This was one of those films that I fondly remember from my younger years however these days it seemed to have lost all of its charm. I was keen on watching it again though because it was one of those films (in fact it was the first T&A movie that I ever saw) that I had watched numerous times when I was young. I guess I related to the main characters in these films, being somewhat of an outcast, though unlike these guys, never having a friend, or a group of friends, that I could fall back on (that is until I met the Dungeons and Dragons dorks at the State Library).
It is interesting to look at some of the perspectives of this film, in a way the suggestion that the nerds of this film tend to (if they manage to survive high school and college) end up being much more successful than the jocks in this film. There is a lot of subtle imagery in it though, with the jocks being a part of a fraternity known as the Alpha-Betas, suggesting that they are the premier people on the campus.
There are things that differ between my experience of university though because, being an Australian, campus life here is much different. Firstly we do not have fraternities or sororities. They simply do not exist. Secondly there is no faculty of sport in Australian universities, so you will not actually encounter anybody like the Alpha-Betas here.
The other interesting thing about the characters in this film is that while it is reflective of campus life in the United States, it also brings to mind how many of the Alpha-Betas, being the sporting heroes, are unlikely to live out their days in luxury. Sporting heroes (and others in the entertainment industry) become millionaires, however it is the nerds and the geeks who become billionaires. However, the future is generally not at the forefront of people's mind when they are undergoing persecution. Granted, Gilbert does speak of Nerd Persecution at the end of the film, and I guess in a way it does exist, however in this film they use their brains to fight back, and they win. It is also interesting to note that the Alpha-Betas use fear to rule the campus, and it is only when that fear is broken (by everybody coming to understand that anybody who is not an Alpha-Beta, is by definition, a nerd) that the power of the Alpha-Betas is broken.
However, while this film may have some place in my heart, it is still a T&A movie, and to be honest with you, I really don't find it all that funny anyway.
It is interesting to look at some of the perspectives of this film, in a way the suggestion that the nerds of this film tend to (if they manage to survive high school and college) end up being much more successful than the jocks in this film. There is a lot of subtle imagery in it though, with the jocks being a part of a fraternity known as the Alpha-Betas, suggesting that they are the premier people on the campus.
There are things that differ between my experience of university though because, being an Australian, campus life here is much different. Firstly we do not have fraternities or sororities. They simply do not exist. Secondly there is no faculty of sport in Australian universities, so you will not actually encounter anybody like the Alpha-Betas here.
The other interesting thing about the characters in this film is that while it is reflective of campus life in the United States, it also brings to mind how many of the Alpha-Betas, being the sporting heroes, are unlikely to live out their days in luxury. Sporting heroes (and others in the entertainment industry) become millionaires, however it is the nerds and the geeks who become billionaires. However, the future is generally not at the forefront of people's mind when they are undergoing persecution. Granted, Gilbert does speak of Nerd Persecution at the end of the film, and I guess in a way it does exist, however in this film they use their brains to fight back, and they win. It is also interesting to note that the Alpha-Betas use fear to rule the campus, and it is only when that fear is broken (by everybody coming to understand that anybody who is not an Alpha-Beta, is by definition, a nerd) that the power of the Alpha-Betas is broken.
However, while this film may have some place in my heart, it is still a T&A movie, and to be honest with you, I really don't find it all that funny anyway.