The House Bunny (2008)

Director:

Fred Wolf

Writers (WGA):

Karen McCullah Lutz (written by) &
Kirsten Smith (written by)

Release Date:

22 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Brains. Beauty. Bravery. These girls got it all... They just don't know it yet.

Plot:

When Shelly, a Playboy bunny, is tossed out of the mansion, she has nowhere to go until she falls in with the sorority girls from Zeta Alpha Zeta. The members of the sorority - who also have got to be the seven most socially clueless women on the planet - are about to lose their house. They need a dose of what only the eternally bubbly Shelley can provide... but they will each learn on their own to stop pretending to be what others want them to be and start being themselves.

Plot Keywords:

Sorority | Playboy | Party | Playboy Mansion | Makeover

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Anna Faris	...	Shelley Darlingson
Colin Hanks	...	Oliver
Emma Stone	...	Natalie
Kat Dennings	...	Mona
Hugh M. Hefner	...	Himself (as Hugh Hefner)
Christopher McDonald	...	Dean Simmons
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Mrs. Hagstrom
Katharine McPhee	...	Harmony
Rumer Willis	...	Joanne
Kiely Williams	...	Lilly
Dana Goodman	...	Carrie Mae
Kimberly Makkouk	...	Tanya
Monet Mazur	...	Cassandra
Tyson Ritter	...	Colby
Sarah Wright	...	Ashley
Rachel Specter	...	Courtney
Owen Benjamin	...	Marvin
Holly Madison	...	Herself
Bridget Marquardt	...	Herself
Kendra Wilkinson	...	Herself
Tyler Spindel	...	Steve (as Tyler Spindell)
Sara Jean Underwood	...	Herself - Playmate
Lauren Hill	...	Herself - Playmate (as Lauren Michelle Hill)
Hiromi Oshima	...	Herself - Playmate
Dan Patrick	...	Cop
Sean Salisbury	...	Himself
Matt Leinart	...	Himself
Shaquille O'Neal	...	Himself
Nick Swardson	...	Playboy Photographer
Jay Hayden	...	Kip
Matt Barr	...	Tyler
Chris Titone	...	Guy at Bar (as Christopher Titone)
Michael Bernardi	...	Karaoke Trio
Mike Falkow	...	Karaoke Trio
Marlon Hunter	...	Karaoke Trio
Josh Richman	...	Paramedic
Tony Ervolina	...	Paramedic
Tanner Alexander Redman	...	Trent (as Tanner Redman)
Michelle Fields	...	Michelle
Nikki Deloach	...	Tall Blonde Girl (as Nikki DeLoach)
Linsey Godfrey	...	Short Brunette Girl
Alison Koellisch	...	Medium Blonde Girl
Jackie Benoit	...	Fannie
Katheryn Cain	...	Girl at Panhellenic
Amanda Columbus	...	Girl at Panhellenic
Katheryne Ashley Covert	...	Girl at Panhellenic
Danni Katz	...	Girl at Panhellenic
Aya Nagasaki	...	Girl at Panhellenic
Rachel Saydak	...	Girl at Panhellenic
Ashley Schneider	...	Girl at Panhellenic
Jennifer Tisdale	...	Phi Iota Mu
Adam Shapiro	...	Mona's Interviewee
Angela Shelton	...	Mean Prostitute (as Angela V. Shelton)
Julia Lea Wolov	...	Sweet Prostitute (as Julia Wolov)
Jonathan Loughran	...	Tall Prostitute
Kathleen Gati	...	Boutique Manager
Missy Stewart	...	Kappa Eta Sigma Housemother
Robert Harvey	...	Guy at Pool Table (as Robert H. Harvey)
Ryan Rottman	...	Calendar Buyer
Mitch Gibney	...	Post Office Clerk
Ben Lyons	...	Limbo Guy
Dale Thomas Krupla	...	Karaoke MC
Charles Robinson	...	Francis
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eileen Rene Prudhont	...	Playmate (as Eileen Rene)
Emily Wilson	...	Brittany
Ameona Almund	...	Hot Girl (uncredited)
Jeffrey Ashkin	...	Fraternity Brother (uncredited)
Lili Asvar	...	Playboy Bunny 3 (uncredited)
Jonathan Baker	...	Himself (uncredited)
Justin Baldoni	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Richard Blake	...	Volcano Jock (uncredited)
Allen Covert	...	Waiter #2 (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Leslie Del Rosario	...	Sienna (uncredited)
Jonathan Eudowe	...	Frat Guy (uncredited)
Gina Gianni	...	Model (uncredited)
Marcy Goldman	...	Orphanage Lady (uncredited)
Jillian Grace	...	Playmate (uncredited)
Phillip Gramm	...	Frat Boy at Car Wash #2 (uncredited)
Adam Greeves	...	Frat Guy (uncredited)
Krystal Grenseman	...	Blonde Hottie (uncredited)
Brandon G. Holley	...	Frat Guy (uncredited)
Kristen Marie Kelly	...	Sorority Girl (uncredited)
Paul Kumar	...	Colby's Friend (uncredited)
Breaunna Lake	...	Female Student (uncredited)
Treasure Mallory	...	Sorority Girl (uncredited)
Emmanuel Ondrick	...	Cafe Person (uncredited)
Julie Pepin	...	Sorority Girl #6 (uncredited)
Tony Persico	...	Party Guy (uncredited)
Ashley Rose	...	Party Girl (uncredited)
Toi Rose	...	Student (uncredited)
Chris Rubio	...	Frat Guy (uncredited)
Shaun Ryan	...	Frat Bully (uncredited)
Gabriel Rydel-Jurgens	...	Orphan Boy (uncredited)
Alex Spencer	...	Shopper (uncredited)
Michael Trotter	...	The Pool Guy (uncredited)
Jason Villalobos	...	Frat Guy in Tiki Mask (uncredited)
Jobeth Wagner	...	Sorority Girl (uncredited)
Rob Watt	...	Frat Guy (uncredited)
Michael Weathersby	...	Fraternity Brother (uncredited)
Kelley Welte	...	Playboy Bunny 4 (uncredited)
Meg Wolf	...	Boutique Assistant (uncredited)
Brianna Womick	...	Playboy Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Fred Wolf

