Animal House 1978 - Too Many Girls 1940 - Film Reviews

Film Review

Animal House 1978

The movie starts with two boys, Larren and Kent who are turned down by the prestigious Omega Party while  seeking fraternity in 1962. The notorious Delta House pledged them for Kent is a legacy whose brother used to be a member of Delta. As freshmen, Larren and Kent are bullied but saved by Delta members. The crisis arises when the college Dean tries to replace Delta, and Deltas fail the exam for stealing the wrong examination sheet which is replaced purposefully earlier by members Omega Party. While threatened by Dean and upset about the exam sheet, Deltas throw a toga party and invite girls such as Dean’s wife and Mayor’s daughter. When their grades are released, Dean expels them all for their poor gpa. Encouraged by Bluto, Deltas decides to fight for themselves against the Dean and Omega Party and destroys the annual homecoming parade.

Too Many Girls 1940

Connie is a rich girl who decides to go to Pottawatomie College which is a party college in New Mexican. Her father sends four football players, ivy college students who sign the anti-romantic contract as secret bodyguards to secure her safety. Attracted by Connie, boys are convinced to play for the Pottawatomie football team after Connie’s persuasion and makes Pottawatomie team best of the college teams. Later on, Connie discovers their identity after she confirms her interest in Clint and telegrams her father for more information about the boys. But things go through it is a happy ending anyway. The movie is more like a musical with lots of singing and dancing with clear characteristic of the time.

Rules of Attraction 2002

The story is about three college students who run into a love triangle. Laura, Paul and Sean have this complicated relationship in which Laura who has a boyfriend out of town and Paul who is gay are both attracted to Sean. And as Sean starts to receive purple letters, he thinks they are from Laura and responds her feeling. Accidentally, Sean has sex with Laura’s roommate at a party and the author of the letters commits suicides, as discovered by Laura. At this point Laura is so upset and decided to lose her virginity to her professor and did not succeed. Sean tries to fake death but discovered by Laura and got turned down hard. On the other hand, Laura’s boyfriend returns to college and gets caught for having sex with the roommate. Paul, finally decides to reveal his feeling to the drunk Sean is harshly rejected. At the End-of-the-World Party, the three of them meet again.

Comparison between Animal House and Too Many Girls

The perspective of the two is completely different. For Animal House, the focus is more on boys and how they pickup girls and mess up with college, and for Too Many Girls, things are more romantic and organized, which reflects the criteria of the ages. In 1940s, college girls were still more conventional and serious about relationship. Boys and girls meet and hang out alot and they tend to go steady before sex happens, while in the 1960s sex is anticipated and separated from romance meaning students have sex with whoever they wants especially with alcohol and parties which are two of the most essential parts in college life.