ORANGE COUNTY

Year: 2002
USA: Paramount Pictures
UK: UIP (UK)
Cast: Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara, Schuyler Fisk, John Lithgow, Lily Tomlin, Harold Ramis, Leslie Mann, Natasha Melnick, Olivia Rosewood, Alex Breckenridge, Ben Stiller, Chevy Chase, Kevin Kline, Jane Adams, Anne Aubin, Garry Marshall, Brandon Molale, Carly Pope, Mike White
Director: Jake Kasdan
Country: USA
UK: 82 mins
USA Rated: PG-13 for drug content, language and sexuality
UK Certificate: 12A contains one use of strong language and drugs references
USA Release Date: 11 January 2002
UK Release Date: 8 November 2002

Synopsis

Orange County imbues the Californian way of life with sun, sea and recreation facilities - as in theme parks. It has always been good enough for Shaun Brumder, an affable teenager fanatical about surfing. He has good buddies and a sweet girlfriend, and while his family has its eccentricities, overall life is pretty good.

Until one day a friend's freak accident causes Shaun to reassess things. Deeply in thought on the beach one day he discovers a treasure. Buried in the familiar sand, almost as if it is waiting for Shaun, is a copy of Marcus Skinner's novel 'Straight Jacket' . He reads it and re-reads it obsessively. His destiny is not on a surfboard, he now wants to be a writer.

He speedily composes a story and sends it to his new idol, Marcus Skinner, who teaches at Stanford University. He trades surfing for classes trying to improve his grades to get into Stanford. Then a letter finally comes - Stanford University has rejected him.

Shaun is devastated. How could this happen? A little investigation leads to a big mistake courtesy of his high school counselor. Undeterred Shaun will find a way to fix this even if he has only 24 hours to do it. He simply has to get to Stanford and with help from his family in their own dysfunctional, alarming way, Shaun Brumber learns some important lessons that can't be taught at school.