Writing credits (WGA)
Karen McCullah Lutz		(written by) &
Kirsten Smith		(written by)

Produced by
Jason Burns	....	co-producer
Allen Covert	....	producer
Anna Faris	....	executive producer
Jack Giarraputo	....	producer
Debra James	....	co-producer
Karen McCullah Lutz	....	executive producer
Heather Parry	....	producer
Richard Rosenzweig	....	co-producer
Adam Sandler	....	producer
Kirsten Smith	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Waddy Wachtel

Cinematography by
Shelly Johnson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Debra Chiate

Casting by
Lisa London
Catherine Stroud

Production Design by
Missy Stewart

Art Direction by
John Chichester

Set Decoration by
Tracey A. Doyle		(as Tracey Doyle)

Costume Design by
Mona May

Makeup Department
David Blair	....	key hair stylist (as David J. Blair)
Debra Coleman	....	makeup artist (as Debra S. Coleman)
Marianna Elias	....	key makeup artist
Kimberly Felix	....	key makeup artist (as Kimberly Felix-Burke)
Jason Green	....	key hair stylist
Lana Heying	....	hair stylist
Candy L. Walken	....	hair department head
Patty York	....	makeup department head
Clinton Wayne	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Debra James	....	unit production manager
Damiana Kamishin	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Eliopoulos	....	second unit director
Kristina M. Peterson	....	second second assistant director
Sunday Stevens	....	second assistant director
Eric Tignini	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Antonio Andraus	....	leadman (as Tony Andraus)
Joshua Borgese	....	greens foreman (as Josh Borgese)
Max E. Brehme	....	property master (as Max Brehme)
Tony Bridgers	....	general foreman
George Cawood	....	creative director: main title sequence
Everett Chase	....	set designer
David B. Clark	....	paint foreman
Steve A. Hagberg	....	construction coordinator (as Steve Hagberg)
Vinson Jae	....	stand-by painter
David R. Lawson	....	construction medic
Martin Milligan	....	on-set dresser
Larry Morgan	....	carpenter
Stephan J. Pierano	....	stand-by greens (as Stephen J. Peirano)
Peter Roderick	....	contruction buyer/estimator
Christopher Schultz	....	assistant property master (as Chris Schultz)
Andrew Settle	....	assistant property master
Daniel Simon	....	labor foreman
John Snow	....	paint supervisor (as John W. Snow)
Meg Hyatt Snow	....	scenic artist (as Meg Hyatt)
Mark Robert Taylor	....	art department coordinator
Samuel J. Tell	....	assistant property master
Andrew Baris	....	art department assistant (uncredited)

