Van Wilder (2002)

Director:

Walt Becker

Writers:

Brent Goldberg (written by) &
David Wagner (written by)

Release Date:

5 April 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

The Tradition Continues

Plot:

The most popular kid on campus meets a beautiful journalist who makes him realize that maybe he's afraid to graduate.

Plot Keywords:

College | Party | Love | Reporter | Golf Cart

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Ryan Reynolds	...	Van Wilder
Tara Reid	...	Gwen Pearson
Tim Matheson	...	Vance Wilder Sr.
Kal Penn	...	Taj Mahal Badalandabad
Teck Holmes	...	Hutch
Daniel Cosgrove	...	Richard Bagg
Deon Richmond	...	Mini Cochran
Alex Burns	...	Gordon
Emily Rutherfurd	...	Jeannie
Paul Gleason	...	Professor McDoogle
Erik Estrada	...	Himself
Curtis Armstrong	...	Campus Cop
Jason Winer	...	Panos Patakos
Chris Owen	...	Suicidal Freshman
Simon Helberg	...	Vernon
Aaron Paul	...	Wasted Guy
Ivana Bozilovic	...	Naomi
Kim Smith	...	Casey
Teresa Hill	...	Hot Female Doctor
Megan Gallagher	...	Holyoke Hottie
Jason Hopkins	...	Sick Boy
Lydia Hull	...	Lindsey
Mark Chaet	...	Business Manager
Michael Waltman	...	Coach Ken Massey
Cynthia Fancher	...	Ms. Haver
Michael Olowokandi	...	Leron
Darius Miles	...	Darius
Quentin Richardson	...	Quentin
Lamar Odom	...	Coolidge Chickadee Player
Nick Puga	...	Pimply Faced Freshman
Joshua Swanson	...	Annoyingly Peppy Freshman
Jesse Capelli	...	Desiree (as Jenny Leone)
Ronald Hunter	...	Gus
Jeremy Phillips	...	Overweight Freshman
Darcy Shean	...	Gwen's Mom
Harry Danner	...	Dr. Beeverman
Tom Howard	...	Gwen's Dad
John Colton	...	Dr. Henke
Sophia Bush	...	Sally
J. Patrick McCormack	...	Dean Mooney
Gregg Daniel	...	English Professor
Lauren Birkell	...	Cheesy TV Announcer
Teesha Lobo	...	Hot Indian Girl
Cheryl Bricker	...	Mrs. Henke
Christopher Sowers	...	Thin Pledge (as Chris Sowers)
Colin Campbell	...	Archive Guy
Willie Latimore	...	Ming Impersonator
Sean Marquette	...	Little Kid
Sterling Rice	...	Little Girl
Albert Owens	...	Another Doctor
Anderson Goncalves	...	Dorky Brother
Anne Varnishung	...	Gorgeous Secretary
Erik Aude	...	Martial Arts Freshman
Sarah Fairfax	...	Mrs. Seay
Travis McKenna	...	Milty
Lou Beatty Jr.	...	Library Man
Andrew Bilgore	...	Party Busting Cop
Alexia Chiaromonte	...	Stunning Co-Ed Freshman
Brent Goldberg	...	Freshman Interviewee 1
David Wagner	...	Freshman Interviewee 2
Chad Evans	...	Stoner Freshman
Brandon Kessel	...	College Kid
Ryan Carlberg	...	Worried Preppy Freshman
Matt Newton	...	Male Sophomore (as Matthew Newton)
Edie McClurg	...	Campus Tour Guide
Joyce Brothers	...	Herself (as Dr. Joyce Brothers)
Shaina Fewell	...	Hot Senior
Megan Litwin	...	Hotter Friend
Sarah Paul	...	Terri
Michelle Thomas	...	Sherri
Sirin Suprasert	...	Suk Mee
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Megan Baker	...	Student (uncredited)
Dan Beck	...	Lamda geek (uncredited)
Walt Becker	...	Fireman (uncredited)
Victoria Blackburn	...	Van's Friend (uncredited)
Sean Brennan	...	Shoeshine DIK (uncredited)
Chad Brokaw	...	DIK Brother (uncredited)
Scott Cappelli	...	Rollerskater (uncredited)
Candice Cash	...	Tranny Stripper (uncredited)
Heather Charles	...	Luau Girl (uncredited)
Soren Fulton	...	10 Year Old Boy (uncredited)
Reid Godshaw	...	Drunk Boy (uncredited)
Marc S. Gordon	...	Student Leader (uncredited)
Sean Gordon	...	Rollerskater (uncredited)
Christopher D. Grace	...	Drunken Frat Guy (uncredited)
Kelly Hayes	...	Luau Party Guy (uncredited)
Jesse Heiman	...	Student on Couch (uncredited)
Summer Moore	...	Pajama Party-Goer (uncredited)
Bonnie Morgan	...	Twisted Auditioner (uncredited)
Justin Neill	...	Frat Guy (uncredited)
Alex Nesic	...	ROTC Student (uncredited)
Louis E. Rosas	...	Drag Queen (uncredited)
Steffen Schlachtenhaufen	...	Student Bartender (uncredited)
Jennifer Schlueter	...	Student (uncredited)
Tom Everett Scott	...	Elliot Grebb (uncredited)
Skyler Stone	...	Test Taker (uncredited)
Charlie Talbert	...	Stomach Guy (uncredited)
Billy Taylor	...	Student (uncredited)
Nathan Todaro	...	Skating Rink Geek (uncredited)
Cassie Townsend	...	Student (uncredited)
Greta Valenti	...	Hot Roller Girl (uncredited)
Dave Vandermeuse	...	Cowboy Lamda Brother (uncredited)
Josh Waters	...	College Student on Campus Tour (uncredited)
Nik Wilcox	...	Sychophant (uncredited)
Natan Zahavi	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Walt Becker

