Beyond 'Animal House': College movies worth further study
My alma mater, Wheeling High School, will celebrate its Class of 2016 at commencement Sunday, just as dozens of high schools across the suburbs will or already have. The next step for many kids will be college, a word that still conjures images of the madcap, alcohol-fueled bonanzas of “National Lampoon's Animal House” and “Old School.” These movies have recently been joined in the pop culture lexicon by “Pitch Perfect's” singing Bellas of Barden University.
But I implore this year's graduates to broaden their studies before freshman year begins. Your assignment this summer: Seek out these college movies that might not be on your 18-year-old radar.
“Glory Daze” (1996)
Uneven, cheap-looking, overlong — but also extremely funny and heartfelt — this forgotten gem by Rich Wilkes (“Airheads”) boasts some big names. Ben Affleck and Sam Rockwell lead a cast supported by John Rhys-Davies, Alyssa Milano, French Stewart and Spalding Gray and featuring cameos by Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey and Brendan Fraser. Affleck plays the king slacker at UC-Santa Cruz dealing with the double whammy of daddy issues and ex-girlfriend issues. The punk soundtrack features The Vandals, NOFX, The Mr. T Experience and Sublime, among others. This was my favorite college movie when I was in college. (Streaming on Netflix)
“Real Genius” (1985)
Val Kilmer plays the worst-behaved physics genius at Pacific Technical University, where one of his professors (William Atheron, the EPA stooge from “Ghostbusters”) is secretly foisting a CIA weapons project on his students. There's a pool party in a lecture hall, a by-the-book grad assistant who thinks God is speaking to him, a creepy dude living in a closet and a finale that features the biggest bag of popcorn you've ever seen. It's a strange delight. (Available for digital rental/purchase and on DVD)
“Back to School” (1985)
There are many important lessons to glean from this comedy co-written by Harold “Egon” Ramis about a rich entrepreneur who enters college in his 60s to reconnect with his son. You'll learn why comedian Rodney Dangerfield was so beloved by your parents (and grandparents). You'll hear the quirky '80s band Oingo Boingo play their best song — and you might even recognize their singer as the dude who wrote the songs from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” You'll also see what Tony Stark looked like as a 23-year-old with multicolored hair and questionable taste. (Available for digital purchase/rental, and on DVD)
“Rudy” (1993)
Based on the true story of undersized, strong-willed Notre Dame football player Daniel Ruettiger, “Rudy” is a gauzy, romanticized fantasy that works thanks to the plucky lead performance by Sean Astin (“Lord of the Rings”), the authentic filming locations and Jerry Goldsmith's uplifting, tear-jerking musical score. This one's another gold mine of great character actors (Chicago-area stalwart Chelcie Ross, Charles S. Dutton, Ned Beatty) and famous faces before they were famous (including Jon Favreau and suburban natives Vince Vaughn and Lili Taylor). The last 10 minutes will make you want to see a Fighting Irish game in person. (Available for digital purchase/rental and on DVD)
• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor who graduated in 2001 from Eastern Illinois University. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.