Review: Orange County

How many of us dream of going to a far away place and make a fresh start? At some point in our lives, we see an opportunity to make our lives better and when this happens, we grab it and hang on for dear life. It is in this moment of clarity, in this rare flash of certainty that life sometimes gets nasty and whacks us in the head. When we finally come to, we realize we’re screwed. Or are we?

The movie "Orange Country" is about dealing with that bump on your crown. It tells the story of Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) a typical California dude who spends most of his time on his surfboard or slacking around with his pin-brained friends. His life’s worthlessness hit him like a wrecking ball when one of his surfer buddies drowns in a reckless surfing escapade. He eventually picks up a book he finds buried in the sand that changes his life. Shaun the Slacker now wants to be Shaun the Writer! The epiphany leads him to compose a short story that he sends to his favorite writer and device a plan that would make his dreams come true. On top of his to-do list is attending Stanford University where his idol Marcus Skinner teaches.

He has grades high enough to merit entrance to the prestigious school and a supportive girlfriend Ashley (Schuyler Fisk) who pushes him to be the best. Just when things seem to be going well for him, his school counselor sends the wrong transcript to Stanford and Shaun’s grand escape from the town he loathes is shattered. No one can blame him from wanting to leave. He is surrounded by dimwitted classmates and shallow teachers, a catatonic stepfather, a crackhead brother (Jack Black), an out-of-color mother (Catherine O’Hara) and a filthy rich father (John Lithgow) who leaves them for a woman half his age and who looks like a grasshopper in a halter top. In his desperation to get into the university, he agrees to a no-brainer plan his brother comes up with and this is where the laughs really start.

"Orange County" could have been just another silly teen flick topbilling Hollywood’s luckiest kids but it’s not. Hanks and Fisk just happen to be the children of the biggest and most talented parents in the business. (In case you hadn’t noticed the resemblance, let me just tell you that Hanks is the son of Tom and Fisk is the daughter of Sissy Spacek. I feel like an idiot for reminding you.) That somehow puts a lot of pressure on them to come up with convincing performances. The good thing about these two young thespians is they don’t seem to take the Hollywood scion thing seriously. However, I sometimes get the feeling that Hanks is trying to channel his father the way Ewan McGregor does Alec Guiness in Star Wars. To their credit, Hanks and Fisk deliver such breezy performances that you know they’ll come into their own someday. I say someday…

The strong cast and perky situations make "Orange County" a delight to watch. Black is his usual inane self and so is Lithgow. O’Hara also scores as the twisted mother who, despite her self-centeredness, can actually be lovable. There are a few surprise cameos that make you want to jump with glee. Watch out for them.

"Orange County" is not your garden-variety teen comedy. It makes you think about where you are in life and evaluate your reasons for wanting what you want. Sometimes, we need not go far to find what we’re looking for. Or do we?

* * *

For the best movie experience, see "Orange County" in Robinsons Movieworld at the Galleria. It has the best seats, the perfect sound system and a wide variety of snacks to choose from.

E-mail the author at lmpilapil@philtown.com.ph