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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Accepted

"It was your idea to put "acceptance is just one click away""
"Yeah put it as "one click away" but you don't make it clickable!"

After being rejected by 8 colleges, Bartleby "B" (Long) is frustrated. His parents are disappointed, and won't accept his idea to start working...so with a little help from his friends, he creates a college South Harmon Institute of Technology (think about the acronym for a bit). His best friend Sherman (Hill), who got into Harmon College, creates a parent-friendly website to make the school look legitimate. They find an abandoned mental health institution with help from overachiever Rory (Thayer) and fix up a few rooms to present to the parents. They get Sherman's off-color uncle Ben (Black) to pose as their dean.

Sherman is the only friend who was accepted to a legitimate school, so Hands (Short) who lost his sports scholarship due to injury, Glen (Herschman) who got a zero on his S.A.T.'s, Rory, and B prepare for a semester of slacking and potentially trying to get into a real college... There dreams are put on hold when other locals show up for "orientation" (see the above quote for the reason). All of the South Harmon students were rejected everywhere else they applied, so B uses the opportunity to allow everyone to study whatever they want...they pick and teach various classes like "how to blow up stuff with my mind" and other entertaining names for classes. B also tries to steal the gal of his dreams, Monica (Lively) from the jerk she is currently dating (who is the student body president, and involved in the frat Sherman wants to join). And South Harmon is in the way of Harmon Dean Richard Van Horne's (Richard Heald) construction path. Ciaos ensues.


I didn't have high expectations for this film. While I enjoy (and own) Animal House, I tend to be disappointed / disgusted with most college films. However, I actually enjoyed this film. Justin Long was o.k. in the title role, but he is better at the awkward, nerdy kid (like in Dodgeball)... and his family never really fit, otherwise, everyone else was entertaining. The main characters held their own, and the other South Harmon students were quirky and memorable. I don't plan to give anything away, but the ending is somewhat plausible...unlike other films in this genre. Yes, it is predictable, but most blockbuster films are. You either embrace them for what they are (mindless entertainment) or stop watching them. Overall, decent film.

Accepted (2006) 90 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for language, sexual material and drug content.
Director: Steve Pink
Starring: Justin Long as Bartleby Gaines
Jonah Hill as Sherman Schrader
Adam Herschman as Glen
Columbus Short as Hands Holloway
Maria Thayer as Rory Thayer
Lewis Black as Ben Lewis
Blake Lively as Monica

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