National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
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A trouble-making fraternity challenges the authority of a strict dean at a fictional college.
The story
In the fall of 1962, freshmen Lawrence "Larry" Kroger and Kent Dorfman seek to join a fraternity at the fictional Faber College. After being rejected by the exclusive Omega Theta Pi house, they find refuge in the derelict Delta Tau Chi house. The Deltas are a rowdy group currently on probation due to their lack of discipline and poor academic standing. The Dean of the college, Vernon Wormer, is determined to shut down the fraternity. As the Deltas navigate their initiation and various campus mishaps, they must contend with the Dean's efforts to revoke their charter and the escalating rivalry with the neighboring Omega house.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1962, freshmen Larry and Kent join the Delta Tau Chi fraternity, a rowdy house on probation at Faber College. The Dean, Vernon Wormer, attempts to shut them down, leading to a rivalry with the neighboring Omega Theta Pi house. After a series of mishaps, including a failed attempt to steal exam answers and a failed road trip, the Deltas are officially expelled by Wormer. However, they decide to fight back during the annual Homecoming parade. They hide a vehicle inside a cake-shaped float and crash into the reviewing stand, toppling the Dean and the local mayor. The film ends with an epilogue detailing the characters' fates: Bluto becomes a Senator, Otter becomes a gynecologist, and several others find various careers. The film is noted for its 'gross-out' humor and its role in establishing a specific comedy genre.
- First release year
- 1978
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Landis
- Writers
- Harold Ramis · writer; Douglas Kenney · writer; Chris Miller · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Belushi · John "Bluto" Blutarsky; Tim Matheson · Eric "Otter" Stratton; Thomas Hulce · Lawrence "Larry" Kroger; Peter Riegert · Donald "Boon" Schoenstein; Stephen Furst · Kent Dorfman; Bruce McGill · Daniel Simpson Day; Karen Allen · Katy; James Widdoes · Robert "Hoov" Hoover; John Vernon · Dean Vernon Wormer; Verna Bloom · Mrs. Marion Wormer; Donald Sutherland · Dave Jennings; Kevin Bacon · Chip Diller
- Genres
- comedy
- Themes
- anti-authoritarianism; fraternity life; counterculture
- Tone and mood
- anarchic; gross-out; comedic
- Premise and plot tags
- college; fraternity; 1960s
- Source material / true-story basis
- stories written by Miller and published in National Lampoon
- Content notes
- gross-out
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was hailed by some as one of the best of the year. It is now considered a classic of the comedy genre and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 56
- Production trivia
- The film was the highest-grossing comedy of its time.; The production was filmed at the University of Oregon.; The film was selected for the National Film Registry in 2001.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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