Stealing Harvard

2002 "Their intentions were honorable. Their methods were criminal."
5.1| 1h25m| PG-13| en
Details

John and his girlfriend have vowed to marry once they save $30,000 for their dream house. But the minute they achieve their financial goal, John finds out his niece has been accepted at Harvard, and he's reminded of his promise to pay for her tuition (nearly $30,000). John's friend Duff convinces him to turn to petty crime to make the payment … but Duff's hare-brained schemes spin quickly out of control.

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Reviews

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.
MusicChat It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Python Hyena Stealing Harvard (2002): Dir: Bruce McCulloch / Cast: Jason Lee, Tom Green, Leslie Mann, Dennis Farina, Richard Jenkins: Pitiful comedy about stealing success, or in this case stealing for the good of another. Jason Lee has $30, 000 saved for a house but he learns that he made a video taped promise to his niece that he would pay her way through college. The problem is that he hasn't the money. Desperate he turns to brain dead pal Tom Green who suggests crime. This lands Lee in the wrong house where he is forced at gun point to dress in drag to impersonate someone's deceased wife. Embarrassing with an ending that applauds crime. Director Bruce McCulloch does a decent job at setting up the jokes but the production is lackluster. Lee is wasted in this cardboard role, and Green plays his usual embarrassing persona bent on vulgar humour. Leslie Mann overacts as a woman who cries during sex. Perhaps she realized what a bad career move this is and just let it all out. Dennis Farina plays an overprotective boss. He couldn't have been too protective or he would have avoided this mess altogether. Richard Jenkins plays a character with a double life that comes full circle in the conclusion. Pointless charade that serves mainly as a stage for Green and a mistake for Lee. Someone should steal this film and hide it under someone's car tire for the ultimate grade. Score: 2 / 10
Spaceham First off, this movie SHOULD have been great. Bruce McCulloch directing? Yeah! And the cast is comedy gold: Jason Lee, Tom Green, Leslie Mann, Dennis Farina, John C. McGinley, Megan Mullally... I mean, even the women are funny! The only thing that's really lacking is, sadly, the script.Everyone is funny, they just don't have enough to work with. The characters are 2D, the plot paper thin, and everything is just too convenient. Now I didn't expect anything weighty or life changing. Just something worth caring about.Don't get me wrong, the movie IS funny. Tom Green is great, providing some hilarious moments (Drinking milk and then suddenly pouring lemon juice in his mouth, for instance.) For the most part though, the humor relies entirely on his performance, not the strength of the writing. Also, Jason Lee is cast here as the Straight, the regular guy just trying to get his life in order. Personally, I much prefer him as the goofy sidekick type (i.e. Tom Green).All in all, this makes for a palatable little episodic comedy. But there's not enough to sink your teeth into. You can't get involved enough to really let go and laugh.
Mr_Sensitive Some people might be surprise at the rating here "why it is so low?", Don't be – the movie is worsen than you think.I like senseless movie but this let me down so bad. Everything about this movie is so lame. The suppose to be funny movie is such a waste of time. There are no funny scenes here, just a bunch of stupid joke from Tom Green, and it is not even close to funny.He and Jason is the only things that sell this movie other wise there nothing to be looking forward to.Synopsis: It such a total waste of time. Don't watch it.Rating: 4/10 (Grade: F)
billyfish I gave this movie a 7 because it made me laugh, albeit not without a certain amount of guilt. In many ways it was formulaic and predictable, but the cast carried it off so well that you didn't mind. The film never took itself too seriously or tried too hard to impress -- that is always a plus. I find it amazing that Tom Green and Jason Lee have not paired up more than this one time -- the comic chemistry between them is a rare thing. This is the only film I've seen directed by "Kids in the Hall" alumnus Bruce McCulloch, and all I can say is that we should expect great things from this very funny man. Lots of belly laughs, and we're not talking about the writing, particularly. The actors pull this off beautifully, and in addition to Green and Lee, Dennis Farina, Leslie Mann, and "Scrubs" superstar John C. McGinley all make significant and hilarious contributions. A guilty pleasure, but above all a pleasure.