Sound Department
Deb Adair	....	supervising sound mixer
Anthony Adams	....	sound effects editor
Kami Asgar	....	supervising sound editor
Bill W. Benton	....	supervising sound mixer
Scott G.G. Haller	....	dialogue editor
Eric Harwood	....	sound recordist
William B. Kaplan	....	production sound mixer
John Marquis	....	sound effects editor
Herwig Maurer	....	sound effects editor
Sean McCormack	....	supervising sound editor
Erin Oakley	....	adr editor
Eryne Prine	....	assistant sound editor
Jacob Riehle	....	assistant sound editor
Jon Wakeham	....	supervising adr editor
Cary Weitz	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Gary D. Bierend	....	special effects foreman (as Gary Bierend)
Wayne Eaton	....	special effects foreman
John C. Hartigan	....	special effects coordinator (as John Hartigan)

Visual Effects by
George Cawood	....	visual effects supervisor
Matt Ciaglia	....	visual effects artist
Fawn Fletcher	....	visual effects coordinator
T.J. Welch	....	visual effects supervising producer
Jonathan Winbush	....	visual effects artist (as Johnathan Winbush)

Stunts
Paul Eliopoulos	....	stunt coordinator
Jon H. Epstein	....	stunts
Natascha Hopkins	....	stunts
Dorenda Moore	....	stunts
Wesley Scott	....	stunts
Caryn Mower	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alfred Ainsworth	....	video assist (as Alfred Ainsworth Jr.)
Dana Baker	....	best boy grip
Kent Baker	....	key rigging grip
Jerry C. Deats	....	best boy rigging grip
Don Devine	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Matt Floyd	....	rigging grip
Christopher Franey	....	rigging electrician
Melinda Sue Gordon	....	still photographer
Scott Graves	....	rigging gaffer
Matt Kennedy	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Al LaVerde	....	key grip
Jonathan Leary	....	grip
Joe Macaluso	....	company grip
David Maddux	....	chief lighting technician
Jerry L. Mandley	....	electrician
Joe Martens	....	electrician
John Martens	....	electrician
Michael Martino	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Mike Moad	....	dolly grip
Brad Peterman	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Beau Damon Richards	....	electrician
Rick Senteno	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Gregory W. Smith	....	Steadicam operator (as Gregory West Smith)
Gregory W. Smith	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Gregory West Smith)
Ryan Vanlossberg	....	dolly grip (as Ryan VonLossberg)
Dale White	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Jason Cox	....	set videographer (uncredited)
Michael E. Jacobson	....	set videographer (uncredited)
Scott Yamano	....	set videographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Maryellen Aviano	....	extras casting
Katie Taylor	....	casting associate
Natasha Ward	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mina Amirzai	....	background costumer
Roberta Bilé	....	key costumer
Virginia Burton	....	costume supervisor
Steve Constancio	....	set costumer
Tamsin Costello	....	costumer
Jennifer Dozier	....	costumer
Phillip Howard	....	costumer
Christine Orth	....	costumer
Reiko Porter	....	costumer: Ms. Faris
Felipe Sanchez	....	costume illustrator

