Loser (2000)

A college student, branded a loser by his roommates and booted from the dorm, falls in love with a coed who has eyes for their condescending professor.

Director:

Amy Heckerling

Writer:

Amy Heckerling

Stars:

Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, Zak Orth

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Biggs	...	Paul Tannek
Mena Suvari	...	Dora Diamond
Zak Orth	...	Adam
Thomas Sadoski	...	Chris (as Tom Sadoski)
Jimmi Simpson	...	Noah
Greg Kinnear	...	Prof. Edward Alcott
Dan Aykroyd	...	Dad
Twink Caplan	...	Gena
Bobby Slayton	...	Sal
Robert Miano	...	Victor
Mollie Heckerling	...	Annie (as Mollee Israel)
Colleen Camp	...	Homeless Woman
Andy Dick	...	Another City Worker
Steven Wright	...	Panty Hose Customer
Brian Backer	...	Doctor

Storyline

Is there room in Manhattan for a decent kid? Can a young woman see past a cad to true love? Paul, from rural upstate, comes to New York City for college. To keep his scholarship, he must study hard and do well. That makes him a loser to his partying roommates who connive to kick him out of their suite. He's assigned a room in an animal hospital. In class he meets Dora, a pretty coed who needs a job to pay for school, and who's the very young lover of their sarcastic and selfish lit professor. When Dora is slipped some drugs at a party, Paul nurses her back to health, and a friendship follows. For Paul, though, it's more than friendly feelings. Can they work things out for them to become a truly lucky couple?

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Plot Keywords:

loser | college student | male in underwear | condom | toothbrush | 

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Taglines:

Dare to be different

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug content, crude sexual material and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Dora leaves the convenience store with one of Paul's old roommates heading to the party at the vet hospital, they pass a group of people dressed up like the characters from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".

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Goofs

Toronto buildings are seen in "New York" throughout the movie. (e.g. when Paul and Dora are walking on the street at night, they walk past Lee's Palace, a concert hall on Bloor St.)

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Quotes

Chris: Man, our T.G. party was a total bust. Every time I got close to hittin' it with one of those new mamas, her evil girlfriend's got to show up and screw everything up.
Adam: What we need is a higher female-to-male ratio, like in cool nightclubs, you know, where they let in five times as many women as men.
Noah: How are we gonna get five times as many women to show up?
Adam: We have a party but we call it a fundraiser.
Chris: So we gotta think of a charity.
Adam: It's gotta be the right charity. It's got to attract hotties.
Chris: Yeah.
Noah: ...
[...]

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Connections

References The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

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Soundtracks

Teenage Dirtbag
Written by Brendan B. Brown
Performed by Wheatus
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Amusing and honest college movie

Unfairly condemned by the critics, this movie worked for me as a comedy and as a somewhat dark look at the mores of college life. Our hero may be branded a loser, but he's definitely a believable three-dimensional character (with a heart of gold, naturally). The story takes for granted some unethical and potentially unsettling behaviour, and allows the characters to rise above it.

Lets you smile throughout, and gives you some insights into contemporary life on campus without resorting to cliches.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Loser

Filming Locations:

Lower Bay Station, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,008,611, 23 July 2000

Gross USA:

$15,618,626

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$18,404,706

Company Credits

Production Co:

Branti Film Productions, Cockamamie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1