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
Michael Showalter	...	Coop
Marguerite Moreau	...	Katie
Paul Rudd	...	Andy
Zak Orth	...	J.J.
Christopher Meloni	...	Gene
A.D. Miles	...	Gary
Molly Shannon	...	Gail
Gideon Jacobs	...	Aaron
Ken Marino	...	Victor
Joe Lo Truglio	...	Neil
Michael Ian Black	...	McKinley
Liam Norton	...	Arty
Amy Poehler	...	Susie

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

year 1981 | tube sock | car crashing into a tree | sex scene | rescue | 

---

Taglines:

High Times. Hard Bodies. Soft Rock.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

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:

Wet Hot American Summer

Filming Locations:

Honesdale, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,481, 29 July 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$292,102, 7 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

The theme song of the movie "Show Me the Fever" is an original song written for the movie.

---

Goofs

Actors mark (a taped "X") visible when Beth demands that Andy pick up the food that he has thrown on the floor.

---

Quotes

Standup Comic: White folks sound so stupid when they get mad. They be like "hey asshole, I'm going to kick your b-hind." But the brothers won't even need to raise their voice. These motherfuckers be like "don't make me say it twice."
Susie: [to Ben] That's true, that's true.
McKinley: [to J.J. and Aaron, while laughing] *I hate white people*!

---

Crazy Credits

Enabler-at-large: Peter Principato

---

Alternate Versions

DVD contains several deleted scenes.

---

Connections

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

---

Soundtracks

Day By Day
Written by Stephen Schwartz
Performed by Kathleen Pandolfo

User Reviews

A mixed bag of a summer camp film

This movie defintely has its high and low points, the plot concerns the last day of camp in 1981 at a small Jewish summer camp in Maine. It's meant as a parody of all those late 70s, early 80s teen sex romps like Porky's and Meatballs, and while some of the parodies are dead on, others fall rather flat. Perhaps the funniest moment concerns some of the counselors "hour-long" trip into town which starts out innocently but then degrades into a drugged-out parody where the kids start out smoking cigarettes and quickly go to robbing old ladies to feed their newfound cocaine and heroin addictions. Other high points include the Vietnam veteran cook, the loony arts & crafts instructor, and even the children deciding not to play baseball against the anonymously evil-rival camp because they just don't feel like it. A lot of the movie seems more like a bunch of strung together sketches, which adds to its weakness. However, it is fun to see the return of the bad haircuts, too-short shorts, and high socks that made up that era, along with some great early 80s rock hits.