Writing credits
Brent Goldberg		(written by) &
David Wagner		(written by) (as David T. Wagner)

Produced by
Peter Abrams	....	producer
Kirk D'Amico	....	executive producer
Lucas Foster	....	executive producer
Jeff Franks	....	associate producer
Rick Joseph	....	co-producer
Robert L. Levy	....	producer
Jonathon Komack Martin	....	producer
Peter Nelson	....	co-producer
Ari Newman	....	co-producer
Andrew Panay	....	producer
Philip von Alvensleben	....	executive producer

Original Music by
David Lawrence

Cinematography by
James R. Bagdonas		(director of photography) (as James Bagdonas)

Film Editing by
Dennis M. Hill

Production Design by
Rachel Kamerman

Art Direction by
William J. Durrell Jr.

Set Decoration by
Suzan Katcher
Jill McGraw

Costume Design by
Alexis Scott

Makeup Department
Kimberly 'Beverly' Beard	....	key hair stylist
Timothy Considine	....	special makeup effects artist
Jeffrey S. Farley	....	special makeup effects artist
Tina Harrelson	....	makeup artist
Andrea Helm	....	hair stylist
Martina Kohl	....	key makeup artist
Susan Laprelle	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Deborah Reissman	....	executive in charge of production
Michael Tinger	....	post-production supervisor
Andjelija Vlaisavljevic	....	production supervisor
Natan Zahavi	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael A. Allowitz	....	first assistant director
Susie Balaban	....	second second assistant director
Dirk Craft	....	assistant director
David Hallinan	....	first assistant director: second unit
Anna E. Hayward	....	second assistant director
Elenie Mansalis	....	second assistant director: additional photography

Art Department
Rich Andrade	....	set dresser
William Apperson	....	construction coordinator
Brian Bains	....	on-set dresser
Daniel Chaves	....	labor foreman
Gary Dent	....	leadman
Brian Kline	....	assistant property master
Steffen Schlachtenhaufen	....	storyboard artist
Lisa Vasconcellos	....	art department coordinator
Thomas R. Wagner	....	property master

Sound Department
Richard Burnette	....	mix facility coordinator
Robert Carr	....	sound recordist
Andrew DeCristofaro	....	supervising sound editor
David Esparza	....	sound effects editor
Frank A. Fuller Jr.	....	sound editor
Marshall Garlington	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin Hamilton	....	adr editor
Kevin Hamilton	....	dialogue editor
Daniel Hastings	....	boom operator
Ben Jacob	....	production sound mixer (as Itamar Ben-Jacob)
Ben Jacob	....	sound engineer
Shawn Kennelly	....	foley mixer
Lee Lemont	....	supervising adr editor
Steve Mann	....	sound effects editor
Marc Meyer	....	first assistant sound editor
Anthony Milch	....	dialogue editor
William Munroe	....	additional boom operator
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Michael Payne	....	sound effects editor
James L. Pearson	....	sound editor
John Placencia	....	utility sound technician
Martin Schloemer	....	sound recordist
Alexander Schwartz	....	foley artist
Cathie Speakman	....	sound editor
Edward M. Steidele	....	foley artist
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Jonathan Wareham	....	sound effects editor
Aaron D. Weisblatt	....	sound effects editor
Bernard Weiser	....	supervising sound editor
Jeffrey R. Whitcher	....	sound effects editor
James Wright	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
James Marchione	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Stuart Provine	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Royce Hager	....	special effects foreman
Josh Hakian	....	special effects coordinator
Russ Herpich	....	mold maker: Creature Effects Inc.
Mark Rappaport	....	special effects makeup
Eric Von Scott	....	animal special effects/prosthetics

