Van Wilder

Last updated

National Lampoon's Van Wilder
National Lampoon's Van Wilder Poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Walt Becker
Written by
  • Brent Goldberg
  • David T. Wagner
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJames Bagdonas
Edited byDennis M. Hill
Music byDavid Lawrence
Production
companies
Distributed by Artisan Entertainment
Release date
  • April 5, 2002 (2002-04-05)
Running time
93 minutes [1]
Countries
  • Germany
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million [2]
Box office$38.3 million [2]

National Lampoon's Van Wilder is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Walt Becker and written by Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner.

Contents

The film stars Ryan Reynolds as the title character alongside Tara Reid, Kal Penn, and Tim Matheson. The film follows the misadventures of its lead character, Van Wilder, a seventh-year senior who has made it his life goal to help undergrads at Coolidge College succeed in the future.

After an article is written about his legacy by fellow student, Gwen Pearson (played by Reid), Van Wilder's party lifestyle is brought to light. This attracts the attention of Wilder's father, played by Matheson, who cuts off his tuition. Wilder becomes stuck in the middle of a love triangle between Gwen and her mean-spirited boyfriend, Richard Bagg, while struggling to graduate. He tries various schemes to earn enough money to pay his tuition and graduate, with help from Gwen and the rest of the student body, except a couple of sinister enemies who attempt to sabotage his efforts.

The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, but was popular with audiences. The film grossed $21,305,259 in the US box office; $16,970,224 in the international box office; and $38,275,483 overall, thus making it a box-office success.

A sequel, Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj , was released on December 1, 2006. A prequel, Van Wilder: Freshman Year , was released straight-to-DVD on July 14, 2009.

The movie is loosely based on a Rolling Stone article featuring comedian Bert Kreischer. [3]

Plot

Vance "Van" Wilder is a confident and sardonic 7th-year senior at Coolidge College who spends his days driving around campus in his customized golf cart, posing nude for figure drawing classes, and organizing soirees and fundraisers for his peers. Upon learning that his son is still in school, his father severs financial support. Van seeks a payment extension from the registrar, Deloris Haver. After having sex with her, Deloris hands him the paperwork for an extension, whereupon Van realizes he only needed to ask for it.

After a couple of attempts to get money fast, Van is approached by the Lambda Omega Omega fraternity, offering to pay him $1000 to throw them a blowout party to boost their popularity. Gwen Pearson, a reporter for the school paper, writes a story crediting Van as the host of the party. Van, who normally refuses to do interviews for the paper, realizes the article can be the "cash cow" he needs to stay in school and agrees to sit down with Gwen for a follow-up piece.

Gwen's boyfriend, Richard "Dick" Bagg, is a pre-med student and the president of his fraternity Delta Iota Kappa, as well as of the student government. As he learns of Gwen's work with Van, suspecting a growing bond between them, he moves to sabotage their prospective romance. Van and Richard exchange escalating pranks. Gwen learns that Van stopped attending classes years ago, 18 credits short of graduation. Angry that she dug into such personal details, Van disassociates himself from Gwen, taking a contemplative look at his life.

Richard arranges to sabotage Van's latest party with Jeannie, a member of a sister sorority, by smuggling children in and getting them drunk, then calling campus police to the scene. Van is arrested for providing alcohol to minors and faces expulsion from Coolidge. He prepares to leave the college until his friend Taj inspires him to fight the charges.

Van throws himself at the mercy of the court, asking that rather than expelling him, they force him to graduate; he offers to complete his remaining credits before the semester ends, earning an degree in leisure studies. The academic board votes 3–2 in favor of Van's reinstatement; Professor McDougal's was the decisive vote for reinstatement, surprisingly. Van begins studying for the finals, which will be held in 6 days.

Outside the court, Jeannie reveals Richard's plot to Gwen, as well as his infidelity. Angered by this, Gwen pretends to forgive Richard then spikes his protein shake with a powerful laxative just before his entrance exam to Northwestern Medical School. While taking the exam, Richard begins to have uncontrollable flatulence and hurries down the line with his exam, not even reading the questions due to his dire need for a release. As he then rushes to the bathroom, Richard is intercepted by his future alumni intending to interview him for his entrance. Unable to hold it in any longer, Richard strips off his pants and proceeds to defecate violently in a wastebasket in front of the doctors, much to their horror and disgust.

