Stealing Harvard

Plot synopsis:
John Plummer (Jason Lee) is engaged to Elaine Warner (Leslie Mann), and intends to use his life savings of $30,000 to put a down payment on a house. He works for Elaine's father, Mr. Warner (Dennis Farina), who dislikes John. Simultaneously, John's niece Noreen (Tammy Blanchard), daughter of sister Patty (Megan Mullally), is accepted to Harvard University, but needs an additional $30,000 on top of her grants and scholarships. Noreen shows John an old videotape where he promised to pay for Noreen's college. John now has a moral and financial dilemma – disappoint his fiancée or disappoint his niece and ruin her chance at escaping poverty.
John confides in his friend Walter "Duff" Duffy (Tom Green), a landscaper. He convinces John to steal from one of his rich clients, who keeps large amounts of cash in an unlocked safe. The pair set off to steal the cash, but Duff runs away when lights come on in the home, leaving John to get caught by Emmett Cook (Richard Jenkins). Cook forces John to cross-dress and role-play the part of Cook's late wife as the two men lie in bed and "spoon". Eventually, after taking an incriminating photograph of John, Cook releases him. As he is leaving, Mr. Warner rides by and takes note of John's panicked behavior, believing that he has caught John in an affair.
Further capers ensue as John and Duff try to rob a liquor store and later attempt to con a drug lord out of $30,000 by concocting a phony story about running an ecstasy ring. A police detective (John C. McGinley) is on to John and Duff, but never has enough evidence to actually pin any of the crimes on them. Meanwhile, Mr. Warner breaks into Cook's residence in order to get evidence against John, and once Cook catches him, he is forced to "spoon" as well. Before leaving, Warner finds the photo of John from the album, which he then gives to Elaine.
John is forced to confess everything to Elaine, who is not upset and admires the lengths he was willing to go to in order to please her and send his niece to Harvard. Elaine then confides in John that her father keeps a great deal of money at his business, and that it would be easy for them to steal it. John, Elaine, and Duff set out to rob the business in the night. Unfortunately, Mr. Warner had hid his dog Rex inside the vault. Rex latches on to Duff and does not let go. Just as John and Elaine find the money, Mr. Warner tries to attack them but he is caught by the detective who mistakes him for a burglar. John and Elaine escape to Duff's van. The police arrive and the gang unsuccessfully tries to get away. They are all taken into custody by the detective and facing a series of charges. John feels doomed, until the judge in charge of his arraignment turns out to be the gun-toting Emmett Cook.
Upon their mutual recognition, John flashes a written message to Cook, threatening to expose the judge's fetish; upon reading the note, Cook quickly dismisses all charges against John. Finally, Duff comes through as best he can and gives John his life savings, $1,000, which John bets on a long-shot horse which wins and which paid 30 to 1. John and Elaine are married, Noreen goes off to college, and, in the final scene, John is left to ponder how Duff could possibly accumulate $1,000 – the last scene shows Duff offering to "spoon" with Cook for $1,000.

Tags: comedy

Review:
Make no mistake, Jason Lee really is the one carrying this movie, so if you detest Tom Green, don't worry.
I saw this movie because Tom Green and Jason Lee was in it.
The plot is as simple as the film itself: John (Jason Lee) once made a promise to his niece that if she ever got accepted to college, he would pay her way.
Clichés and hi-jinks ensue.The film is surprisingly sterilized, especially when you consider its two stars: Jason Lee, a Kevin Smith alum, and Tom Green, the gross-out king who wrote, directed and starred in "Freddy Got Fingered." Lee is likable and congenial, if a bit soft, while Green relies more on physical humor and less on substance.
I liked the fact that for once, Tom Green didn't play a gross out character.FINAL VERDICT: This is a comedy worth seeing.
I'd definitely recommend it to anybody who likes Jason Lee--he's stellar as always.Tom Green fans may not like it, though, because the comedy is rather subdued and very devoid of gross humor.The jokes rely heavily on the chemistry between the slapstick guy and the straight man--Tom and Jason being phenomenal examples of these categories, respectively.I say give it a try: if you hate it, you wasted less than 2 hours--big deal.
