Orange County- PG-13\nStarring: Colin Hanks, Jack Black\nDirected by: Jake Kasdan\nShowing: Showplace 12\nLately there have been several new spin-offs of comedy. One film starts a trend and many more follow in its footsteps. Recently, there's a new comedy genre that is increasingly popular and can be called the "sympathetic comedy." These are funny because of all the horrible things that happen to the main character. We laugh at these things but feel bad at the same time. "Meet the Parents" started this, and "Orange County" follows right on its heels.\nShaun Brumder (Colin Hanks) is a senior in high school living in Orange County, Calif. He decides he wants to be a writer and feels that the place to continue this career is Stanford. After his guidance counselor (Lily Tomlin) accidentally sends the wrong student's transcript in place of Shaun's, he decides he will stop at nothing to get into the university. That also includes getting help from his brother Lance (Jack Black) who is "perpetually recovering from the night before." \nWhether it's Shaun's girlfriend (Schuyler Fisk) accidentally giving the dean of admissions (Harold Ramis) three hits of ecstacy, or Shaun's mother (Catherine O'Hara) getting trashed in front of a Stanford board member, you will feel bad for the young Hanks. So if you like laughing at the misfortunes of others, you will love this movie.\nThe biggest misfortune that Shaun has is his brother. Black puts in a great performance, but the role is not much of a stretch for the Tenacious D lead singer. "Waking up at the crack of noon" is difficult for this drug-abusing loser of a brother.\nThe film's director, Jake Kasdan, has directed episodes of the cult-hit television show "Freaks and Geeks," and has written and directed the virtually unknown but amazing film "Zero Effect" with Ben Stiller and Bill Pullman. There is no doubt that Kasdan is a bright young talent and that in a few years he will gain notoriety.\nThe film is funny and Hanks is pretty good but is far from having to compete with his dad, Tom. Remember that the elder Hanks did films such as "Joe Versus the Volcano" before winning an Oscar. A fine young cast and director make the film good, but if the ensemble gets together again in the future they will make a movie great.\n
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