hair High
Hair High FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by Bill Plympton
Written byBill Plympton
Produced byBill Plympton
Starring Ed Begley, Jr.
Craig Bierko
David Carradine
Keith Carradine
Beverly D'Angelo
Hayley DuMond
Eric Gilliland
Matt Groening
Don Hertzfeldt
Peter Jason
Justin Long
Dermot Mulroney
Tom Noonan
Zak Orth
Martha Plimpton
Jay O. Sanders
Michael Showalter
Sarah Silverman
CinematographyJohn Donnelly
Music byHank Bones
Production
company
Distributed by Starz Distribution
Release date
  • April 17, 2004 (2004-04-17)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$400,000
Box office$127,300

Hair High is a 2004 American adult animated horror romantic comedy film by American filmmaker Bill Plympton. [1] The film is a spoof of late-1950s and early-1960s high school films. [2]

Contents

Plot

A gothic high-school comedy with a Carrie -like story. A bickering teen couple, Wally (Michael Showalter) and Buttercup (Hayley DuMond) visit Jojo (Keith Carradine)’s Diner for a drink. Since they have relationship issues with each other, Jojo decides to tell a story about a couple like them. The story he quotes is “a tale of the prom, of love, of Cherri and Spud.”

Cherri (Sarah Silverman) and Rod (Dermot Mulroney) are the Echo Lake high school king and queen and they justifiably rule their domain. Cherri’s friend, Darlene (Beverly D'Angelo) is also in love with Rod while his friend Zip (Zak Orth) is in love with her. Spud (Eric Gilliland), the new kid in town, accidentally offends both Cherri and Rod when he scuffs Rod’s car and he writes an insulting note to Cherri. He is consequently forced to become her slave.

Naturally and immediately, they hate each other, such as making him do her bidding and humiliating him after a football game, but later on, they fall in love. Cherri and Spud secretly decide to go to the prom together, and on prom night, a rejected Rod forces their car off the road and into the lake. In true 1950s ballad style, their car sinks to the bottom of the lake as they share one last kiss. Wally thinks the story is over, but Buttercup thinks otherwise, with Jojo agreeing with her.

Going back to the story, Rod lied to teacher Miss Crumbles (Martha Plimpton) that Spud stole Cherri and moved to Mexico with her, having Darlene crowned prom queen and himself designated the remaining prom king. While the bodies of Cherri and Spud lie in a timeless embrace, Rod is successful in thwarting any investigation and is able to get away with murder.

On the night of the following year's prom, the car magically comes to life and slowly drives out of the lake with Cherri and Spud, as if nothing had happened, only this time their bodies are in an advanced state of decomposition. Their rusty and water-logged car drives to the prom. Just as Rod and Darlene are about to be crowned king and queen of the prom as before, Cherri and Spud enter the ballroom. The spotlight follows them as they cross the dance floor, with all the attendees in shock. As they approach the stage, spiders, bugs, snakes, lizards and fish ooze from their sagging skin and skeletal bodies, eating Rod’s friend Dwayne (Justin Long).

The prom attendees, including Darlene, freak as they mount the stairs to the stage. Spud takes the crown and places it on Cherri as the animals attack and devour Rod, allowing them to be prom king and queen. At the diner Buttercup sobs over how tragic but beautiful it was, but Wally tries to find out what the point of the story is. Jojo explains to them that Cherri and Spud created a special romance in their short lives. They laugh and joke about it, until they hear the familiar car sounds of Cherri and Spud driving to the prom. Now believing that the story is true, Wally and Buttercup make up with a kiss. Jojo asks if they believe the story. Wally says that he guesses so, and the film ends with him asking “Who made up this story?” [3]

Cast

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 75% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. [4]  At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews". [5]

Release

It had its U.S. cinema premiere on 17 April 2004 and was released on DVD on 21 July 2010. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Plimpton</span> American actress (born 1970)

Martha Plimpton is an American actress, activist, and former model. Her feature-film debut was in Rollover (1981); she subsequently rose to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies (1985). She has also appeared in The Mosquito Coast (1986), Shy People (1987), Running on Empty (1988), Parenthood (1989), Samantha (1992), Small Town Murder Songs (2011), Frozen II (2019), and Mass (2021).