Jason Lee, Tom Green and Megan Mullally are all on fine form, playing the characters we have come to expect from them.In particular, Jason Lee is his typical self here, playing the slightly angry yet humorous good guy.
For some, Tom Green may be too wacky, but his character, Duff, is like a toned-down version of himself, so it will surely prove bearable for his naysayers.Some really good comedy moments and a few nice set pieces are enough to make up for an otherwise silly and clichéd film.
Why else do you go to see a movie with Jason Lee, Tom Green, Megan Mullally and Dennis Farina, directed by Bruce McCullugh from 'the Kids in the hall'?
It doesn't matter if it is Tom Green or Jason Lee making the joke in this movie, chances are it will be funny.
The good thing about this film is that Tom Green does not use as much gross humour as he did in Freddy Got Fingered.
I have never expected much from Tom Green, and after seeing his first box office crash FREDDY GOT FINGERED, I wasn't going to this movie with very high expectations.
As a matter of fact, I would have given it some credit if it could make the audience laugh without using some dull and overdrawn, over the top joke.This movie with its premise, could have been a decently entertaining, however, Tom Green had to be in it.
Other characters played by Jason Lee, Leslie Mann, and Dennis Farina, were a waste of good talent.
None of them were allowed to develop on their characters and thus join Tom Green as pointless and lame.When it comes to movies like these, I ask myself one question, "How in the heck to these movies make it into theaters?"This cheesy, waste of money that could have been better spent tied in a bag and thrown out a window, of a movie should have never made the final cut.
That pretty much goes for all of Tom Green's fans as well.This movie tells the tale of a man who decides to steal a bunch of money in order to put his niece through college.
This has the potential to actually be a funny movie, but then the producers decided to cast TOM GREEN, and the movie is essentially just a longer version of his show.At least I learned something from all of this; Even if a cool actor (Jason Lee) is cast in something, it only requires a lousy actor like Tom Green to mess it up.
Stealing Harvard only succeeds in having a somewhat interesting premise and one funny sequence, which involves shouting, repetition, and randomness - thinks I am known to have a disdain for.Our story begins with John (Jason Lee), a man who is this close to marrying his fiancée and buying a home.
The two half-wits decide to break in to the home and take the money, but when that idea fails, they concoct more, one of which is robbing a liquor store yuet becoming more preoccupied with who has what fake name rather than the actual operation.Jason Lee, an actor who we saw was completely capable of creating a character in Chasing Amy and Mallrats functions with sitcom shallowness here, and Tom Green, an actor whose wide range of performances hasn't allowed him to adopt much likability, is a text book idiotic Neanderthal here.And don't even get me started on the barrage of lackluster plot points and details the film includes, either.
Hanks' character had a screw-up brother, played by Jack Black, who acted much like Tom Green in this film.
But if your a big Tom Green fan as myself your at least thinking you'll never be bored watching his films, right?
Watching Stealing Harvard had me actually thinking about other things I had to do that day, and that I was more than likely wasting valuable time sitting down seeing this film.
Tom Green was not as nasty as in other film but very funny:) Jason Lee is the best he played this role like all the others.
I have no idea....I think it was trying to be one.The plot is basically something for a fun Saturday-night buddy movie.Jason Lee is John Plummer, a home-care worker at Homespital who's engaged to and just looking for a house to settle down and have a family with.
a robbery.The kind of movie you round up your weekend buddies, go to a bar and have a few and go to see during the late-showing.TV shock-Meister turned day-actor Tom Green plays his best friend Walter Duffy, a landscaper who has his own business.
It's more deep and interesting than any other part of the movie.Chris Penn pops up in a brief bit as a thug who is recruited by John and Duff to pull off a robbery, which leads to a scene that could have been funny, but just plain isn't.
Here's a movie that could have been just big-fun disposable Saturday Night weekend entertainment like "Meet the Parents" or "Stuck on You." But this film needed a team of script doctors straight from the ER.The brief gags from the supporting performers aren't much either.
He plays an almost completely unfunny version of his hard-ass cop role from "Point Break." I won't even get into the scene involving Richard Jenkins as the man of one of the houses they break into looking for money, suffice to say it didn't make me laugh and it hurt to watch.
