National Lampoon's Animal House - R

John Belushi's raucous toga party for adults only.

Rating: R for restricted Studio: Universal Studios Directed By: John Landis Cast: Tim Matheson, John Belushi, John Vernon Running Time: 109 minutes Release Date: 07/28/1978 Genre: Comedy

Common Sense Note

Parents should know that the only moral here is hatred for authority and partying. That means a lot of drunken revelry, pranks, and violence to make their point. It also means characters cheat on each other, binge drink, steal cars, and sleep with underage girls. Some female nudity.

Families can talk about how they deal with bullies. When someone is mean to you, do you imagine pulling off a prank like the ones the Deltas pull on Dean Wormer and the Omegas? What's a healthier way to deal with your anger? The film is also a good opportunity for parents to talk about appropriate behavior with sexual partners. Also, why do you think this film has a cult following? Does it epitomize what made John Belushi so funny on Saturday Night Live? Adult comedy buffs may want to look up Belushi's funniest moments from SNL and share them with kids. Many -- like the Samurai Deli sketch -- showcase his astounding comedic talents in a much more kid-appropriate fashion.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Heather Boerner

Fight for your right to party! In NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE, that's what the boys of the Delta House fraternity plan to do, despite the nefarious plans of the dean (John Vernon) and the guys of Omega house (notably, the chief meanie played by Mark Metcalf).

Bluto (John Belushi), Otter (Tim Matheson), and the other guys of Delta house are seven-year seniors who use their time at school to score with girls, have toga parties, and generally enjoy themselves. But the aptly named Dean Wormer and the bullies of Omega house are out to harsh their mellow.

The dean puts the fraternity on "double secret probation," and plans to throw them out at their next infraction. So when the guys steal Doug Neidermeyer's horse and put it in the dean's office for fun, and their grades come out far below the required level to stay at the school, the dean pulls their charter and expels the guys. But will they go out without a fight? Not a chance. "They're going to nail us no matter what we do," reasons Otter, the frat's de-facto leader. "So we might as well have a good time." They hatch a plan for the ultimate prank, set to correspond with the school's homecoming parade.

What ensues is a symphony of car crashes, riots in the street, and trampled Omegas. For any guy who's ever had the figurative sand kicked in his face by a jock or been placed in the "dweeb corner" at the cool-guy party, John Landis' film is wish fulfillment.

Don't bother trying to find the plot here. It's more fun to go along for the prank-playing, wiseass ride while singing along with the amazingly energetic soundtrack. If you think too hard about it, Animal House isn't a whole lot better than today's teen sexploitation films like American Pie.

Guys who like this movie will like its modern update, Old School, or the other National Lampoon films, including Vacation. However, steer clear of Van Wilder, even though Matheson has a cameo.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Lots of sexual situations, including girls giving a guy a handjob (barely off-screen), reading pornography, Bluto looking up the skirts of some cheerleaders and watching shirtless girls have a pillow fight. Some naked breasts. Pinto considers having sex with a girl who's passed out and later sleeps with a 13-year-old girl. Mrs. Wormer cheats on her husband with Otter. Katy cheats on her boyfriend with her professor.
Violence A lot of hazing-style violence, including paddling. Doug gets dragged behind his horse and is later trampled. Another boy is also trampled. Otter gets beaten up by the Omega boys. Flounder kills a horse.
Language A considerable amount of salty language, including "s--t," "goddamn," "son of a b---h," "assholes," and "f--k." One character also uses the term "retard" as an insult.
Message
	Social Behavior The message here is you have to fight for your right to party, by any means necessary. The Deltas lie, cheat on tests, steal cars, and steal food from grocery stores.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Binge drinking, including among minors as young as 13, is the primary hobby of the characters. Characters get stoned with a professor.