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No heavy lifting, just laughs in 'Orange County' By
Jason Robey Orange County opened nationwide last weekend, marking the acting debut of Colin Hanks, son of veteran actor Tom Hanks. The movie also features Jack Black, known for his roles in recent comedies such as Shallow Hal, Saving Silverman and High Fidelity, as well as his place in the novelty band Tenacious D. The cast also includes several well-known names from the older Hanks generation, such as Lily Tomlin, Chevy Chase, Harold Rami, and Catherine O'Hara, not to mention a cameo by Ben Stiller. Orange County is basically what one might expect from MTV films, the same people who brought us movies such as Dead Man on Campus and Beavis and Butthead Do America. The plot is fairly predictable, but most of the people who want to see this movie probably are more interested in the laughs, and there are plenty. The main story is rather plain, about high school senior Shaun Brumder's (Hanks) quest to get accepted into Stanford University, and his struggles with his family, friends and hometown, though there are some comical twists. Most of the characters are static, predictable and exaggerated, including the stoned and usually passed-out brother, the bubbly, airhead cheerleader, the angry father and the alcoholic mother. Orange County was not all bad, however. The movie does, after all, accomplish what it sets out to. It's funny. It is the kind of movie that doesn't require much thought or belief in the story to laugh, much like many of the films that made Colin's father famous. There is a definite resemblance in Colin Hanks' style compared to father's, especially in his embellished facial expressions. Another thing that is nice about Orange County is that the scenes shown in the theatrical trailers and TV commercials are not actually in the movie, so as not to give away all the "good parts," like so many other movies do. Bottom line: if you're looking for a cinematic masterpiece, save your money, but if you like other Jack Black or MTV movies, drug humor and fire, you'll probably like this one.
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