Woodyanders Review of Freshman Orientation

Freshman Orientation (2004)

Pretty lackluster college comedy romp

[3/10 · 12 February 2014]

The premise alone reeks of desperation: Determined college freshman Matt (a likable performance by Sam Huntington) pretends to be gay so he can score with the sweet and enticing Amanda (a charming portrayal by the fetching Kaitlin Doubleday). Sound hilarious? Well, it just ain't. Writer/director Ryan Shiraki pours on the crude and idiotic jokes about puking, farting, masturbation, and attempted date rape with an excruciatingly heavy hand, thus ensuring that said jokes elicit groans instead of laughs. Moreover, the characters are generic one-note stereotypes (snarky sorority bitch, stuck-up frat stud, abrasive lesbian, and so on) and the narrative follows a straight down the line predictable trajectory in which various folks learn the truth about themselves and become better people in the process. In addition, it's downright painful to see such talented cast members as Heather Matarazzo (saddled with an unbearably obnoxious character) and John Goodman (surprisingly bubbly and amusing as a friendly gay bartender) wasted on the sophomoric material. While this movie unfolds at a snappy enough pace and has a few moments of genuine heart, it's overall about as funny as slowly dying from colon cancer.