You get the feeling that the movie could have been good, I mean Jason Lee is usually great in everything I've seen him in, but then Tom Greene stepped in and said "Hey, these people haven't suffered enough - let's throw in a bunch of stuff that has no redeeming humor whatsoever.
Even though the critics and some of the viewers come down pretty hard on this movie, I kinda disagree cause the movie was pretty funny and watchable, and the situations that Tom Green and Jason Lee got themselves into were hilarious, there are some scenes which I couldn't bear to watch but if you love to watch crude comedies, watch Stealing Harvard and while it may not be a classic, it can be a good way to relax for about 80-90 minutes..
I was hoping to see another great Jason Lee movie, but I can't tell if it was the screenplay or just the whole air of the film but every single character was flat and predictable.
Tom Green was a disaster, I really wanted to just stop watching this film but I couldn't do that to my pal Jason :).
STEALING HARVARD (2002) *1/2 Jason Lee, Tom Green, Leslie Mann, Dennis Farina, Megan Mullaly, Tammy Blanchard, Richard Jenkins, John C.
Misfire of the highest order in this high concept slapstick laden farce that has Lee as a hapless schnook facing a family promise - to pay for his niece's tuition to college - and his nest egg with his girlfriend be the exact amount needed to hold up his commitment leads to him seeking advice from idiot friend (Green, who gives the film a few manic moments of stupidity) to resort to a string of ill-advised robberies.
This is good for some of the raunchiest but also funniest gags in the whole movie.I think a lot of people will consider Tom Green and John McGinley to be the standout performers in this movie.
The important thing is that Green and Lee are often hilarious together, a couple of bumbling idiots."Will and Grace" fans need not watch for Megan Mullally, because Patty is nothing like Karen.
The movie opens with scenes from that time in John's life, and the funeral scene makes more sense after the scene with the two of them later.Martin Starr is really funny as the liquor store clerk who was more savvy than our heroes may have expected.It could have been better, but I was mostly happy.
I was scanning through StarZ, and seen a movie coming on in 10 minutes, it had Jason Lee, and Tom Green...
so of course i was gonna watch, I actually liked the movie, it was funny and had a great story.A man promises his niece he will pay her way to college, and not really believing she will go, gets into Harvard.
Suffice it to say that even if you love Jason Lee, Tom Green, and/or Bruce McCulloch, you will still be disappointed.
I'm just glad I got this as a $2 bargain bin used DVD (which featured an extended version of the final wedding reception scene which was significantly better than the crap in the actual movie; not to say it was worth the extra two minutes out of my life.)I know, I KNOW there's a masterpiece inside Bruce McCulloch...his faux-cinema with The Kids in the Hall in the later seasons shows he's got it in him, and Dog Park was promising (if also significantly suffering from script problems and the mis-casting of the lead actress).
But I thought, "Hey Jason Lee's in it...can't be too bad." Well...I was wrong.The premise of "Stealing Harvard" is pretty stupid to begin with, and it doesn't get much better.
I think the people who dislike this movie are people who like their humour to conform to a set of rules that Tom Green just doesn't play by.
If you saw the previews, you pretty much saw the movie.BAD!Do yourself a favour and watch some old Tom Green Show, and poor Jason Lee, his part was better in the Sonic Youth video, and all he did was skateboard in that.
So if you don't know who kids in the hall are, if you don't care, if you don't like brainless movies and if you have little time for mediocrity in films don't watch stealing harvard.
The premise of 'Stealing Harvard' (is that Jason Lee's character, John, promised to pay for his niece's college costs) is interesting enough for a lighthearted comedy, since he has to do something illegal to get the money, but the plot is a little thin.
Don't get me wrong, the show has funny parts, but too much time is spent on the antics of Tom Green, whom it seems was type cast and given no direction and permitted to take the character in any direction he wanted to.
Tom Green super-fans will enjoy this film more than most people, but for the rest of us, it's better than watching the grass grow..
I'm no fan of Tom Green, but Jason Lee does a wonderful job and director Bruce (Kids in the Hall) McCullough acquits himself.
