Twenty years out, it can be so easy to overlook films of the 2000s teen comedy renaissance for their repetitive misogyny and one-dimensional horniness. Luckily, occasionally you happen upon a little gem like Orange County and find yourself tuned into the absurdity of life just as Camus would have wanted. Jake Kasdan’s 2002 high school comedy reads like something akin to Can’t Hardly Wait or American Pie, with its eye on a high school senior in his last days of adolescence, but somehow finds a way to make its protagonist a passive recipient to the (much needed) emotional and psychological torture placed on him by the supporting ensemble. The result is something so utterly insane and campy at times that the viewer has no choice but to surrender to the absurd as well.
Perhaps one reason for Orange County’s existentialist flair is its screenwriter – and White Lotus creator – Mike White. White’s creative work on HBO’s latest anthology series proves to reveal the power dynamics in everyday life that become so clear when one is removed from their own environment. And in a sort of twisted way, Orange County is able to accomplish the same in a different means, by examining how arbitrary higher education can sometimes be, while emphasizing the superficiality of equating one’s worth to their alma mater.
Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) is a typical Southern Californian teen – although the only one of his friends without a hard SoCal accent – who lives a relaxed life in affluent Orange County until one of his friends passes away in a surfing accident. His life then changes course when he’s inspired by the work of a writer and professor at Stanford University and dedicates his senior year to ensuring he attends college in Palo Alto in the fall. But fear not, because this isn’t a film where the protagonist’s dreams come true. What plays out from here is so much more interesting and outrageous due to Shaun’s perpetually high brother Lance (Jack Black), his theatrical drunken mom (Catherine O’Hara) and his sweet, well intentioned girlfriend Ashley (Schuyler Fisk). In fact, Shaun’s entire community seems to be out to sabotage his college plans; even his school counselor (Lily Tomlin) sends the wrong transcript to Stanford, sending him on a frantic existential quest to get him accepted.
Although Colin Hanks was the sole nominee for his performance in Orange County at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards, it’s the incredible comedic ensemble that truly deserve their flowers for transforming this film into what it is. Catherine O’Hara’s reputation as a queen of camp is nothing but justified in the film as she makes what could be quite a depressing character such a fun one to watch. Jack Black claims his role as a loveable stoner who finds ways to redeem himself despite literally burning an admissions office to the ground. The cast lineup is near perfection and includes some extremely well-done cameos from Leslie Mann to Harold Ramis to Ben Stiller and more. Such strong comedic casting feels done to put the audience in Shaun’s perspective, as a way to feel his anxiety, mistrust and eventual appreciation for all of the captivatingly insane people in his life.
Your first viewing of Orange County might be an overstimulating one, but it’s meant to feel like watching a dumpster fire burn its naive protagonist alive. After your second and third watch, however, you realize that sometimes what a teenage boy needs is to be humbled by his boisterous, intoxicated and loveable friends and family. Sometimes instead of getting accepted to your dream school, you learn to embrace the absurd instead!
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