Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

David Wain

Writers:

Michael Showalter (written by) &
David Wain (written by)

Release Date:

11 April 2002 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

High Times. Hard Bodies. Soft Rock.

Plot:

Summer camp hijinks, set in 1981.

Plot Keywords:

Astrophysics | Summer Camp | Skylab | Talent Show | Vietnam War Veteran

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | Canada:R (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Québec)

Filming Locations:

Honesdale, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Eureka Pictures

Trivia:

This movie was based on Camp Modin (Belgrade, Maine), the summer camp director David Wain went to.

Goofs:

Continuity: Many of the continuity "mistakes" were included intentionally by the filmmakers and were meant to be subtle and funny, including Neil's hair in the motorcycle chase scene and the differing level of completion of the blanket that Nancy is knitting when she gives Beth and Henry the library advice.

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: [after a long pause and a glare from Beth] All right; I'll put him on last.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References The China Syndrome (1979)

Soundtrack:

Danny's Song

Hilarious parody of the dreckiest film genre

They don't get any worse than summer camp movies, but nothing is funnier than this satire aimed at that very genre. People who came of age in the early eighties ( like me ) may get more of the jokes, but the movie is great all the way through. The cast is impeccable, the writing is spot on, and a much neglected era is brought to life convincingly. Many jokes start out as the same old predictable stuff but get turned on their heads. Watch until the very end of the credits for one of the funniest jokes I have ever seen on film; it's worth the price of admission for that alone. Fans of the State, the most brilliant sketch comedy show of the past 187 years, will go absolutely crazy over this. A must see film that puts to shame many a period piece.