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Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara, Schuyler Fisk, John Lithgow ... see more see more... , Harold Ramis , Jane Adams (II) , Garry Marshall , Dana Ivey , Chevy Chase , Lily Tomlin , George Murdock , Leslie Mann , Kyle Howard , RJ Knoll , Bret Harrison , Monica Keena , Mike White , Carly Pope , Daniel Farber

Some cast and crew from NBC's highly acclaimed, little-seen series Freaks and Geeks reunite for this teen comedy that also marks the first starring role for Tom Hanks' son, Colin. The younger Hanks pl... read more read more...ays Shaun Brumder, a high schooler eager to propel himself out of the land of surf bums and ranch homes to which the film's title refers. He's had his sights set on Stanford ever since he read the works of professor Marcus Skinner (Kevin Kline), and his transcript is stellar enough to gain him admission. Shaun is understandably furious, then, when he receives a rejection letter in the mail; after some detective work on his part, he realizes that his flaky counselor (Lily Tomlin) mistakenly sent the university the wrong papers. It's up to him to get to Stanford within 24 hours to set the record straight -- literally -- and he enlists the help of his slacker brother Lance (Jack Black) to do so. Orange County co-stars Catharine O'Hara and John Lithgow as Shaun and Lance's slightly unhinged parents; the film was directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Mike White, both of whom contributed to several episodes of Freaks and Geeks. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Flixster Users

61% liked it

158,184 ratings

Critics

46% liked it

121 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 21 min.

Directed by: Jake Kasdan

Release Date: January 11, 2002

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DVD Release Date: June 18, 2002

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Stats: 5,104 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,104)

  • ythelastman89
    October 2, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Just a fun movie with a giant heart, impossible to not love. The characters are outrageous and believable at the same time, it's really well shot and tells an important story and unique coming of age experience. It manages to cover all the distasteful parts of a family and capita... read morelize on them, which has never quite been done in the same way before or since. Colin Hanks isn't just a wimpy and angsty teen with too many issues, his problems are real and relatable to most. Jack Black probably gives one of his best performances as Lance, he's never been funnier or more lovable. I think that it shows how terrible and happy life can be at the same time.
  • FrizzDrop
    August 3, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    Not the best, but definitely wacky with a turn for Schuyler Fisk. Just ignore Jack Black and you'll enjoy it.
  • FilmFanatik
    December 21, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    Meh.
  • SirPant
    September 30, 2009
    SirPant
    A good film with some good laughs but ultimately I was a little disappointed as I'd been told it was the greatest film ever and it isn't.
  • stormyweather980
    September 14, 2009
    stormyweather980
    When we're around the 18 - 23 range, don't we all want to get out of the county and same old house that we've known all our life? Shaun does. He's real smart and has a strong urge for becoming a writer one day. He wants to go to a certain university that's far away, just to escap... read moree Orange County, his drunken mom, wacky brother, etc. But he'll soon find out that getting what you want isn't always easy.
    "Orange County" manages to be hilarious (the mindless antics of Jack Black are what REALLY makes the movie) and meaningful (I don't know about you, but I know I can sure relate to wanting to get out of the same tainted place I've known all my life) at the same time. Not to mention that the cast (John Lithgow, Catherine O'hara, Jack Black, and some rising stars) is pretty much perfect for the roles that they play in the film.

    However, the special features, while decent, could've been better. It has a scene selection, four deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, interstitials, and commentary by the director and writer. That's good enough, but where are the interviews with the cast, the behind the scenes bloopers, and so on? Nonetheless, the bottom line is that "Orange County" is a great movie that will provide you entertainment for years to come if you add it to your collection. For that reason, it's definitely recommended that you add it to your collection ASAP. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2003.
  • Chiefilms
    May 28, 2009
    Chiefilms
    Nothing entirely special here but it's got the offspring of Tom Hanks as the lead role which was exciting. Also Jack Black always plays a good stoner/bum. Looks like Tom Hanks' baby isn't starting out in wild comedies like "Bosom Buddies" or "Bachelor Party" in the footsteps of... read more Mr. Hanks. This film is a simple MTV produced comedy with a pretty good script and casting.
  • danperry17
    March 1, 2009
    danperry17
    Much more enjoyable than I expected, the first half was pretty good but it eventually sort of unravelled. It tells a story that's easily related to though, and the characters are all interesting. A decent script scores this film more points than its formulaic filming, and while I... read more don't need to see it again, I don't regret watching it either.
  • DrZeek
    January 11, 2009
    DrZeek
    Shaun: Lance, I want you to stay in your room.
    Lance: Why?
    Shaun: Because you're an embarrassment.
    Lance: OK!

    The plot of this movie is just so lame, but on repeated viewings its still ok. Jack Black makes things work.