Visual Effects by
Andy Davis	....	digital compositor: Standard
Jessica James	....	opticals: main title sequence producer
Jessica James	....	visual effects producer
Don Lee	....	digital compositor
Andrew MacDonald	....	compositor: Creo Collective

Stunts
Charlie Brewer	....	stunts
Manny Chavez	....	stunts
Dirk Christensen	....	stunts
Joe Cofer	....	stunts
Laura Lee Connery	....	stunts
Thomas Dewier	....	utility stunts
Johnny Martin	....	stunt coordinator
Bobby Ore	....	stunt performer
Brian Simpson	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Patti Arpaia	....	still photographer
Chris Byers	....	key grip
Gerrit Dangremond	....	Steadicam operator
Gerrit Dangremond	....	camera operator
Nate Foll	....	electrician
Sean Ginn	....	electrician
Barry Gross	....	rigging gaffer
Julie Helton	....	camera loader
John Hoffma	....	rigging electrician
Jason Jensen	....	second assistant camera
Mark Pickens	....	dolly grip
John Placencia	....	video assist operator
Bruce Reutlinger	....	camera operator
Paul Storino	....	grip
Rob Sweeney	....	director of photography: second unit
Wally Sweeterman	....	first assistant camera
Jon Tilton	....	electric best boy
Toby Tucker	....	film loader
Michael Chambliss	....	hot head technician (uncredited)
Ryan Shopay	....	lamp operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Rob Decina	....	casting: New York
Barbara Fiorentino	....	casting
Randi Hiller	....	casting consultant
Jimmy Jue	....	extras casting
Rebecca Mangieri	....	casting associate
Summer Wesson	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gloria Fonseca	....	set costumer
Laura E. Little	....	costumer
Gregory B. Peña	....	costume supervisor
Gregory B. Peña	....	set costumer
Catherine Peña	....	set costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Ryan Folsey	....	additional editor
Bob Wenokur	....	studio post-production representative
Andrew Chitko	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Guy Defazio	....	music mixer
Guy Erez	....	musician
Sheri Ozeki	....	music editor
Christopher Violette	....	music supervisor (as Chris Violette)
Richard Ziegler	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Eric Moon	....	driver
Sean J. Moore	....	transportation
Michael Perrotti	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Edwin Avedissian	....	location manager
Ronald Arthur Baker	....	caterer
Darren Lynn Bousman	....	production assistant
Neil Butler	....	assistant: Lucas Foster
Francois Caillaud	....	production assistant
Dayna Danika	....	production coordinator
Melissa Engle	....	production assistant
Corina Garcia	....	assistant: Robert Levy and Peter Abrams (as Corinna Garcia)
Allison Graham	....	marketing coordinator
Kelly Hayes	....	production assistant
Paula Hunziker	....	script supervisor (as Paula Dussman)
Chris Kenny	....	location assistant
Megan Litwin	....	production assistant
Jeremy Martin	....	assistant: Andrew Panay
Rebecca Merle	....	production assistant (as Rebecca Koscinski)
Jennifer Monroe	....	assistant: Jonathon Komack Martin (as Jennifer Hilton)
Billy Parks	....	assistant: Lucas Foster
Gregory B. Peña	....	set supervisor
J.C. Rappaport	....	assistant: Kirk D'Amico
Taylor Saxon	....	set medic
Anouk Schaff	....	assistant: Philip von Alvensleben (as Anouk Schaaf)
Steffen Schlachtenhaufen	....	production assistant
Mollie Stallman	....	production assistant
Christopher W. Trott	....	location manager
Randy Barach	....	security officer (uncredited)
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond representative (uncredited)
Steven Jetton	....	layout board (uncredited)

Thanks
Mimi Clarke	....	special thanks
Austin Lander	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Myriad Pictures (presents)
• In-Motion AG Movie & TV Productions (in association with) (as IN-motion AG)
• World Media Fonds V (WMF V) (in association with) (as WMF V)
• Tapestry Films

Distributors

• Constantin Film (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmauro Distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Hoyts Distribution (2002) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Independent Films (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• Prooptiki (2002) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Sociedad General de Derechos Audiovisuales (SOGEDASA) (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Alpha Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Alpha Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Artisan Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD) (2-disc unrated version)
• Artisan Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS) (unrated)
• Gativideo (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (unrated two-disc special edition)
• RTL Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL5)
• Star Entertainment (2003) (India) (all media)
• Teleview International (2002) (Lebanon) (TV) (Middle East)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (rental)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (retail)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2003) (Germany) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Standard Pictures Distributing Company

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  publicity
• Sound Satisfaction  foley facilities
• Standard Pictures Distributing Company  title design: main titles
• Ultimatum Music  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Van Wilder: Party Liaison" - Australia, Philippines (English title), UK, USA (working title)
"National Lampoon's Van Wilder" - USA (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, gross humor, language and some drug content

Runtime:

92 min | USA:94 min (unrated version)

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Austria:14 | Brazil:14 | Germany:12 (f) | Hong Kong:IIB | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (also unrated version) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (also unrated version) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) (also unrated version) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-15 (TV rating) | Ireland:15 | Argentina:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:14+ (TV rating) | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Myriad Pictures

Trivia:

In Gwen's parents house, Van Wilder says about Richard "If he is here, who's running hell?" The same line was used by Richard Ruccolo's character in "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place" (1998), which Ryan Reynolds also starred in.

