Senior Skip Day

Making a high school based comedy is a tricky business. In order to make it attractive to the core demographic, high school boys, it has to be raunchy. There has to be scenes of a highly sexual nature, foul language and underage drinking. The problem is these are all reasons for the MPAA to saddle the flick with an ‘R’ rating. This would technically preclude most of the boys in high school from seeing the film without a parent present. We all know that no 16 year boy is going to ask mommy to take him to a sex romp comedy. Fortunately for horny teenage boys everywhere in the nation we now have DVD. A film like ‘Senior Skip Day;’ can by pass the theaters and therefore the rating process by releasing the movie direct to DVD. This also gives a little marketing boom. Since it was never submitted to the MPAA for rating the cover of the release can truthfully state ‘Unrated’. Just to be fair an ‘R’ rated version is typically releases along side the unrated but let’s face it, most guys are going to buy the unrated version. This will most likely be the case with this film. It knows its audience and plays to it. You can consider this just good business delivering what the consumer expects.

When considering a flick like this one question has to be answered; ‘does it succeed in doing what it intended?’ In this case the answer is yes, it does. The film was written by first time scribe Evan Wasserstrom who also co-produced the flick. His script borrows heavily from the fundamental themes of other high school comedies like ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off’ with a little watered down ‘Porky’s’ for good measure. Those films come across as better mostly because they were first. They were also released during a time when a high school based comedy did not have to compete in an overly sexualized society. His story line is a bit more involved than most of the other members of this genre. Wasserstrom has added a few sub plots to twist things a bit and even gets to tie them in well to the over all movie. He does go over the line at times, at least from an adult standpoint. For the kids in the audience they will love it. Some of the humor pushes things too far with racial jokes. Naturally there is a good deal of the prerequisite sex and nudity included. Since the poster for the film displays a beer can and the screener disc has a print of a beer can top, drinking is center to many of the jokes. Just to be a responsible adult here such illegal activities can not be condoned. The guys watching will find it great though. Basically the story has to do with the traditional day of truancy many high schools tolerate, senior skip day. Typically it is a day that

The film was directed by another first timer, Nick Weiss. He does his job well in his direction here. He keeps the film moving along at a good clip. In a flick like this it is important to keep shifting the scenes fast. The attention span of the guys in the audience is not really all that great. Add to this they are all waiting for the next pretty girl to saunter by in as little clothing as possible. One directorial technique that has become standard for this genre, letting the main character break the forth wall. For those unfamiliar with the term this is when the character speaks directly to the audience. It is as if time stops since none of the other characters can hear what is being said. At its best this can serve as a variation of the Greek chorus giving back story elements or commentary to the action. In this film it is over used. It becomes annoying when the main character stops everything to talk to the viewers. In one scene the two characters break out of the story altogether to discus how awkward the kissing scene was in rehearsal. The one saving factor is the young actor playing the lead has enough charisma to pull it off.

The film gets right into the puerile nature of the genre by showing a busty young woman dressed in a baby doll nighty bouncing up and down in bed. The voice of the protagonist, Adam (Gary Lundy) is heard saying this has to be a dream; it is. When he is awakened from his sensual slumber by his sister, Ellen (Tara Reid) he discovers his dog was getting busy with his leg. A closed caption has the dog saying ‘Gimme some leg’. Adam’s mother Cathleen (Lea Thompson) calls for him to come down and get ready for school. He tells Ellen to tell her he is sick; his hands are clammy. She responds that he totally stole that from like ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off’. It is nice that proper credit is given when ripping off another movie. Adam doesn’t want to go to senior skip day and his mother tries to talk him into it as an important milestone in his life. Mom tries too hard to so she is cool by disco dancing and taking some sugar and cutting it into cocaine like lines. This is the first instance of many where the flick goes too far to make a joke. The real reason for Adam’s reluctance to go to the skip day party comes out. He is in love with the most beautiful and popular girl in school, Cara (Kayla Ewell) and the prospect of going to a party to watch her make out with her boyfriend is not something he finds appealing. Well, as things tend to happen in a film like this Adam accidentally spills the location of the party to the up tight principal, Frankfurt Dickwalder (Larry Miller). Please feel free to insert your own joke about the unlike name here. Adam finds himself in the lamentable position to throw an even wilder party at his own house. With the help of a former convict, Lionel Huffer (Clint Howard), Adam manages to line up the necessary alcoholic beverages and the services of some ‘professional ladies’ and he gets to word out to the senior class. As an excuse for the absences Adam has a great, albeit morbid idea. A school mate with cancer just died in a parachuting accident; it was part of a last wish foundation gift. All the students will say they are going to the funeral. There is even a gangsta rap eulogy to add some modern music to the mix. All the while the mean spirited principal has dedicated himself to discovering the location of the party to make the lives of everyone there miserable. This does seem a little unrealistic a goal since the kids are about to get out of the school forever.

This is another direct to video release from Lion’s Gate. Usually they concentrate on little independent gems that would otherwise go unnoticed by the public. Here they are targeting a younger market. All things considered this is not bad for the type of film it is. It is too over the top for adults but will be considered a hit by the high school guys out there. Gary Lundy does an excellent job as the likeable nerd that saves the day, so to speak. He has charisma and that carries the film. The girls are beautiful, the jokes raunchy and the situations improbable; just what the kids expect.

Posted 03/21/08