Common Sense Media Review
Stupid movie pushes boundaries of PG-13.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Orange County
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?
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
- In theaters : January 11, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : October 24, 2017
- Cast : Catherine O'Hara , Colin Hanks , Jack Black
- Director : Jake Kasdan
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 81 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : drug content, sexual situations, and language
- Last updated : September 21, 2019
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