Van uses the entire exam period for his last final with his least favorite professor, Prof. McDougal, who later delivers the news to Van that he passed. McDougal explains that he'd been so hard on him all those years because he believed that Van wasn't living up to his potential, not because Van had also hooked up with McDougal's daughter freshmen year. Gwen finishes her article on Van for the graduation issue revealing his many contributions to the students and staff of Coolidge in the last 7 years, his superhuman accomplishment of doing a semester's worth of studying in just 6 days, and Richard's plot to have Van expelled; both Richard's reputation and medical school dreams are permanently tarnished.

The university celebrates Van's graduation with a wild party held in his honor. His father, having read Gwen's article, admits that he was wrong and expresses his pride in Van's success. Gwen arrives, lovingly reuniting with Van.

Cast

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album was released on March 26, 2002.

  1. "Roll On" – The Living End (Chris Cheney)
  2. "Bleed American" – Jimmy Eat World (Jimmy Eat World)
  3. "Hit the Ground" – 6gig (6gig)
  4. "Bouncing Off the Walls" – Sugarcult (Sugarcult)
  5. "I'm a Fool" – American Hi-Fi (Stacy Jones)
  6. "Girl On the Roof" – David Mead
  7. "Things Are Getting Better" – N*E*R*D (Chad Hugo, Pharrell)
  8. "Okay" – Swirl 360 (Denny & Kenny Scott, Tonio K)
  9. "Blind Spot" – Transmatic (Transmatic)
  10. "Makes No Difference" – Sum 41 (Sum 41)
  11. "At Auntie Tom's" – Fuzz Townshend (Fuzz Townshend, Matt Machin, Roger Charlery)
  12. "Little Man (2002 Mix)" – Sia (Sia Furler, Sam Frank)
  13. "Start Over" – Abandoned Pools (Tommy Walter, Pete Pagonis)
  14. "You Get Me" – Michelle Branch (Michelle Branch)

The song "Show Me" by Mint Royale is featured in the movie, although it is not included on the official soundtrack.

Release

Box office

Van Wilder opened with $7,302,913, ranking number 6 in the domestic box office. It grossed $21,305,259 domestically with $16,970,224 internationally for a worldwide total of $38,275,483. Based on a $5 million budget, the film was a box office success. [2]

Critical reception

The film received negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 18% based on 98 reviews, with an average rating of 3.45/10. The website's critical consensus describes the film as being "a derivative gross-out comedy that's short on laughs". [4] On Metacritic, the film has a 26 out of 100 score based on 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [5] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "C+" on scale of A to F. [6]

Home media

Van Wilder was released via VHS and DVD by Artisan Entertainment on August 20, 2002. The DVD was presented in rated and unrated editions, both editions containing a cropped full-frame transfer, and a widescreen version in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The two-disc set also contained deleted scenes, outtakes, three Burly Bear TV specials, a Comedy Central: Reel Comedy TV special, "Bouncing Off the Walls" music video performed by Sugarcult, trailers, and other promotional material like television ads and poster art.

On November 28, 2006, in a way of promoting the sequel to Van Wilder, The Rise of Taj , Lions Gate Home Entertainment released a 2-disc special edition DVD with new bonus features including a "Drunken Idiot Kommentary" (featuring National Lampoon editors Steven Brykman and Mason Brown), behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with the cast and crew.

The film was also released on Blu-ray on August 21, 2007, which had almost the same features as the 2-disc special edition DVD. Also included (and exclusive to the Blu-ray edition) is the "Blu-Book Exam", an interactive game that focuses on Van Wilder trivia questions, plus a series of "Blu-line" options including a pop-up film-progression menu that allows the viewer to set bookmarks and skip around the feature film. The film was released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on August 14, 2018. [7]

Sequel

A sequel, entitled The Rise of Taj, followed this, centering on the character of Taj Mahal Badalandabad. The film was released theatrically in 2006 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and produced by Bauer Martinez.

