After a very brief spring break, we’re back to school and what better way to get in the academic mood than by watching college-themed movies? Probably by actually going to class, buying textbooks and that sort of thing, but when all that’s taken care of (because we are all very responsible students), kick back with these college movies. Here at the University, “Animal House” is an obvious choice, so here are some others.
“Legally Blonde,” recommended by Rebecca Sedlak
Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) seems to have it all: She’s blonde, beautiful, a college senior and president of her sorority. But when her hunk of a boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, dumps her sunny “Marilyn” self for a pearls-wearing “Jackie” Vanderbilt, Elle decides to win him back by following Warner across the country and enrolling in Harvard Law School. But soon, what started as an insincere foray into the world of law becomes a passion. It turns out Elle is pretty good at that law stuff, and her interest in shopping, manicures and tanning proves to be more useful than first expected. This movie launched Witherspoon’s career and features a memorable cast, including Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Victor Garber and Jennifer Coolidge. Released in 2001, this darling comedy is chock-full of quotable gems and unforgettable characters. If you somehow have never seen it before, do yourself a favor and check it out. @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250494/@@
“Accepted,” recommended by Kaitie Todd
Lighthearted, entertaining and not in the slightest bit realistic, “Accepted” tells the story of Bartleby “B” Gaines, a funny and persuasive high school graduate who creates a fake college to impress his parents after he is rejected from every real college he applies to. Teaming up with a small group of friends who were also not accepted into college, Bartleby creates the South Harmon Institute of Technology. After a mix-up with the school’s fake website allows hundreds of students to also apply and be accepted to the college, Bartleby decides to keep the school open, and before long students are participating in their own made-up curriculum, including classes such as “Doing Nothing 405” and “Walking Down the Road and Thinking About Stuff.” If you can get past the unrealistic plot and occasionally tired slapstick comedy bits, “Accepted” is an enjoyable and consistently funny comedy built out of one-liners and likeable performances by Justin Long as Bartleby and Jonah Hill as his best friend, Sherman. @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384793/@@
“Re-Animator,” recommended by Ben Kendall
“Re-Animator” isn’t a typical college movie filled with dumb douchebags’ drinking and hijinks. It involves a twisted med student trying to reanimate dead flesh and working out of the basement of the house he rents from a fellow classmate. It was adapted from H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction (hallowed be his name). The high point of the film is some dude carrying around his own head trying to “reanimate” (she was still alive, by the way) a girl he has the hots for, and then trying to make out with her. All while holding his own head! Made in 1985, the soundtrack totally reflects the era. The movie can be foul at times, but not in a disgusting way — in a way that you’re shocked that somebody came up with that idea. It’s “totally awesome” in a Spicoli kind of way. If you dig weird, slightly “so-bad-it’s-good” movies,  watch “Re-Animator.” @@http://www.hplovecraft.com/popcult/moviestv/based.asp@@ @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089885/@@
“The Waterboy,” recommended by Amanda Barker
It may not be the best college movie of all time, but “The Waterboy” is definitely up there with “Animal House.” When it comes to comedy, “The Waterboy” will definitely make you cry because you’re laughing so hard. Not to mention, Adam Sandler offers another hilarious, knock-out performance with his character Bobby Boucher. Boucher’s obsession with water brings so many funny quotes to the movie such as: “Water not only quenches your thirst better, it tastes better too.” My personal favorite is, “Now that’s what I call high quality H2O.” Boucher’s mother, played by Kathy Bates, has told him that something bad happened to his father because he didn’t have any water. So the entire movie is based around this stuttering mama’s boy who has made it his goal to make sure there is always the best water around. It doesn’t get more amusing than that. @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120484/@@