Animal House

ANIMAL HOUSE

REVIEWED BY SHANNON H.

Our rating: 1 out of 5

Because of: sexual content, language, thematic elements

Rated:

For many that have attended college, stories of experiences will definitely vary. Some might have had a great time while others might have felt trapped and obligated to make the most out of their parents' money. And there's a certain group of individuals who believe college was the best seven-year-long party they ever had.

It's 1962 and Faber College freshmen roommates Larry Kroger (Tom Hulce) and Kent Dorfman (Stephen Furst) are on their way to a couple of pledge parties, hoping to get involved in fraternity life. While visiting the snobby but civilized Omega fraternity, with well-mannered young men and women, they didn't think they'd have a chance with them. So they decide to join the Deltas, the most disgusting, morally corrupt, and undisciplined group of co-eds in the Faber College Greek system because the Deltas would accept anyone and Kent's older brother was a Delta back in 1959 (the Deltas are also notorious for pulling pranks and "vandalizing" the campus). Initiation consisted of waking Larry and Kent up in the middle of the night with fire extinguishers and making them swear an oath before they partook in a night of drinking and revelry. Seven-year student John "Bluto" Blutarsky (the late John Belushi) awards the new pledges with pins and nicknames. Larry goes by "Pinto" and Kent goes by "Flounder."

The antics of the Delta had gone on for five semesters and despite being on probation, they continue to do dirty deeds. School dean Vernon Wormer (John Vernon) enlists a fraternity brother from Omega, Greg Marmalard (James Daughton), a clean-cut, morally outstanding young man to spy on Delta. Dean Wormer also makes it clear that Delta is on "double secret probation," which gives him full control over the Greek system. Greg spends his time with his girlfriend (who is displeased that he doesn't believe in pre-marital sex) and all his other Omega buddies, including new pledge Chip Diller (Kevin Bacon in his first role) as well as keeping a keen eye out for any negative activity coming from the Delta house. This irritates the hard partying fraternity as they find themselves butting heads with Greg and his crew.

After given a final warning from Greg and Dean Wormer, the guys at Delta find out that if they screw up one more time, they'd be finished. They didn't care whether or not they got in trouble so the guys organize a toga party, where everyone dresses up in togas and engages in excessive drinking and debauchery. The party goes well as planned as several students are seen drinking to excess and engaging in some lustful activities. After finding out about the wild party at the Delta house, Dean Wormer forces the fraternity to come clean about their past and face the consequences: they are no longer considered an organization and their membership with the Greek system is revoked. Still, the members of Delta are unmoved by this and plan to destroy Dean Vernon Wormer's career and his life if it means breaking the rules again.

Animal House is a standard comedy classic about life in college, particularly the Greek system. The film is rated R for two very good reasons. The first is profanity: there are eight uses of the f-word, and numerous mild profanities. Sexual content is extreme. There are twenty-two sexual references and numerous instances of nudity. I will go into only a few examples. The president of Delta rush explains to his buddy that sleeping with his date will be a "religious experience." The sexually hormonal Bluto Blutarsky sneaks a peak at co-eds having a pillow fight wearing next to nothing. It's implied that Larry sleeps with a 13-year-old girl (who lied about her age while he lied to her about his virginity). It's implied that Delta rush president Eric "Otter" Stratton (Tim Matheson) had an affair with Dean Wormer's wife; also that the girlfriend of an Omega fraternity brother slept with her English professor, Dave Jennings (Donald Sutherland). The film has mild drug content. Professor Jennings is seen smoking pot with three of his students. Violence involves two fraternity members (one from Delta and one from Omega) knocking each other out senseless and other slapstick humor. Delta members serve alcohol to the underage freshmen. Bluto is seen downing an entire bottle of whisky in less than a minute, which goes to show how bad the drinking situation is at the Delta house.

It's obvious that this film has zero Christian content and zero moral content. The members at the Delta fraternity are unrepentant of their pranks and their amoral behavior. Greg's girlfriend frowns on his idea of abstinence before marriage. In the DVD features, Chip Diller (Kevin Bacon) becomes a born-again Christian and is portrayed in a negative, stereotypical light. The implication that Larry "molested" a 13-year-old girl (who happens to be the daughter of Dean Wormer) is played for laughs. The crime of molestation is not a laughing matter since it always leaves the victim hurt and violated. From what the Bible says, excessive drinking and use of harmful substances (albeit drugs, hard liquor, or excessive gluttony) is a sin. Pre-marital sex, no matter how old the partners are, is also a sin. The Bible is clear on how to keep our bodies pure for God (read 1st Corinthians for more on this).

I liked this movie up until the objectionable content got out of hand. The blatant debauchery made me shake my head in disgust and reminded me of my alma mater, San Diego State University, which is known to be a party school (and a couple of fraternities there have previously been on probation). Watching students waste their parents' money and their valuable education by partying, drinking, and paying little heed to their grade point averages was frustrating. I understand it was supposed to be a comedy about the college experience and I do believe that it could've been made in a better way with a moral at the end of the story. Christians who are thinking about renting this film should avoid doing so since it's nothing but pure filth.