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Parents' Guide to

Orange County

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Stupid movie pushes boundaries of PG-13.

Movie PG-13 2002 81 minutes
Orange County Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Ummmok
Ummmok Adult
July 30, 2020
age 10+

Very funny movie, and a great coming of age story. The main characters growth juxtaposed against the silly humor of Jack Black and others is a wonderful combination.

This film is funny, but underneath the real story is about dealing with loss, accepting who you are, seeing beauty and value in people whom the main character had disdain for. It's a true coming of age story.
Aidan S.
Aidan S. Adult
March 30, 2016
age 12+

Great comedy, very original

See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

ORANGE COUNTY centers on Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks), a high school senior whose mother (Catherine O'Hara) is an alcoholic, whose father (John Lithgow) is too busy making deals to pay any attention to him, and whose brother Lance (Jack Black) is a stoner "constantly recovering from the night before." Shaun also has a sweet, animal-loving girlfriend named Ashley (Schuyler Fisk). Shaun wants to be a writer and his dream is to go to Stanford because his idol, Marcus Skinner (Kevin Kline), teaches there. But when his addled college counselor (Lily Tomlin) sends the wrong transcript, he's rejected. So Shaun, Lance, and Ashley drive up to Stanford to meet with the director of admissions (Harold Ramis) to try to persuade him to let Shaun in. Unfortunately, they accidentally feed him some of Lance's drugs and burn down the Admissions Office. Eventually, Shaun spends a few moments with his idol and, like Dorothy, learns that there's no place like home.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Hanks and Fisk, as the ostensible force of sanity at the heart of the movie, don't get much of a chance to prove themselves as actors, but they have some presence. Black, as always, even with terrible material, is a joy to watch. There are also talented actors in small roles -- including O'Hara, Lithgow, Tomlin, and Ramis, as well as Chevy Chase, Ben Stiller, and especially Kevin Kline, who has a very nice scene with Hanks.

This movie begins with a comic death in a surfing accident, followed by a funeral at which female mourners wear black bikinis. Drugs and drunkenness are rampant and casual. Slaptick gags include forgetting to give a sick man his medicine and then having a lot of things hit him on the head. Shaun is the straight man, surrounded by a horrendously dysfunctional family but loved by his stoner brother and supportive girfriend.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what really goes into applying to college and how people respond to terrible family situations.

Movie Details

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