Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that students binge drink, and smoke cigarettes and pot in this R-rated college movie. There's a strong emphasis on "getting laid" throughout the film, which includes scenes in which students make out and engage in heavy petting. The panty raid scene includes full female nudity, and the frat boys expose their bare behinds in a mooning scene. The nerds (one of whom is a pre-teen genius) violate the privacy of sorority girls by installing hidden video cams in their house and watching the girls in various stages of undress. While profanity isn't excessive, quite a few bad words and suggestive phrases are uttered. There's no bloody violence, but much of the story line centers on getting revenge, so there are many over-the-top pranks. Like National Lampoon's Animal House, these scenes are focused on the comedic aspects. There are many stereotypes targeting Asians, gays, fat girls, and more. Unlike the protagonists in Animal House, the heroes in this film are sweet, smart guys who just want to be treated with the respect they deserve. The story shows the unfair treatment of people considered outsiders, and in the end, emphasizes the acceptance of outsiders.
Families can talk about the struggles that the nerds faced against the jocks. Why do you think certain groups of people label other groups as uncool outcasts? Who did you associate with more -- the jock-frat boys, or the nerds -- and why? What are the negative effects and dangers of teasing and bullying, and what can you do to help eliminate unfair labeling of certain types of people in your school environment? Was it right for the nerds to spy on the naked sorority girls to get back on them for their mean pranks? Are all nerds really alike? Are all sorority girls and jocks really alike? What were the other stereotypes in this film, and why can they be damaging, even and maybe especially in a comedy?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Ellen Dendy
Nerds unite in this hilarious comedy about college freshmen Gilbert (Anthony Edwards) and Lewis (Robert Carradine), who find themselves in a battle against a jock-filled fraternity. After the jocks take over the freshman dorms, Gilbert, Lewis and a rag-tag group of genius outcasts decide to form their own fraternity.
Led by insolent buffoon, Stan (Ted McGinley), the jocks of Alpha Beta fraternity and their sister sorority try everything they can to ensure the nerds are not granted fraternity status. In this respect, REVENGE OF THE NERDS mirrors National Lampoon's Animal House, with one retaliation scene after another. But there's something decidedly different here: the nerds are really nice guys, which gives this film a more heartwarming vibe.
While the story has heart and Gilbert, Lewis, and the rest of the nerds are likable, Revenge of the Nerds is definitely "college kids gone wild." There's plenty of binge drinking, sex talk, making out, nudity, foul language, and a little pot smoking. While the nerds use their smarts to get back at the jocks, they also cheat in a competition. None of the characters are shown studying or attending classes. Pushed to the breaking point, the nerds resort to desperate and sometimes unacceptable measures to get back at the jocks and their sister sorority. For example, the nerds turn peeping tom and install hidden video cameras so they can watch naked women. In another scene, a nerd wearing a mask pretends to be Stan so he can have sex with Stan's girlfriend.
Stereotypes abound, the worst being the Japanese nerd. One scene shows him collecting laundry from the jocks, and that's just the beginning. There's rampant bad behavior, sure, but there's a strong positive message about acceptance to enjoy, too.
Families who like this movie may also enjoy Animal House and Old School. Younger kids may enjoy the nerdy bunch from The Goonies or the "nerds are cool" message in the documentary Spellbound.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentLots of making out and heavy petting scenes; full female nudity; partial male nudity (in a mooning scene); voyeurism; sexual intercourse assumed but not shown. |
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ViolenceA lot of semi-violent, cartoonish practical jokes and retaliation: jocks trash nerds' house, nerds sprinkle stinging chemical on jocks' jocks, jocks drop nerd off rooftop, etc. |
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LanguageOccasional use of "s--t," "f--k," "asshole," "goddamn," "bastard," and "douche-bag." |
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Social BehaviorCollege at its wildest: Binge drinking, cigarette smoking, drugs, and casual sex. Bullies try to destroy harmless nerds; both sides cheat to win school's contest; nerds peep on naked sorority girls using video cameras; nerd poses as jock to have sex with sorority girl. Negative stereotypes of jocks, frat boys and sorority girls, nerds, Asians, gays, African Americans, overweight girls, marching band members, and others. Positive messages: underdog nerds band together to fight jocks (David vs. Goliath); nerds prove it's cool to be smart. Main theme promotes tolerance and understanding. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoAlcohol in excess, plus cigarette and pot smoking. |
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