The school year looms on the horizon. Plenty of college students are ready to go back and plenty wish there were a few more weeks in the sun. The time of taking the dreaded SATs and ACTs, filling out applications and writing essays about hopes and dreams to get into school are over for now, but that nerve-wracking time is always at the forefront of the college years. All high school seniors want is to be "Accepted."

Bartleby Gaines (Justin Long) happens to be going through that time. However, he's already been turned down by seven schools and only one more letter awaits him. Everyone else he knows has been accepted to a college of their choice. The final letter shows up and... he's turned down. He's the outcast, the disappointment of his family.

With the help of his best friend Sherman (Jonah Hill) who has gotten into college and three other rejected friends -- Rory (Maria Thayer), Glen (Adam Herschman) and Hands (Columbus Short) -- Bartleby creates South Harmon Institute of Technology (or S.H.I.T.) to try and show his parents he's not really a loser. They transform an abandoned psychiatric hospital into their little playground.

However, the web site Sherman created for the college stated that "acceptance in only a click away," so all the other rejected students clicked and believed they were finally accepted. The friends realize they have something special in their hands: A chance to run their own college. So they do, but the students are now the teachers. There's a white board where all the students can list the classes they would like to take or teach and the school starts running smoothly.

But there's a kink in their plan. Dean Richard Van Horne (Anthony Heald) of Harmon College wants to create a campus like the great Ivy League schools Harvard and Yale. This would mean bulldozing all buildings surrounding the current campus and the South Harmon stomping grounds are in the way. Dean Horne and his minions comprised of frat boys evilly work their way into discrediting and closing down South Harmon to get the property.

"Accepted" can tug at any college student's heartstrings and brain. Who wouldn't want to take classes of their own creation and be able to stop forced classes like statistics and economics?

The movie has a nice concept, but lacks authority and has minor originality. That's not to say it's not an entertaining and amusing movie. However, anything having to do with fraternities, their hazing rituals and even having the villainous guys has been done and been done better than in "Accepted." And it's another movie about the big fish coming after the little one, and the little one kicking the crap out of it.

Bartleby should have known he was rejected from all of colleges because a potential student doesn't want to get the small envelope. When colleges accept now, students get the big envelope. You know, the one filled with all the good stuff about the school and the course guide. Small envelopes mean you're declined.

But it's about time Long took a starring role. He's always played the sidekick or the kid who needs help. In "Accepted" he finally takes charge, although he keep s up on the lame "kid gets hit in the head" stunts.

"Accepted" is not the best movie of the summer, but it's got all the fluffy goodness needed for a fun, coming of age comedy.
OnMilwaukee.com Rating:

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Posted by OMCreader on Aug. 21, 2006 at 4:53 p.m. (report)

Rakesh Sehgal said: The movie was great. And the reviewer has not given the movie its due. She even says the movie has "minor originality". Name another movie where a kid creates his own college after getting rejected by eight others. You can't, if anything, the movie was original. It was a fun ride, a great summer movie and I think the reviewer echoed that sentiment, but not enough.

Posted by OMCreader on Aug. 17, 2006 at 7:07 a.m. (report)

Bay View said: Look for Milwaukee Skateboard Champion, Greg Lutzka, in many scenes!