<i>In & Out</i> (film) 1997 comedy film directed by Frank Oz

In & Out is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Frank Oz, written by Paul Rudnick, and starring Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds, Bob Newhart, Shalom Harlow, and Wilford Brimley. Cusack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, but lost to Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential.

<i>Wet Hot American Summer</i> 2001 American comedy film

Wet Hot American Summer is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by David Wain from a screenplay written by Wain and Michael Showalter. The film features an ensemble cast, including Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Michael Showalter, Elizabeth Banks, Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Zak Orth, and A. D. Miles. It takes place during the last full day at a fictional summer camp in 1981, and spoofs the sex comedies aimed at teen audiences of that era.

<i>Steel Magnolias</i> 1989 American comedy-drama film

Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Academy Award winners Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, and Olympia Dukakis with Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts. The film is a film adaptation of Robert Harling's 1987 play of the same name about the bond a group of women share in a small-town Southern community, and how they cope with the death of one of their own. The supporting cast features Tom Skerritt, Dylan McDermott, Sam Shepard and Kevin J. O'Connor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Plympton</span> American illustrator, animator, and film director

Bill Plympton is an American animator, graphic designer, cartoonist, and filmmaker best known for his 1987 Academy Awards-nominated animated short Your Face and his series of shorts featuring a dog character starting with 2004's Guard Dog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Carradine</span> American actor (born 1949)

Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film Nashville, E. J. Bellocq in Louis Malle's Pretty Baby, Mickey in Alan Rudolph's Choose Me, Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series Deadwood, FBI agent Frank Lundy in Dexter, Lou Solverson in the first season of Fargo, and US president Conrad Dalton in Madam Secretary. He also had a recurring role as Penny's father Wyatt in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He is a member of the Carradine family of actors that began with his father, John Carradine.

<i>Not Another Teen Movie</i> 2001 film by Joel Gallen

Not Another Teen Movie is a 2001 American teen parody film directed by Joel Gallen and written by Mike Bender, Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Phil Beauman, and Buddy Johnson. It features Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, Eric Christian Olsen, Eric Jungmann, Mia Kirshner, Deon Richmond, Cody McMains, Sam Huntington, Samm Levine, Cerina Vincent, Ron Lester, Randy Quaid, Lacey Chabert, Riley Smith and Samaire Armstrong.

<i>The Gumball Rally</i> 1976 film by Charles Bail

The Gumball Rally is a 1976 American comedy film directed and co-written by Charles Bail, a former stunt coordinator also known as Chuck Bail, about an illicit coast-to-coast road race. It was inspired by the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash run by Brock Yates, which inspired several other films, including Cannonball (1976), Cannonball Run (1981), and Speed Zone (1989), as well as an actual event, the American Gumball Rally and Gumball 3000 international race.

<i>Never Been Kissed</i> 1999 film by Raja Gosnell

Never Been Kissed is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell and starring Drew Barrymore, Jessica Alba, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Leelee Sobieski, Jeremy Jordan, Molly Shannon, Garry Marshall, John C. Reilly and James Franco in his film debut.

<i>Body Bags</i> (film) 1993 American horror comedy anthology television film

Body Bags is a 1993 American horror comedy anthology television film featuring three unconnected stories, with bookend segments featuring John Carpenter, Tom Arnold and Tobe Hooper as deranged morgue attendees. It was directed by Carpenter and Hooper, with Larry Sulkis handling the bookend segments. It first aired on August 8, 1993. It is notable for its numerous celebrity cameo appearances.

<i>The Baxter</i> 2005 film by Michael Showalter

The Baxter is a 2005 American comedy film written by, directed by and starring comedian Michael Showalter. A "Baxter", as defined by the film, is the nice, dull guy in a romantic comedy who is dumped at the end of the story for the protagonist.

<i>Josh and S.A.M.</i> 1993 film by Billy Weber

Josh and S.A.M. is a 1993 American road comedy-drama film starring Noah Fleiss, Jacob Tierney, and Martha Plimpton. The film is about two young brothers who run away from home due to emotional conflict over the divorce of their parents. It was directed by Billy Weber and produced by Martin Brest.

