When the weight of rejection begins to set in after being denied entry to every college he has applied to, a high school burnout attempts to placate his mom and dad and win the heart of his dream girl by scheming with his friends to create a fake university in a hilarious comedy of artificial education directed by Steve Pink and starring Justin Long. Bartleby "B" Gaines (Long) is a high school senior whose street smarts just never seemed to translate into the classroom, and whose bad luck in
love has left him pining for the unattainable Monica (Blake Lively). When Bartleby and his rebellious crew of outcasts find the frequent college rejection letters they have all been receiving bringing endless grief from their disappointed parents, they soon band together to create the fictional South Harmon Institute of Technology. After creating a believable façade in an abandoned psychiatric hospital, employing the talents of a close friend's brilliantly subversive uncle (Lewis Black) to pose as the dean, and creating a phony website in order to sell the school to their parents, Bartleby and friends soon realize that all of their hard work has paid off in ways than they never imagined. With a variety of college rejects attempting to enroll in classes at the ersatz university and the skepticism of some privileged students from a nearby college drawing unwanted attention to the South Harmon Institute of Technology, Bartleby and friends find their ruse becoming ever more difficult to maintain. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Even the characters in the movie are saying at the beginning, 'This is crazy. This will never work.' And I'm like, you know what? You're right. It never will. Not for one second. Even in a whacky comedy like this.
Too bad what begins as a cheerfully irreverent comedy in the tradition of Animal House gets all pious when it slams fraternity culture at neighboring Harmon College.
Though keeping worthwhile targets - like professors who want to see their most creative students fail - director Steve Pink lets his punk inspiration slide into standard school rivalries and unrelated slapstick.
Average comedy that's low on jokes and doesn't quite live up to its premise, though it remains watchable thanks to a charming performance by Justin Long.
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
63%
——
96%
Top Critic
