Meatballs (Special Edition)
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Actor: Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch, Kristine DeBell, Russ BanhamBrand: SONY PICTURES HOME ENT
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 99 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-05
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Meatballs (Special Edition)
DVD Review: Infectious Nostalgia
Summary: 4 Stars
Ah the wonderful days of a childhood summer, stretching endlessly with memories to spare. When watching "Meatballs," the warm-hearted and enjoyable 1979 comedy that was the beginning spark of the storied careers of actor Bill Murray (Lost in Translation) and director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters (Widescreen Edition)), not to mention supporting actor Matt Craven (Indian Summer) and writer Harold Ramis (Stripes), I am reminded of those afternoons camping with my family, playing soccer with friends and, most importantly, trying to fit in.
This film was a financial success at the box office, inspiring multiple sequels of poor quality (Meatballs, Part II [VHS], Meatballs 3 [VHS]) unable to capture even a glimmer of charm of the original. The key to "Meatballs'" success, in addition to great campfire ghost stories, Murray's near-brilliant improvised speech ("It just doesn't matter!") and the enjoyable use of fun pop music of the era (Mary MacGregor, Rick Dees, Meatballs), is the relationship between Murray's Tripper and camp misfit Rudy (Chris Makepeace). It's the heart of this story, perhaps softening the sharper comedic edges about nerds and fat kids. Who among us cannot remember our teenage years when trying to fit in, ostracized by others because we could not play a sport or wore tennis shoes not hip enough? Murray's Tripper takes Rudy under his wing during a touching scene at the local bus station. Their camaraderie is likable and genuine.
"Meatballs," filmed on location at a Canadian summer camp still in business to this day, is an enjoyable escape about a ragtag group of counselors doing their best to keep order over the course of a busy season. They prank the camp supervisor Morty (Harvey Atkin), flirt with the good-natured female counselors (Kristin DeBell, Sarah Torgov), sing around crackling campfires and, most importantly, set an example for the children attempting to learn life's lessons. It's terrific fun, culminating with an epic athletic contest with neighboring rich kids at Camp Mohawk.
Quite simply, Murray is spectacular in the lead role. He is such a gifted comedian, so physically instinctive that even when he arches an eyebrow, it causes laughter. Reitman had the good sense to give young Bill a long leash. His scenes at the camp dance (gyrating to David Naughton's "Makin' It," no less Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 24), wrestling with female supervisor Roxanne (Kate Lynch) or attempting to inspire Fink (Keith Knight) to defeat "The Stomach" in a hot dog-eating contest, are brilliant moments of improvisation and energy.
We see so many films of this type, catering to base, sophomoric snickers, as disposable as a hamburger wrapper. Reitman intentionally recreated the summer camp experience with infectious nostalgia. There's an earnest attempt at documenting the frustrations and glories of youth. Who among us did not thrill at our first kiss, akin to Spaz's (Jack Blum) exhilaration? And even Rudy, who Tripper nurtures and protects, eventually has a chance to save the day.
I love "Meatballs," one of my favorite films of childhood. Every year, usually around May, I pop in the worn video and watch it with my family. "Summer does not officially begin until we watch 'Meatballs,'" I tell them. They usually groan and text away on a cell phone. No matter. There's a reason why "Meatballs," three decades down the road, is still fondly remembered when so many films from the same era were forgotten long, long ago. It's magic, kind of like those endless summers of youth.
Description of Meatballs (Special Edition)
Set at a low-end summer camp and aimed squarely at a teen audience, Meatballs is a light screwball comedy that turned its low-budget Canadian roots into a very profitable box-office run. The biggest reason for the film's success is Bill Murray who stars as Tripper, the head counselor who runs things at Camp Northstar with the help of his love interest Roxanne (Kate Lynch) and the camp's director Morty (Harvey Atkins), who is affectionately known as Mickey. Camp opens with Tripper and Morty preparing the misfit counselors-in-training ? Spaz, Fink, Crockett, A.L., Candace, Wendy, and Wheels among them ? for the arrival of their hyperactive little charges. After settling in, kids and counselors begin their activities with a soccer game in which depressed 11-year-old Rudy (Chris Makepeace) accidentally loses the game. Cast out by the other children, Rudy runs away only to come across Tripper, who befriends the boy and makes him his running partner. Romance, sexy fun, and comic hijinx ? usually with the heavy-sleeping Morty as their target ? lead up to an annual Olympiad in which Camp Northstar battles the wealthier and athletically superior residents of Camp Mohawk. The challenging events include cup stacking, potato-sack racing, and a nauseating hot dog-eating contest in which the portly Fink devours his way to victory. With the two-day event tied up, it comes down to the cross-country run, in which Tripper enters Rudy. Meatballs was the first major directorial effort by multi-talented filmmaker Ivan Reitman, whose name has since become synonymous with the comedy genre.Bestsellers in DVD
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