The early-2000s college comedy is an extremely specific brand of funny. What audiences find comedic evolves and is influenced heavily by the current events it is speaking on. Caught in the weird era between analog and digital, these eight films have no real modern comparison. And while technology has certainly changed the way students survive college, these films capture those inherent life lessons everyone learns when pursuing higher education.
So, if viewers' acceptance letters are starting to roll in, watching these stories for the first time will certainly help ease their nerves. And if they are looking to revisit the glory days, these characters are the perfect ones to remind them of their boozy undergraduate tendencies.
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
National Lampoon released Van Wilder in 2002 and ushered in a new era for the iconic collection of comedies. The film starred Ryan Reynolds as the title character and it introduced the world to his hyper-specific and always hilarious sarcasm. This film also starred Tara Reid, alumni of the Obama administration Kal Penn and past National Lampoon actor Tim Mattheson. The movie follows Van, a seventh-year senior who loves college and indoctrinating young students into the Coolidge College lifestyle. When his father, played by Mattheson, decides not to pay his tuition anymore, Van must get creative on how to pay for school and graduate. Of course, hilarity ensues.
Old School
Old School is the seminal collegiate movie that is a perfect time capsule of higher education in the early aughts. The story follows Mitch, Frank and Beanie, three friends from college who long for the glory days of college. When Mitch comes home from a trip to find his wife cheating, Beanie convinces the three to change up their lifestyle and start a frat.
This fan-favorite is truly one for the ages. Directed by Todd Philips and starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn, Old School's fan and critical reception set the tone for mid-budget comedies. Those who put this flick on with some friends after a football game will certainly find themselves quoting it months later.
Accepted
Accepted follows the downward trajectory of an 18-year-old high school grad named Bartleby, played by Justin Long. When Bartleby, who goes by "B," and his friends aren't accepted into the colleges they wanted, B decides to create a school to impress his father. B and his friend Schrader, Jonah Hill, convert a condemned psychiatric hospital into the South Harmon Institute of Technology. An inspired choice, indeed.
The stand out of the film is certainly Hill's performance as Sherman Schrader. While having a few prior small credits, this was Hill's first big shot to make a name for himself. When watching Hill's delivery, the young actor's potential is beyond clear. Hill went on to become one of the preeminent comedic actors of the early 2000s and helped set the bar for comedies to come.
Road Trip
The second Todd Philips film on the list follows four friends on their road trip from Ithaca, New York to Austin, Texas. Road trip movies can be hit-or-miss due to their formulaic nature. But the antics this group of friends find themselves in sets Road Trip apart from the rest. The film's plot also relies very heavily on the MacGuffin of a VHS tape, making it feel like a sort of time capsule. However, watching dated content where the main conflict would easily be resolved with modern technology makes audiences appreciate the connectivity the world experiences today.
American Pie 2
The follow-up to the 1999 hit, American Pie 2 picks up after the gang's first year at college comes to a close. The sex comedy follows Kevin and his friends as they rent out a beach house on Lake Michigan and prep for the ultimate party to close out the summer. For fans of physical and knucklehead humor, these features are an absolute must.
Though parts of the American Pie series haven't aged well, its success undoubtedly created new possibilities for where comedy could go. The American Pie movies, for better or worse, addressed the taboo America placed on young adult sex. While it broke that barrier in a raunchy way, it helped open the door for one of the most natural parts of life to be poked fun at openly in the mainstream.
Adventureland
Centering on an old Pittsburgh amusement park, this indie favorite features performances from some of the early 2000s' greatest comic performers. A staple of the American college experience is the summer job, and Adventureland captures the existential dread they create perfectly. Jesse Eisenberg plays James, a recent college grad who needs to save up for grad school but can't get a real job due to lack of experience. After landing a job at Adventureland, James finds himself trapped in an odd in-between of adolescence and adulthood.
This is the second movie on the list that features Ryan Reynolds, whose character could almost be Van Wilder aged several years later. The rest of the star-studded cast is filled out by actors Bill Hader, Kristen Stewart, Kristen Wiig and Martin Starr. Adventureland's comedy is far drier than the slapstick nature of the other classics, yet viewers will still find themselves in stitches.
How High
Of course, there had to be at least one stoner comedy on this early aughts list. How High features the talents of Method Man and Redman as two smokers who manage to find themselves enrolled at Havard University. They achieve this with the help of their friend Ivory, who visits them as a ghost after the two accidentally smoke his ashes. How High is an iconic fish-out-of-water film that was way ahead of its time. The film subtly and overtly broaches tough topics like race in higher education and societal expectations of Black men. Method Man and Redman are a truly hilarious duo and do a terrific job asking tough questions in the most disarmingly funny way.
Drumline
This 2002 Nick Cannon production is the best sports movie about the drumline of a college marching band. It isn't as pure of a comedy as the others on this list, but for modern audiences, the title alone results in a slight chuckle. Cannon plays Devon Miles, a recent high school graduate who treks from New York City to Atlanta to play in the drumline at a fictional historically Black college, A&T. Looking back, much of Drumline's comedy now stems from humorous early 2000s filmmaking. However, the drumline sequences in the film certainly hold up and are incredibly well choreographed. Movies like this are not made anymore and the novelty alone is worth a watch.