|
The Movie: A strange, bland little comedy that does manage a few laughs, "Stealing Harvard" isn't as promising as the credits would seem - especially with Peter Tolan ("Larry Sanders Show") as one of the writers. The film stars Jason Lee as John Plummer, a low-key good-guy, Lee-ish character (see also "A Guy Thing") who made a promise to his niece Noreen years ago that if she ever got into Harvard, he'd pay for it. When he visits his sister Patty (Megan Mullally), she helpfully reminds him via videotape of the promise that he made all those years ago after Noreen was in tears from losing a spelling bee after failing to spell "tarp". She needs $29,879 from her Uncle John, but the problem is that John has $30,000 that he was planning to spend on buying a house for himself and his wife, Elaine (Leslie Mann). Crime, according to John's friend Duff (Tom Green), is the only solution. Of course, everything goes wrong, especially in an early scene where John tries to rob a safe in a house where Duff works. The owner's home and he's not going to call the police, or hurt John. I won't give away what happens next, but it's not funny. A scene where the two visit a local mobster doesn't work, either. "Stealing Harvard"'s story isn't half bad, but the script doesn't contain much in the way of consistent laughs. That wouldn't be half bad if the film actually had any energy. No one here seems that interested in selling any of the jokes, which is odd given the casting of Green. Entirely subdued here, Green's wackiness only occasionally works when he comes up with something that seems like improv. Lee is so unenergetic here that he seems like a different actor than the one that appeared in director Kevin Smith's "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy". Supporting performances from Mann, Dennis Farina (as Elaine's strange father) and Mullally are uninspired, at best. John C. McGinley (TV's "Scrubs"), with his fantastic timing, generates more laughs in his small role as a detective than the entire rest of the picture. Overall, "Stealing Harvard" is another in a line of cheap comedies that cost what the catering on the last Bond movie cost. It makes back its money on opening weekend and leaves theaters soon after. A few laughs are contained within, but it's largely forgettable and unambitious. What could have been a very good movie is only a rather mediocre one. The DVD VIDEO: "Stealing Harvard" is presented by Columbia/Tristar in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a very, very nice transfer of material that's fairly basic in terms of visual style. Edge enhancement is occasionally present in very light amounts, with halos only slightly visible. Detail is particularly good, with fine detail clearly visible and only occasional hints of softness present. The print used looked to be in excellent condition, which certainly isn't a surprise given the recent release of the picture. No compression artifacts were present, either. Color accuracy was excellent, as colors remained bright, bold and without any concerns, such as smearing. Black level was perfect, while flesh tones remained accurate and natural. SOUND: "Stealing Harvard" is presented by Columbia/Tristar in Dolby Digital 5.1. The film's audio is purely a "comedy" soundtrack, with nearly nothing in the way of surround use. Dialogue is clearly the focus, while the music occasionally gets very slight reinforcement from the rear speakers. Dialogue remained clear throughout. EXTRAS: 5 deleted scenes, filmographies and trailers for: "Stealing Harvard", "Anger Management", "Darkness Falls", "Maid in Manhattan", "The New Guy" and "XXX". Final Thoughts: Fair at best (and even seeming kinda long at 80 minutes), "Stealing Harvard" has a few funny moments but should only be considered as a rental by hardcore fans of either lead actor. Columbia/Tristar's DVD offers good audio/video quality, along with a couple of minor supplements. 
Film Grade The Film ** DVD Grades Video 86/B Audio: 87/B Extras: 81/B |