Amazon.co.uk Review
While it invites charges of Hollywood nepotism, Orange County overcomes that stigma with a delightful cast of newcomers and veterans alike. It's no better or worse than many teen comedies, but director Jake Kasdan (son of director Lawrence Kasdan) astutely combines teen-flick staples (stoner gags, raucous parties) with a biting undercurrent of southern California absurdity. This comedic texture helps Colin Hanks (son of Tom) and Schuyler Fisk (daughter of Sissy Spacek) to prove their big-screen promise. They play (respectively) an Orange County teen and aspiring writer named Shaun who yearns for admission to Stanford, and his sensible girlfriend who knows just how to nurture his dreams. Much of the comedy arises from the foibles of Shaun's dysfunctional family (played to perfection by Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara and John Lithgow), while unbilled cameos by Ben Stiller and Kevin Kline add zest to a movie that tries to be different, and mostly succeeds. --Jeff Shannon
Special Features
1.78 Wide Screen
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Director And Writers Commentary
2 Deleted Scenes With Commentary
15 Promotional Spots
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Director And Writers Commentary
2 Deleted Scenes With Commentary
15 Promotional Spots
From the Back Cover
Rising young stars Colin Hanks and Schuyler Fisk head up an outstanding cast including Jack Black (Shallow Hal), Catherine O’Hara (Home Alone), John Lithgow (3rd Rock From the Sun), Harold Ramis and Lily Tomlin in this outrageous coming-of-age comedy.
Shaun Brumder (Hanks) is content to be a bright, talented but unfocused southern Californian surf slacker – until the day he discovers a novel by acclaimed author Martin Skinner. Inspired, he suddenly realizes his life’s ambition: to leave behind mind-numbing Orange County and study creative writing with Skinner at Stanford University. But after being denied enrolment due to an admissions error, Shaun is forced to seek help, not only from his girlfriend Ashley (Fisk) but also his hopelessly dysfunctional parents (O’Hara and Lithgow), stoner brother Lance (Black), and a host of hilarious circumstances to make his dream of escaping his hometown nightmare a reality.