<i>The Great Outdoors</i> (film) 1988 American comedy film directed by Howard Deutch

The Great Outdoors is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Howard Deutch, written and produced by John Hughes, and starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy with supporting roles done by Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening, Chris Young, Lucy Deakins, and Robert Prosky. The film is about two families spending a vacation at a lake resort in the fictional town of Pechoggin, Wisconsin. Aykroyd, Candy, and Young reprise their roles from Hughes' previous film, She's Having a Baby.

<i>Where the Money Is</i> 2000 American film

Where the Money Is is a 2000 American crime comedy-drama film directed by Marek Kanievska, written by E. Max Frye, and starring Paul Newman, Linda Fiorentino and Dermot Mulroney. The film, a box office failure, was Newman's second-to-last live-action theatrical release, though he would continue doing award-winning voice-over and live action television work for a number of years. It has also to date been Fiorentino's last theatrically released film.

<i>My Teachers Wife</i> 1995 film by Bruce Leddy

My Teacher's Wife is a 1995 teen sex comedy film directed by Bruce Leddy, and written by Seth Greenland. Originally titled "Bad With Numbers," the story follows the travails of Southport High School senior Todd Boomer whose lifelong dream of going to Harvard is derailed by his hard-nosed calculus teacher Mr. Mueller. When Todd enlists the tutoring help of the sexy and mysterious Vicki, things go from bad to worse when it is revealed that she is married to his teacher.

<i>The Loved Ones</i> (film) 2009 Australian horror film

The Loved Ones is a 2009 Australian horror film written and directed by Sean Byrne in his feature directorial debut. It stars Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, Victoria Thaine, Jessica McNamee, Richard Wilson, and John Brumpton. The film follows a teenage boy who finds himself at the mercy of a classmate's demented party after he declines her offer to attend the school dance.

<i>Prom</i> (film) 2011 film directed by Joe Nussbaum

Prom is a 2011 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Joe Nussbaum written by Katie Wech and produced by Ted Griffin and Justin Springer. It was released on April 29, 2011, by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was the first major production that was filmed with Arri Alexa cameras to be released in theatres.

<i>Bad Hair Day</i> (film) 2015 television film directed by Érik Canuel

Bad Hair Day is a Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered on February 13, 2015, starring Laura Marano and Leigh-Allyn Baker. The story centers on 16-year-old Monica Reeves, who is running for Prom Queen at her high school. One day, she wakes up with crazy hair after combining loads of different products. But Monica soon has bigger things to worry about when ex-police Lieutenant Elizabeth "Liz" Morgan arrives at Monica’s door in search of a $7 million diamond necklace. The two become unlikely friends as they race to fix Monica’s hair for prom and protect the necklace from falling into the hands of a world-renewed jewel thief, Pierce Peters.

<i>Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp</i> Comedy streaming television series

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp is a comedy television miniseries written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and directed by Wain. First Day of Camp is the second installment in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise. The eight-episode Netflix series is a prequel to Wain's 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, a parody of teen sex comedies which has since developed a cult following. Although many of the original film's ensemble cast have gone on to high-profile work, all of the then-adult actors returned for this series, playing even younger versions of their original roles. The episodes were released for online viewing at the end of July 2015.

<i>Senior Year</i> (2022 film) 2022 teen comedy film by Alex Hardcastle

Senior Year is a 2022 American comedy film directed by Alex Hardcastle in his feature film directorial debut from a screenplay by Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli, and Brandon Scott Jones. The film stars Rebel Wilson as a 37-year-old woman who awakens from a 20-year coma and decides to go back to high school to earn her diploma. Her teenage version is played by Angourie Rice. Mary Holland, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Justin Hartley and Chris Parnell also star. The film was released on May 13, 2022, by Netflix.

References

  1. ↑ Bill Plympton Studio - New Merchandise
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. p. 184. ISBN   978-0-8160-6600-1.
  3. ↑ ‘Happy Days’ Meets ‘Carrie’
  4. ↑ "Hair High". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  5. ↑ "High Hair". Metacritic . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. ↑ Bill Plympton's Hair High DVD Now Available
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.