O.C. and Stiggs (1985)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Tod Carroll (stories) &
Ted Mann (stories) ...

Release Date:

1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

O.C. and Stiggs aren't your average unhappy teenagers. They not only despise their suburban surroundings, they plot against it. They seek revenge against the middle class Schwab family, who embody all they detest: middle class. |

Plot Keywords:

Teenager | Teen Comedy | Insurance | National Lampoon Series | High School

Cast

Daniel Jenkins	...	Oliver Cromwell 'O.C.' Ogilvie (as Daniel H. Jenkins)
Neill Barry	...	Mark Stiggs
Jane Curtin	...	Elinore Schwab
Paul Dooley	...	Randall Schwab
Jon Cryer	...	Randall Schwab Jr.
Laura Urstein	...	Lenore Schwab
Victor Ho	...	Frankie Tang
Ray Walston	...	Grandpa 'Gramps' Ogilvie
Donald May	...	Jack Stiggs
Carla Borelli	...	Stella Stiggs
Stephanie Elfrink	...	Missie Stiggs
Amanda Hull	...	Debbie Stiggs
James Gilsenan	...	Barney Beaugereaux
Tina Louise	...	Florence Beaugereaux
Cynthia Nixon	...	Michelle

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2005) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Glendale, Arizona, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Adapted from a single issue of the National Lampoon magazine, 1982's "Utterly Monstrous, Mind-Roasting Summer of O.C. and Stiggs".

Quotes:

Mark Stiggs: [speaking to Sponson about what wedding gift to buy for Lenore Schwab] She's real frail and introverted, she likes to dance to ballet and play her harp. We thought she'd be happier with a... machine gun.

Movie Connections:

References Brewster McCloud (1970)

Soundtrack:

O.C. and Stiggs

Like Oil and Vinegar: Robert Altman and Teenage Angst

Robert Altman's O.C. and STIGGS is one of his most harshly critiqued movie. This is partly due to the expectations of the fans of the O.C. and STIGGS articles in National Lampoon. From what I can tell, this movie is *not* what fans expected. However, I never read those articles before discovering this film, and so my expectations were quite different. This movie could've been a standard "It's fun to be a teenager in summer" movie, but not with Robert Altman at the helm. There are some excellent performances by Martin Mull, Dennis Hopper, and Jane Curtin. Ray Walston (also known as Mr. Hand in Fast Times at Ridgemont High) gives an incredible performance as the senile "Gramps". I personally thinks he deserves a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for this role, but when a movie only makes $30,000 at the box office, I guess the academy doesn't even consider you. Plus Cynthia Nixon, one of the four stars of Sex and The City, plays the love interest. The entire sequence of events is well contrived and although you may not laugh out loud, if you listen closely (which is hard to do given Altman's style of overlapping lines) you will be smiling throughout the film. I've always been surprised how much people disliked this movie, but I suppose the genre and director are a bit like oil and vinegar: They don't mix well, but what a tasty combination.