Prequel

A direct-to-DVD prequel to this film was also released in 2009 by Paramount Pictures under its Paramount Famous Productions label, entitled Freshman Year; the film follows Van as he deals with his freshman year of college.

Related Research Articles

<i>Animal House</i> 1978 comedy film by John Landis

National Lampoon's Animal House is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulce and Donald Sutherland. The film is about a trouble-making fraternity whose members challenge the authority of the dean of the fictional Faber College.

<i>Charlies Angels</i> (2000 film) 2000 film directed by McG

Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG in his feature film directorial debut, and written by Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, and John August. It is the first installment in the Charlie's Angels film series, a continuation of the television series of the same name created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, which is also a continuation of the series story. Unlike the original series, which had dramatic elements, the film features more comical elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugarcult</span> American rock band

Sugarcult is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Tim Pagnotta, Airin Older, Marko DeSantis, and Kenny Livingston.

<i>National Lampoons Vacation</i> 1983 US film by Harold Ramis

National Lampoon's Vacation, sometimes referred to as simply Vacation, is a 1983 American road trip black comedy directed by Harold Ramis starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Christie Brinkley in her acting debut with special appearances by Eddie Bracken, Brian Doyle-Murray, Miriam Flynn, James Keach, Eugene Levy, and Frank McRae.

<i>Robin Hood: Men in Tights</i> 1993 film by Mel Brooks

Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a 1993 adventure comedy film and a parody of the Robin Hood story. The film was produced and directed by Mel Brooks, co-written by Brooks, Evan Chandler, and J. David Shapiro based on a story by Chandler and Shapiro, and stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, and Dave Chappelle in his film debut. It includes frequent comedic references to previous Robin Hood films, particularly Prince of Thieves, and the 1938 Errol Flynn adaptation The Adventures of Robin Hood. Brooks himself had previously created the short-lived sitcom When Things Were Rotten in the mid-1970s, which also spoofed the Robin Hood legend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Matheson</span> American actor (born 1947)

Tim Matheson is an American actor. Some of his best-known acting roles include the title character of the 1960s animated Jonny Quest TV series, Eric "Otter" Stratton in the 1978 comedy film National Lampoon's Animal House, and the recurring role of Vice President John Hoynes in the 2000s NBC drama The West Wing, which earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

<i>Sister Act</i> 1992 film directed by Emile Ardolino

Sister Act is a 1992 American musical crime comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Paul Rudnick. It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to join a convent after being placed in a witness protection program. It also features Maggie Smith, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, Mary Wickes, and Harvey Keitel.

<i>The Wolf Man</i> (1941 film) American horror film

The Wolf Man is a 1941 American gothic horror film written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner. The film stars Lon Chaney Jr. in the title role. Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, and Maria Ouspenskaya star in supporting roles. The title character has had a great deal of influence on Hollywood's depictions of the legend of the werewolf. The film is the second Universal Pictures werewolf film, preceded six years earlier by the less commercially successful Werewolf of London (1935). This film is part of the Universal Monsters movies and is of great cinematic acclaim for its production.

<i>The Wild</i> 2006 film by Steve Williams

The Wild is a 2006 animated adventure comedy film directed by animator Steve "Spaz" Williams and written by Ed Decter, John J. Strauss, Mark Gibson and Philip Halprin. It features the voices of Eddie Izzard, Kiefer Sutherland, Janeane Garofalo, Jim Belushi, Richard Kind, Greg Cipes, and William Shatner. The film's plot centers around Samson, a male lion who loses his preteen son Ryan when he wanders off and accidentally gets shipped from the Central Park Zoo to Africa, he teams up with a group of animals as they embark on a journey to rescue his missing son and take risks to evade dangers along the way.

<i>National Lampoons Christmas Vacation</i> 1989 film by Jeremiah S. Chechik

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a 1989 American Christmas comedy film and the third installment in National Lampoon magazine's Vacation film series. Christmas Vacation was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, written and co-produced by John Hughes, and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid with supporting roles by Miriam Flynn, William Hickey, Mae Questel, Diane Ladd, John Randolph, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Juliette Lewis, and Johnny Galecki.