Editorial Department
Terel Gibson	....	additional editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Michael Pasqualone	....	assistant editor
John Persichetti	....	digital colorist
J.J. Titone	....	apprentice editor
Reza Amidi	....	digital intermediate editor (uncredited)
Jimmy Fusil	....	digital intermediate producer (uncredited)
Benjamin Sutor	....	digital intermediate editor (uncredited)
Darin Wooldridge	....	additional digital colorist: Technicolor (uncredited)

Music Department
Brooks Arthur	....	music supervisor
Michael Dilbeck	....	music supervisor
Sheri Ozeki	....	music editor
Steven Scott Smalley	....	conductor (as Scott Smalley)
Steven Scott Smalley	....	orchestrator (as Scott Smalley)
Gabe Veltri	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
Fabian Arroyo	....	transportation
Randy Cantor	....	transportation co-captain
Joel Marrow	....	transportation captain
Ron M Neil	....	driver
John 'J.P.' Pratt	....	driver
Graham Ready	....	transportation

Other crew
Edward Allen	....	production accountant
Mike Barry	....	assistant location manager
Toni Basil	....	choreographer
Adam Bayless	....	production secretary
Steve Berens	....	head animal trainer
Colin Borden	....	production assistant
Nicholas Brown	....	second assistant accountant
Amanda Columbus	....	assistant: Ms. Faris
Nicky Craft	....	assistant accountant (as Nicole Craft)
Dana Curt	....	supervising set medic
Ron J. DeGuzman	....	production assistant
Erin Dicker	....	assistant: Mr. Wolf
J.D. Donaruma	....	assistant: Mr. Sandler
Sophie Engel	....	production assistant
Quentin Halliday	....	location manager
Lucy Herrera	....	assistant accountant
Chris Kerner	....	production crew
Jeff Ketcham	....	assistant: Mr. Covert
Gavin Kleintop	....	production assistant (as Gavin Keintop)
Greg Knapp	....	set medic
Nicole Kreuzer	....	stand-in
Christian Krieger	....	assistant location manager
Alexandre Kyriakidis	....	production assistant
Kym Langlie	....	unit publicist
Ken Lavet	....	location manager (as Kenneth D. Lavet)
Max Lavet	....	production assistant
Paul LaZebnik	....	assistant production coordinator
Adam Milano	....	studio executive
Adam Milano	....	studio executive: development
Murph	....	assistant: Mr. Giarraputo (as Brian Murphy)
Jennifer Perkins	....	assistant: Mr. Sandler
Lois Radcliff	....	craft service (as Lois B. Radcliff)
Willie Radcliff	....	craft service (as Willie L. Radcliff)
Anna Ramey	....	production assistant
Arestia Rosenberg	....	assistant: Ms. Parry
Ryan Salzman	....	production assistant
Lee J. Santillan	....	second assistant accountant
Matthew Shire	....	production assistant
Anthony Steinhart	....	production assistant
Jeremy Tate	....	assistant: Mr. Giarraputo
Judi Townsend	....	script supervisor
Dan Watt	....	executive assistant
Cay Templeton	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Amanda Warren	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures (presents)
• Relativity Media (in association with)
• Happy Madison Productions
• Alta Loma Entertainment (in association with)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Sony Pictures Releasing (BVSPR) (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• RTL Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL5)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (Argentina) (all media)

Special Effects

• Framework Studio (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Gala Catering  catering
• Reel Team, The  loop group
• Sony Pictures Studios  post services
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate
• Panavision  Genesis digital cinematography
• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes & dollies
• Kodak  motion picture film
• ARSONAL  poster design (uncredited)
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Framework Studio  titles
• Madison Gate Records  "I Know What Boys Like" single
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Movie Movers  transportation
• NPI Entertainment Payroll  payroll services: sound editors (as NPI Production Services)
• Red Talent and Literary Agency  talent agency and representative
• Star Waggons  hair and make-up trailers
• Star Waggons  wardrobe trailer
• i24P  dailies and color correction

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sex-related humor, partial nudity and brief strong language

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44141) | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Ireland:12A | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Malaysia:U (cut) | Peru:14 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:M | Finland:S | Argentina:13 | Brazil:12 | Germany:6 | UK:12 (DVD) | UK:12A (cinema release) | Sweden:11 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG13 (broadcast version) | Portugal:M/12 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Playboy Mansion - 10236 Charing Cross Road, Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

Anna Faris later did a clothed cover for Playboy, but her publicist wouldn't allow her to do it naked.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Shelly stands up from the curb to follow the sorority girls that are talking about a party, she is wearing 2" wide hill shoes. When she is walking into the sorority building you can clearly see that the hills are slimmer.