    Firefighter: What's your name?
    Lance: Uh, Joe... John... u... read moreh, Joe-John.
    Firefighter: Your name's Joe-John?
    Lance: John-ston, Johnston. Joe.
    Firefighter: You wanna tell me what happened here?
    Lance: Uh, there was a fire, I dunno, I came by and it's... checkin out the fire.
    Firefighter: Well that lady uh, Mona? She said that you two were in the building together when the fire started.
    Lance: Yeah, she's a liar, cuz I dunno her so whatever, whatever she says is a lie, so...
    Firefighter: K, so you're saying you weren't in the building with that woman?
    Lance: No, not I! Aright, she started it, aright? Because she was like "I hate my job, I'm gonna burn this mother down!" And I said "You better not... you better not!"
    Firefighter: She said it was an electrical fire.
    Lance: It was. It was a total electrical fire, it was like uh, the switches had sparks comin out, and the sockets, and uh it was like the 4th of July, man!
    Firefighter: Why aren't you wearing your pants, Joe?
    Lance: I tripped, and uh then I had to take 'em off to run faster out of the flames...
    [coughing]
    Lance: I think I inhaled some smoke, will you excuse me one second, I'll be right back.
    [runs away in the background]
    Firefighter: [into walkie talkie] We got a sprinter. Five foot five, no pants, unkempt... portly.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    October 28, 2008
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "It's not just a place. It's a state of mind."

    Some cast and crew from NBC's highly acclaimed, little-seen series Freaks and Geeks reunite for this teen comedy that also marks the first starring role for Tom Hanks' son, Colin. The younger Hanks plays Shaun Brumder, a hi... read moregh schooler eager to propel himself out of the land of surf bums and ranch homes to which the film's title refers. He's had his sights set on Stanford ever since he read the works of professor Marcus Skinner (Kevin Kline), and his transcript is stellar enough to gain him admission. Shaun is understandably furious, then, when he receives a rejection letter in the mail; after some detective work on his part, he realizes that his flaky counselor (Lily Tomlin) mistakenly sent the university the wrong papers. It's up to him to get to Stanford within 24 hours to set the record straight -- literally -- and he enlists the help of his slacker brother Lance (Jack Black) to do so. Orange County co-stars Catharine O'Hara and John Lithgow as Shaun and Lance's slightly unhinged parents; the film was directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Mike White, both of whom contributed to several episodes of Freaks and Geeks.

    Review
    Considering how bad this film could have been, I consider "Orange County" to be a real triumph. It combines solid performances, likeable characters, gross-out humor, brainy dialogue, an excellent soundtrack, and Jack Black sans trousers. That may be enough for most people, seeing a doped-out Black frantically vacuuming his room wearing nothing but his skivvies. It was certainly most of the initial appeal for ME, being the huge Tenacious D fan that I am. An added bonus is an appealing lead performance by Colin Hanks, son of the legendary Tom Hanks. I was very pleased to see that the younger Hanks sports the same easy-going, everyman persona as his dad. He carries the film on his slight shoulders very easily, aided immensely with a predictable but smart script and a very able-bodied cast. I definitely have to recommend this one.
  • gatorgirl13
    July 5, 2007
    gatorgirl13
    Hilarious. Jack Black is the best drugged out low-life ever.

View All Orange County Reviews

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy
August 6, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

[Kasdan] and White aim very low here and fail to take advantage of the abundant opportunities for social satire that its upper class and academic settings provide. Full Review

Richard Roeper
January 24, 2002
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

[T]oo many of these gross out scenes... Full Review

Rita Kempley
January 22, 2002
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Strictly a vanity vehicle with a mess of star babies on board.

Paul Tatara
January 18, 2002
Paul Tatara, CNN.com

One of the smartest idiotic teen comedies you'll ever see. Full Review

Michael Atkinson
January 15, 2002
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

Lessons are learned amid the scatological yucks, profitless cameos (Chevy Chase, Ben Stiller), and Black's graceless mugging. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 12, 2002
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

It's derivative and tiresome with little more to offer than one might anticipate from a teen comedy road trip. Full Review

Mike Clark
January 11, 2002
Mike Clark, USA Today

This one is geared more toward the volleyball players we see early on, leaping and spiking in the sand. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
January 11, 2002
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

Full of keenly observed moments of intergenerational embarrassment, as a smarter-than-average teen movie Orange County falls somewhere smack in between Ghost World's depressive cynicism and Teen Movie... Full Review

Mick LaSalle
January 11, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

There are laugh-out-loud moments and some well-observed satire, but when the movie tries to get serious, it collapses. Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek
January 11, 2002
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

A piece of mildly entertaining, inoffensive fluff that drifts aimlessly for 90 minutes before lodging in the cracks of that ever-growing category: unembarrassing but unmemorable. Full Review

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  • in what movie did jack black star as a washed older brother to tom hanks son colin ?  Answer »
  • What is in Jack Black's mouth on the movie cover of Orange County?  Answer »
  • in which movie does jack black say this "she was like oh I hate my job im going to burn this mother down"  Answer »
  • What actress, who appeared in Tequila Sunrise and Scarface, was once Miss Orange County?  Answer »
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