Stealing Harvard made very little money during its brief stay in theaters and is now out on DVD where it could possible thrive just as Mallrats- also starring Jason Lee- did many years ago.Both films were panned by critics for being worthless, not funny and overly juvenile.
Fans of Jason Lee will enjoy him in this one.Most of Tom Green's followers ditched him after seeing Freddy Got Fingered.
The movie's premise was promissing and it had tom green in it.Some guy made a promise he'll pay for his sister's child collage and so he goes on this crime wave to get the money and plus tom green is his costar so this movie sounds like it'll be lots of fun....WRONG!!!Nothing interesting happened it was just as slow paced as it's a wounderful life and that's not good for any comedy in this day and age.Tom green could have saved the movie but why they made tom green be good boy is beyond me.I've watched the whole movie because i'am a hugh tom green fan.I'am mad at the video store clerk who recommended this me.
If you wanna see a funny movie go watch Road trip,Freddy got fingered just don't waste your time with Stealing harvard..
It was one of the worst Jason Lee movies I have seen, but that's just because most of his films I've seen were Kevin Smith "masterpieces".Tom Green was funny in his own way and Dennis Farina is always good.
Stealing Harvard, for fans of Jason Lee, is a film that - although unnoticed by critics - will have you reaffirming that all-out good 'yeah, that was a damn funny movie' feeling.In a style reticent of Guy Ritchie, Stealing Harvard twists you one way, then another, employing some of my favorite actors, including John C.
i was expecting something really stupid knowing tom green was in this movie, but i thought it was rather funny and clever.
Tom Green, as Plummer's unconventional friend Duff, tones down his antics for this movie (something I was grateful for), but still comes off as more annoying than funny.
Jason Lee, known for his roles in Kevin Smith's movies (especially "Chasing Amy"), and the goofy Tom Green put on quite a performance.
Don't get me wrong, I love Jason Lee, and have, at times, been a fan of Tom Green.
If you're a fan of McCulloch (of Kids in the Hall fame) or Tom Green, you won't be disappointed, because I believe this film captures the quirky-best of both of them.The movie isn't perfect, it had it share of tiresome comedy clichés, like the mean dog, that unavoidably finds a death-grip on someone's crotch.
Tom Green continues to show that he is one of the young brilliant comics in cinema as he delivers an outstanding performance portraying"Duff." The only way you would not want to see this is if you like serious parts in silly movies, such as the lame Bruce Almighty.
Jason Lee and Tom Green were the stars of this comedy.
And the cast is comedy gold: Jason Lee, Tom Green, Leslie Mann, Dennis Farina, John C.
I believe that a movie with Tom Green and Jason Lee in the leading roles is a dream come true for any comedy fan.What's not so great about this movie is that it basically lacks that crazy spirit that 'Freddy Got Fingered Had' and that the story is a little boring for an 80 minute movie.There are two great elements though.
But I won't spoil it for you.I believe that if a comedy makes you laugh for at least a couple of times it is worth your time and 'Stealing Harvard' is definitely one of these movies..
Jason Lee and Tom Green put on fantastic performances in one of the funniest movies of the past 10 years.
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.
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.
Tom Green was juvenile in that movie 'Freddie Got Fingered', but I'd rather watch that then this.
'Freddy' was a bit over the top sometimes and flirted with bad taste but it was funny in parts, and when Tom Green pulled off some ridiculous scenes in that movie with his energetic over the top delivery, you see what was missing in Stealing Harvard.
In what promises to be a top contender for worst movie of the year, Stealing Harvard proves that Tom Green should just stay out of the film business.
In what promises to be a top contender for worst movie of the year, Stealing Harvard proves that Tom Green should just stay out of the film business.
I have seen lots  of Jason Lee's previous films, (all the Kevin Smith films to be precise) and he gave great performances in all of those movies, and in Stealing Harvard, he does the exact same thing.
Tom Green is a very talented actor, and he too gave a great comedic performance in this movie.
Seriously, Stealing Harvard is Tom Green's BEST movie.
Jason Lee and Tom Green do make quite an...interesting comedy team.
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.
John(Jason lee) has a girlfriend which he admires, but can't get enough of his good friend Kyle/Steve/Stan(Tom Green).