Moral Assessment + Abhorrent + + Disturbing + + + Acceptable + + + + Wholesome + + + + + Exemplary Technical Assessment • Poor • • Below average • • • Average • • • • Above average • • • • • Excellent CINEMA Rating Guide VA For viewers of all ages V13 For viewers age 13 and below with parental guidance V14 For viewers 14 and above V18 For mature viewers 18 and above NP Not for public viewing

Title: VAN WILDER Running Time:  95 min Lead Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Tim Matheson, Kal Penn, Teck Holmes, Daniel Cosgrove, Deon Richmond, Alex Burns, Emily Rutherford Director:  Walt Becker Producers: Kirk D'Amico, Philip von Alvensleben Screenwriters: Brent Goldberg, David Wagner Music: David Nessim Lawrence Editor:  Dennis M. Hill Genre: Teen-Comedy Cinematography:  James R. Bagdonas Distributor: Artisan Entertainment Location:  USA Technical Assessment:  • • ½ Moral Assessment:  + + CINEMA Rating:   For mature viewers 18 and above   Afraid to face his future in the real world, Collin College party king Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) prolongs his stay at college for as long as he can manage. But his dad Vance Wilder (Tim Matheson), seemingly fed up with his endless education, cuts off his allowance and stops automatic payment of his tuition, forcing Van to earn tuition money on his own.  Which he does with the help of his assistant Taj (Kal Penn) by starting up a popular Topless Tutorial program and by becoming a "party liaison," launching "killer parties" for a fee.  When he meets the campus reporter Gwen (Tara Reid), who does a story about him, Van's college life perspective will never be the same. Van wilder: Party Liaison is yet another teen movie done in the tradition of American Pie with a dash of Dumb and Dumber look. The film features a number of physical gags that seems to be the standard "gross scenes" of contemporary teen movies (e.g. the dog semen stuffed in éclairs). But this type of comedy approach is starting to be more annoying than funny; in fact, the audience apparently gets tired of this toilet humors.  The movie as a whole has nothing new to offer (it only maintains some popular myths like a bad boy changing his ways as he meets the girl of his dreams) and it lacks substance as it fails in so many ways on the technical side. If action and crime movies are accused of glorifying criminals, Van Wilder: Party Liaison is no different as it glorifies an easy-go-lucky and bum character.  Notwithstanding the offensive scenes that insult the viewing public's sensitivities, Van Wilder's personification of a cool contemporary student will not inspire today's youth to value education and the importance of learning.  Students who would see this film may think that Van's indecent and carefree behavior is acceptable as long as you can get away with it, and that the most important thing in life is partying and having fun. Although it may be true that life to be fully lived should not be taken too seriously, this should not be an excuse to waste it irresponsibly. At the end of it all, humans are created to be stewards of life to take care of it, not as "party liaisons" to put it to waste.   (Date reviewed: September 20, 2002)