ONLINE EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS FILM FEATURES GRAPHIC SEXUAL CONTENT. THIS REVIEW REFERENCES THAT CONTENT AND IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN.
Premise: In
1999, MTV introduced the teen world to the
raunchy comedy of Tom Green. Now Green
has taken his lewd antics to the big screen
with Road Trip. Tom’s character, Barry,
narrates the tale of Josh’s love life at Ithaca
University. Josh has a long distance
relationship with Tiffany, but his college
buddies think he’s a "prude" and mock his
faithfulness to a girl who lives so far away.
Josh caves in to their taunts and indulges in
extracurricular female activity. Enter Beth, a
coed who seduces Josh and records their
bedroom encounter. There’s only one
problem, in a rude comedic mix-up, Josh’s
roommate sends the videotape to Tiffany. So
Josh and his friends pile into a car and take a
"road trip" to try and stop the cassette from
reaching its final destination.
Positive Elements: None.
Spiritual Content: Jacob wears a
sweater with the logo, "God Is Awesome."
Then, at the end of the film, he becomes the
leader of a cult.
Sexual Content: The central
theme of the movie is illicit sex. Josh’s friends
ridicule him for not cheating on his girlfriend.
They tell him, "Anytime you pass up sex, you’re
cheating yourself." Josh folds under the peer
pressure. Josh "buys" Beth at a party where
women are auctioned off to the highest bidder.
The pair winds up back in his dorm room
(which is decorated with busty pin-ups) where
she turns a video camera on to document her
strip tease. The tape roles as Beth takes off
everything but her panties and joins Josh in
bed. Later, Josh relives the encounter in a
dream. Barry fondles two topless women and
begs them to kiss. Kyle has sex with a
stranger (she puts a condom on him first).
The camera leers at nude and semi-nude
women in a locker room, exposing
moviegoers to brief full-frontal nudity. A
traveling companion gives Beth a vibrator,
telling her it is "better than a man." In need of
money, Josh and E.L. offer their services at a
sperm bank (Josh looks at pornographic
magazines, E.L. gets "help" from a female
nurse). Barry’s backside makes an
appearance. Women parade across the
screen in low-cut shirts and bras. And if that
weren’t enough, numerous lewd
conversations revolve around fornication,
masturbation, pornography and sexual
anatomy.
Violent Content: A sorority girl
beats her boyfriend—and his car—with a bat.
A snake sinks its teeth into Barry’s hand and
then wraps itself around someone’s neck. A
clerk’s head is slammed against a counter.
An angry student starts a fistfight with Kyle and
Josh. Kyle’s dad pulls a gun on security
guards.
Crude or Profane Language: Over
30 obscenities including f-words and s-words
(a talking dog is responsible for several of
them). Additionally, God’s name is abused
and a number of milder profanities arise. Two
songs feature foul language.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Rubin
declares that "college is a time to do drugs." At
several parties students drink, smoke
cigarettes and get high. Rubin tries to buy
marijuana from a motel desk clerk. He later
smokes weed with an old man.
Other Negative Elements: Gross,
lowbrow humor is the rule. Unknowingly, Kyle
eats French toast that has been stuck down
someone’s pants. Barry puts a rat in his
mouth. Objects are knocked off of a table by
an old man’s Viagra-induced erection. A blind
woman hoists her middle finger at E.L.. He
then proceeds to steal a bus from a school for
the blind.
Summary: Just like the
Scream franchise garnered a host of
imitators, the formula of perverted comedy and
voyeurism resurrected by American Pie
has birthed a raunchy step-child called
Road Trip. The new movie’s posters
even borrow American Pie’s scheme of
barely-clothed coeds. Amy Smart said she felt
good about taking her clothes off in the movie
because, "Everything was tastefully done."
She couldn’t be further from the truth. Far from
being tasteful, this movie lacks even
one drop of morality, tact or respect. It’s one
trip to the theater every teen should avoid.