Quotes:

Natalie:This is Harmony.
Shelley:[frog voice] Harmony.
[Harmony looks disturbed]
Natalie:And Carrie Mae.
Shelley:[frog voice] Carrie Mae.
Natalie:[points] And that's Joanne over there.
Shelley:[frog voice] Joanne.
[Joanne waves distributively]
Natalie:What is that? Is it like a Yoda, type of thing, I mean it's cool, fun, but?
Shelley:Oh, it's just this thing I do to remember people's names.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "American Idol" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Girlfriend

Faris is good but the movie doesn't make her a centerfold

"The House Bunny" has a funny concept and what looks like a "Legally Blonde" form of execution. If Anna Faris, most commonly known as the one portraying/making fun of the Neve Campbell "Scream" role in the "Scary Movies" was ever going to become the next big female comedienne the time would be now. She showed she was willing to make fun of herself in those movies but I still wonder if she can play a sincere, actual human being rather than a character meant to be the punch line most of the time. "Bunny" was written by "Blonde" screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith so that could be good news but a lot of the weight of this movie is going to rest on the shoulders of it star. Reese Witherspoon made that movie what it was and the big question here is, can Faris do the same?

She plays Shelley, a ditzy playboy bunny with big dreams of becoming the next centerfold who instead is tossed out on her ass by Hugh after her 27th birthday. Shelley went from the orphanage to the mansion so she never quite got the fill gist of the outside world. Now homeless and with very few survival skills, she has no idea what to do next. Just through happenstance, she encounters something that looks like a mini Playboy mansion but is in fact the best college sorority on campus. They decline her for house mother but she finds a home with the Zeta sorority, a group of misfit girls, led by Natalie (Emma Stone), who seriously need to improve their image and attract new members in order to stop the college from closing their house. Enter Shelley to give the girls make-overs.

This movie made me laugh out loud twice. One involved the manhole cover joke in the trailer, and the other was a really good jab at Bob Saget. The rest of the movie is likable and has a nice message but really can't seem to wring that many laughs out of a good premise. It's a parody against the bimbo ideology, first having Shelley turn the girls into mindless, skimpy-looking prostitutes only to realize later that you also have to have substance too. Sometimes it gets a few chuckles and other times it comes off looking embarrassingly sitcom-ish, like when Shelley tries to look brainy to impress a guy by wearing very thick glasses that make her dizzy, but overall the script isn't as smart or funny as "Legally Blonde" and that hurts its chances. The movie also treats some of the secondary characters in really bad taste, like a girl whose such a misfit she actually talks like Frankenstein and walks like Igor, and I was confused by some others, like a girl who supposedly is bad with boys and yet is pregnant.

I was also confused by the mental abilities of the main character. At times she seems dumber than dirt and at other times she seems almost profound. That she works regardless of this has less to do with the script and more to do with Anna Faris. I don't think this will be the star-making role I thought it would be for her but she gives Shelley a very sweet, genial nature and she is willing to throw herself into silly situations with an innocent and goofy charm. Emma Stone is also pretty funny in this movie, dialing up the dorky meter to about an 8. I feel bad for Colin Hanks though. This kid just doesn't seem to be getting many chances to shine, and here he's wasted as the romantic lead in a movie that's pretty low on the romance.

"The House Bunny" begins, middles, and ends like most college movies do, just unfortunately its not funny or clever enough to distract from the generic plotting. Most of the secondary characters are also wasted as well but maybe, it will put Anna Faris on some people's radars. She is a very funny comic actress and with the right script, its possible she could be the next big thing.