''Fraternity Vacation'' is a 1985 American sex comedy

teen film Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers, preteens and/or young adults by the plot being based on their special interests, such as coming of age, attempting to fit in, bullying, peer pressure, first love, teen rebellion, conflict with pa ...

starring Stephen Geoffreys as a nerdy pledge to the Theta Pi Gamma

fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

at Iowa State, with

Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and Jacob Singer in '' Jacob's Ladder'' (1990), as well as winning an Academy ...

and Cameron Dye as Theta Pi Gamma frat boys (or, as they are known to their Iowa State frat rivals, "Theta Pigs"). On spring break in Palm Springs,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, several boys compete for the affections of a sophisticated co-ed, played by Sheree J. Wilson.

Plot

Despite being saddled with a nerdy pledge during a Palm Springs weekend, two frat brothers vie for a poolside blonde.

Cast

* Stephen Geoffreys as Wendell Tvedt * Sheree J. Wilson as Ashley Taylor * Cameron Dye as Joe Gillespie * Leigh McCloskey as Charles "Chas" Lawlor III *

as Larry "Mother" Tucker * Matt McCoy as J.C. Springer * Amanda Bearse as Nicole Ferret * John Vernon as Chief Ferret * Nita Talbot as Mrs. Ferret * Barbara Crampton as Chrissie * Kathleen Kinmont as Marianne * Max Wright as Millard Tvedt * Julie Payne as Naomi Tvedt * Franklin Ajaye as Harry * Charles Rocket as Mac "Madman Mac" *

Britt Ekland Britt Ekland (born Britt-Marie Eklund; 6 October 1942) is a Swedish actress. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in ''The Double Man (1967 film), The Double Man'' (1967), ''The Night They ...

as Eyvette

Production

During production, alternate titles considered for the film included ''Wendell'', ''Party, Party, Party'', ''American Slang'', ''Party Animals'', and ''Beginner’s Luck''.

Reception

''Fraternity Vacation'' was not a major success at the box office, earning just over $3 million. Critical reception for the film was also predominantly unfavorable.

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

gave the film one star out of four:

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against dumb sex comedies. All I object to is the fact that ''Fraternity Vacation'' is playing with half a deck—the male half. The men are the characters and the women are the objects.

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...

gave the film zero stars, calling it "yet another dimwitted college sex comedy, a film that doesn't have a single redeeming facet." Janet Maslin of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote, "The material is more smirky than funny, and the cast isn't particularly likable." '' Variety'' wrote, "Neither wildly gross nor unbearably funny, pic nevertheless maintains a cheerful attitude throughout as the single minded teenage characters pursue the opposite sex with all the subtlety of dogs checking each other out." Michael Wilmington of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' thought that the film did have a "bright cast" and "skillfully brisk direction," but was defeated by a script "devoid of surprises and ideas—and often characters." A review in '' The Tech'' (MIT) said that the film was a poor example of its genre, and "not worth seeing unless you're really in the mood for this type of movie".Dan Crean
review
, first published April 26, 1985. '' The Tech'' (MIT). Accessed July 25, 2012.

References

External links

* * {{James Frawley 1985 films 1980s sex comedy films American sex comedy films Films shot in California Films set in Palm Springs, California New World Pictures films Films about fraternities and sororities Films directed by James Frawley Films scored by Brad Fiedel Teen sex comedy films 1985 comedy films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films English-language sex comedy films