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"One
for the 'Road'"
by Scott Mantz
"Road Trip"
Breckin Meyer, Tom Green
Directed by Todd Phillips
Summer is in
the air! Can't you feel it? Hollywood studio execs sure can, which
is why they choose this time of the year to appeal to the masses
(and make more than 40% of their annual revenue). The weather is
getting warmer, vacations are being planned, and students are almost
finished with their finals. Everybody is getting ready to kick back,
relax, and use as little of their brain as humanly possible, and
what better way to do that, than by watching movies that appeal
to the lowest common denominator? In addition to the usual star-driven,
special effects-laden blockbusters, there are also the gross-out,
sexually-charged teen comedies. Last year, it was "American Pie,"
but this year, it's "Road Trip." The story, about a bunch of guys
out to get laid, may not be anything new, but this is one funny
film that contains more than a few good laughs to fit right in with
the summer vibe.
Josh (Breckin
Meyer) and Tiffany's (Rachel Blanchard) longtime relationship is
put to the test when they go off to different colleges (he's at
Ithaca in New York, and she's at the University of Austin in Texas).
Immensely insecure about the distance, Josh not only has a one night
stand with blond hottie Beth (Amy Smart), but he videotapes it as
well. When the tape accidentally gets mailed off to Tiffany, Josh
has only three days to get down to Texas to intercept it. Josh,
potheaded Rubin (Paulo Costanzo), sex-dog E. L. (Seann William Scott),
and geeky rich boy Kyle (DJ Qualls) take a road trip down to Texas,
but they get into so much trouble along the way that they may not
make it in time to snag the video.
Considering
he doesn't even go on the trip, Tom Green has some of the funniest
scenes in the movie. Already known for his outrageous behavior on
his hit MTV show, Green certainly lives up to his reputation. The
story is told by Green as a flashback, while his character, a tour
guide going on his 8th year as an undergrad, is showing the college
to a bunch of new recruits. When the fab four takes off for Texas,
Green stays behind to feed Rubin's pet snake. He demonstrates how
the snake will eat its prey by putting a live mouse in his mouth,
and just when he gets ready to feed it, the snake ends up feeding
on him.
What would a
teen comedy be without lots of nudity, sex, and lowbrow humor? "Road
Trip" satisfies the bill with all of these things, but it does so
in a way that it plays with your expectations. There really isn't
a need to show nudity, but director Todd Phillips throws it in for
good measure in a way that's more tongue-in-cheek than fully necessary
(remember--Green is the one who's actually telling the story). "Road
Trip's" tasteless "There's Something about Mary" moments comes in
two parts. In one, a simple request to modify an order of french
toast turns out to be a lesson in not pissing off your waiter. In
another, dweeby DJ Qualls beats the other guys to the punch by getting
laid first, but his choice may wind up turning stomachs instead
of turning heads.
Breckin Meyer
has appeared in a number of teen comedies, but he is probably best
known as the skateboarding stoner-dude from "Clueless." This is
his first headlining role, and, even though it's not that much of
a stretch, he fits the bill just fine. He's having a hard time holding
onto the past when he should be embracing the challenges and good
times that go with life as an undergrad. Seann William Scott plays
basically the same role that he played in last year's "American
Pie," but that's OK. He's the ego to Meyer's id, which only serves
to get this wild bunch into even more trouble along the way. Paulo
Costanzo is the super-intelligent third wheel with a penchant for
marijuana, and DJ Qualls is just ripe for the picking as the brunt
of the road traveler's jokes. Finally, Amy Smart is the object of
Meyer's affection that gets him into this mess in the first place,
but she turns out to have a conscience, and she's not out for a
one night stand.
Aside from the
usual allotment of jokes dealing with Viagra, farting, sperm banks,
and losing your virginity, there's plenty of fun to be had with
this "Road Trip." It has all the elements that have turned previous
riots like "Animal House" into classics. Also, it's the summer,
so who really needs some deep thought-provoking film anyway? There's
plenty of time for that. In the meantime, just kick back, relax,
and take a road trip to the nearest movie theater for some good
summer fun.
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