<i>Jaws 3-D</i> 1983 American thriller film by Joe Alves

Jaws 3-D is a 1983 American horror film directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale and Louis Gossett Jr. It is the second sequel to Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the third installment in the Jaws franchise. The film follows the Brody children from the previous films to SeaWorld, a Florida marine park with underwater tunnels and lagoons. As the park prepares for opening, a young great white shark infiltrates the park from the sea, seemingly attacking and killing the park's employees. Once the shark is captured, it becomes apparent that a second, much larger shark also entered the park and was the real culprit.

<i>The Magic Roundabout</i> (film) 2005 animated adventure fantasy film

The Magic Roundabout is a 2005 animated adventure fantasy film based on the television series of the same name. Unlike the show, which was presented with stop-motion animation, the film utilizes computer-generated animation. The story sees a group of unlikely heroes who go on a quest to stop a reawakened villain, who intends on freezing the world, from retrieving a set of powerful diamonds.

<i>The Incredible Shrinking Woman</i> 1981 film

The Incredible Shrinking Woman is a 1981 American science-fiction comedy film directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Jane Wagner, and starring Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, Ned Beatty, John Glover, and Elizabeth Wilson. A parody of the 1957 science-fiction film The Incredible Shrinking Man, it is credited as based on Richard Matheson's 1956 novel, The Shrinking Man. The original music score was composed by Suzanne Ciani.

<i>Valley Girl</i> (1983 film) 1983 film by Martha Coolidge

Valley Girl is a 1983 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge and written and produced by Wayne Crawford and Andrew Lane. Loosely based on the tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the film centers on the romance between a valley girl and a city punk. Michelle Meyrink, Elizabeth Daily, Cameron Dye and Michael Bowen appear in supporting roles.

<i>The Box</i> (2009 film) 2009 film by Richard Kelly

The Box is a 2009 American thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly who also serves as a co-producer. It is based on the 1970 short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson which was previously adapted into an episode of The Twilight Zone. The film stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple who receive a box from a mysterious man who offers them one million dollars if they press the button sealed within the dome on top of the box but tells them that once the button has been pushed, someone they do not know will die.

<i>Ghost Town</i> (2008 film) 2008 film directed by David Koepp

Ghost Town is a 2008 American fantasy comedy film directed by David Koepp, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Kamps. It stars English comedian Ricky Gervais in his first leading feature-film role, as a dentist who can see and talk with ghosts, along with Téa Leoni as a young widow and Greg Kinnear as her recently deceased husband. Gavin Polone produced the film for Spyglass Entertainment and Pariah, and it was distributed by Paramount Pictures through the DreamWorks Pictures label.

<i>Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj</i> 2006 film by Mort Nathan

National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj is a 2006 sequel to the 2002 comedy National Lampoon's Van Wilder starring Kal Penn. Despite the film's title, Ryan Reynolds does not reprise the role of Van Wilder, and the character is absent from the film.

<i>Van Wilder: Freshman Year</i> 2009 film by Harvey Glazer

National Lampoon's Van Wilder: Freshman Year is the third installment in the Van Wilder American comedy series. Serving as a prequel to the original Van Wilder film, it was directed by Harvey Glazer and released direct-to-DVD. The movie stars Jonathan Bennett as the eponymous Van Wilder during his early college years, alongside Kristin Cavallari, Jerry Shea, and Steve Talley.

<i>Joy of Sex</i> (film) 1984 film by Martha Coolidge

Joy of Sex is a 1984 American sex comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. It was written by Kathleen Rowell and J.J. Salter, based on the sex manual by Alex Comfort.

References

  1. "NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER (15)". British Board of Film Classification. February 22, 2002. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  3. Bohner, Steven (November 11, 2022). "Ryan Reynolds' Van Wilder Was Inspired By Bert Kreischer's Wild College Life". Looper. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  4. "National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  5. "Van Wilder". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  6. "NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER (2002) C+". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  7. "High Def Digest | Blu-ray and Games News and Reviews in High Definition". ultrahd.highdefdigest.com. Retrieved June 12, 2018.