Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Set on the last day of camp, in the hot summer of 1981, a group of counselors try to complete their unfinished business before the day ends.

Director:

David Wain

Writers:

Michael Showalter, David Wain

Stars:

Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Showalter

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Janeane Garofalo	...	Beth
David Hyde Pierce	...	Henry Newman
Michael Showalter	...	Gerald 'Coop' Cooperberg / Alan Shemper
Marguerite Moreau	...	Katie
Michael Ian Black	...	McKinley
Zak Orth	...	J.J.
A.D. Miles	...	Gary
Paul Rudd	...	Andy
Christopher Meloni	...	Gene
Molly Shannon	...	Gail von Kleinenstein
Ken Marino	...	Victor Kulak
Joe Lo Truglio	...	Neil
Amy Poehler	...	Susie
Bradley Cooper	...	Ben
Gideon Jacobs	...	Aaron

Storyline

The setting is Camp Firewood, the year 1981. It's the last day before everyone goes back to the real world, but there's still a summer's worth of unfinished business to resolve. At the center of the action is camp director Beth, who struggles to keep order while she falls in love with the local astrophysics professor. He is busy trying to save the camp from a deadly piece of NASA's Skylab which is hurtling toward earth. All that, plus: a dangerous waterfall rescue, love triangles, misfits, cool kids, and talking vegetable cans. The questions will all be resolved, of course, at the big talent show at the end of the day.

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Plot Keywords:

love | waterfall | astrophysics | nasa | skylab | 

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Taglines:

High Times. Hard Bodies. Soft Rock.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, language and a drug sequence

Details

Official Sites:

Eureka Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 2002 (Czech Republic)

Also Known As:

Gyagyák a gatyában, avagy tudom, kit fűztél tavaly nyáron

Filming Locations:

Honesdale, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$17,481 (USA) (27 July 2001)

Gross:

$292,102 (USA) (5 October 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eureka Pictures, North Coast Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It rained 25 out of 29 days during filming of this movie.

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Goofs

When Beth makes Andy pick up his food, Andy's cup still has some juice in it, and he doesn't knock it off the table. When he starts picking up dishes, the empty cup is on the floor.

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Quotes

Susie: [angry that Beth has invited Steve to take part in the talent show] Beth, I may regret saying this, but how dare you usurp my authority as producer...
Ben: Hmph!
Susie: ...director-slash-choreographer of the talent show. I need you to know I have been busting my *balls*, woman! I am telling you, the musical numbers are a mess, my kids are a bunch of amateurs, and the last thing I need today is some diabetic freak prancing around on stage making my life a living *hell*!
Susie: [...]

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Crazy Credits

Enabler-at-large: Peter Principato

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Connections

Referenced in Ugly Americans: Wet Hot Demonic Summer (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Love Is Alright Tonight"
Written by Rick Springfield
Performed by Rick Springfield
Courtesy of The RCA Music Group, a Unit of BMG Entertainment

User Reviews

A Cult Classic of Epic Proportions

"Wet Hot American Summer" is an overlooked comic gem and an absurdest spoof of those god-awful summer camp movies from the 1980's. If you enjoy "Monty Python" style sketch humor or were a fan of "The State" (many of the players are employed here) or "Kids in the Hall," then this is the ticket for you. People who enjoy humor more in line with the Farelly Brothers or the "American Pie" films probably just won't "get this." It's all a matter of taste and your sense of humor. But seriously, how can you go wrong with a movie that has a pep talk from a talking can of vegetables or an overly dramatic chase scene where the person doing the chasing is thwarted by a single barrel of hay in the middle of a wide open road? My personal favorite is when the guy is driving the van singing along to "Danny's Song" and then out of nowhere screams bloody murder as he slams into a tree. Oh, and who can forget the hilariously rapid decent into the underworld of drugs and despair by the kids spending an hour away from camp in town? This is also a must see for people who appreciate Janeane Garafalo's comic timing and Molly Shannon's bizarre brand of humor. This film was grossly overlooked when it hit theaters, but I think there is a cult following waiting for this movie. I hope these people are allowed to collaborate on another comedy. If they are, then we may have a new dawn of "Monty Python" style humor infecting the barbarian hordes.