Goofs:

Continuity: Van's doodle repeatedly flips over between shots when Van visits Gwen in the women's locker room.

Quotes:

Van Wilder:[speaking about Gwen's boyfriend Richard] I'll bet he's a tighty whitey guy.
Gwen:Excuse me?
Van Wilder:White, elastic band, constricting. You can tell a lot about a person by the kind of drawers they wear. Like you - granny panties I bet.
Gwen:Does that allude to me being the plain, boring type?
Van Wilder:Mmmm, no.
Van Wilder:[sighs]
Van Wilder:I just wanted the visual.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Something, Something, Something, Dark Side (#8.20)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

At Auntie Tom's

National Lampoon's Van Wilder is an aggressively funny movie,unashamed by its bad taste.

What this movie has and other movies lack are characters you admire and care about. The movie never succumbs to sentimentality, thankfully, and it keeps a high level of cheerfulness and humor through the entire running time. This is a movie that wants to party and have fun, where characters are in high spirits and at times a little inebriated. This is the movie that will put the National Lampoon franchise back into respectability. Not only is this movie gut-bustingly funny – if you can get past the crude visual puns like a pit-bull with what looks like a ten-pound scrotum attachment, and a crotch-enhancer pump that is mistaken for a bong – this transcendent comedy of gross manners is most affecting because it's incredibly well-made. Most college campus comedies are cheap in production value and clumsily structured. Van Wilder is exceedingly well-paced and smartly written, by writers Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner (their love for Ferris Bueller is apparent) who know how to set up not only a joke but sequences of offhand slapstick that are irrepressibly absurd. Director Walter Becker (creator of the ingenious short-film Saving Ryan's Privates) handles the irreverent and random acts of background physical comedy with ease and panache.

The campus wild man is fittingly known as Van Wilder (played by Ryan Reynolds). Van Wilder is a guy that has friends from everywhere, from the jocks to the nerds. Reynolds finds a precarious balance between recklessness and cheerful insanity, which is crucial because he turns acts of humanitarian philanthropy into casual and spontaneous gestures without giving second thought. No job is ever too big for the man, whether it is becoming the de-facto basketball coach that inspires the school's team to win or setting up a rockin' party for the geekiest fraternity on campus. Van Wilder has enthusiastic support from everyone but his burned-out workaholic father (played by Tim Matheson, once the wild man in National Lampoon's Animal House) who decides after seven years of his son's enrollment to stop tuition payment.

Van Wilder becomes the subject of a school newspaper editorial and Tara Reid plays the snobby, uptight reporter Gwen whose ties belong to frat boy Richard Bagg (Daniel Cosgrove), who conducts hazing rituals that are crueler than anything since Animal House. When Gwen tries to get the naked truth from Van Wilder, she mostly just finds Van Wilder naked. But it's the smart rapport that develops between them that allows Van Wilder to strip Gwen's inhibitions, to let her walk on the wild side. In the background, a turf war erupts between Van Wilder and Richard.

The plotting is shameless in its methods of revenge. There are innocent people involved in the mayhem, including a scene where pre-pubescent boys raid one of Van Wilder's parties and end up barfing out of a school bus (but hey, these young boys had the time of their life until then). Richard's fraternity brothers are sent a basket full of éclairs stuffed with juices from a particular dormitory pet. In a knock-off homage to Dumb and Dumber, a character digests a bottle of colon blow right before he is to take a final exam.

The movie rarely takes a breath. It does settle for easy chuckles but goes for the comic gold, pushing past the ribbon of where comedy usually wears out in exhaust. Not every joke works, but you admire the efforts that the filmmakers went to in order to make you laugh. A virgin's first encounter with a girl that culminates in a massage oil rubdown gets more than messy and squanders too much, thus not earning any laughs. A scene where Van Wilder has to charm a raggedy and prunish administrator gets frighteningly explicit and goes on maybe one shot too many. But Van Wilder is always the man of the moment. One of the dorky characters goes to Van Wilder to ask him how to `muff dive.' Ultimately, Van Wilder is king and his rebel-bent philosophy is trippingly funny. At the end, you won't be able to remember all the funny scenes because there are just too many of them.