Stealing Harvard
Here's a riddle for the loyal readers (present and future): What starts out by going up, stays up for a brief amount of time, and then descends rapidly while going all over the place and hitting occasional high points before ending? I had two possible answers in mind -- a roller coaster and Jason Lee's career. After garnering well-deserved attention for his comic supporting roles in Mallrats and Chasing Amy, Lee wasted his time with Kissing a Fool. Almost Famous and Heartbreakers further demonstrates Lee's teeter tottering between well-executed filmmaking and time-wasters. Stealing Harvard, although amusing and good-natured, resides in Crap County.
John Plummer (Lee) is torn between his niece Noreen and his fiance Elaine (it's nothing perverted if that's what your dirty mind is thinking). John has saved enough money to buy a starter home for Elaine just in time to be called on a promise he made to Noreen many years ago. He told Noreen that he would pay for her college education if she were accepted. Somehow, Noreen was accepted at Harvard University, and she only needs $30,000 from her Uncle John in a short amount of time. That is the amount that John has saved up for the house.
John's first idea is to tell Elaine about the promise to Noreen, but she already made an offer on a house, and John's money is put into escrow. John's legitimate fundraising attempts have failed, but his landscaper buddy Duff suggests that they engage in crime to raise the money. Duff's "foolproof" plans fail and lead to embarrassment, and time is running out for John.
This can't be the same Jason Lee that consistently cracks me up with such quotes as, "I'll play your victim but not your catcher," and "Why don't they ever bring back or remake good shows, like 'BJ and the Bear'? Now there's a concept I can't get enough of, a man and his monkey." Lee brings only a trace of his comic genius that made Banky Edwards and Brodie Bruce so memorable. The surprises arrive in pairs. Tom Green was actually funny in this movie. He's outrageous but not as obscene as he was in Freddy Got Fingered.
Many parts of the story don't make much sense. For example, Noreen doesn't appear to be Harvard material. In fact, Harvard University should have refused to be associated with a film of this quality or lack thereof. Also, John's sister Patty and Duff think that Elaine is a major bitch, but Leslie Mann's portrayal doesn't support their assertions.
"Will & Grace" fans will be surprised to learn that Megan Mullally's (Patty/Karen on said sitcom) voice isn't naturally high-pitched. Maybe "relieved" is a better word than "surprised." Anyways, like a missile from a country with low military spending, Stealing Harvard is a dud. I'm thankful that I used a rental coupon, or I would be regretting the waste of money.
Send any comments/ feedback to the author.
Tom Green is carrying a 6-pack of beer many times throughout the film. That might inspire some inebriation among the viewers.
Watching Jason Lee's character lie to his fiance disqualifies this movie from "date flick" status.
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1) Chasing Amy
2) Mallrats
3) Almost Famous
4) Freddy Got Fingered
5) Road Trip
