Accepted

In the final movie of a three movie day, Justin Long stars as a slacker with some serious B.S ability, who is rejected to all the schools he applies to, so he decides to just make one up. He and his friends, in an attempt to fool some parents buy some property and fix it up so at a quick glance it looks like a real school. Unfortunately, they made their website a bit too functional and soon they have a student body of over 300 students. 300 other losers or outcasts rejected by everyone. We have strippers, skaters, artsy types all those other other stereotypes that make up the high school nerd core. Of course it is all highly illegal and well we all know how these movies end, happily ever after. I guess if I was a real reviewer I'd say something like Accepted makes the grade or something cheey like that but I will just say that this movie provides enough laughs to take one away from reality.


The movie works mostly thanks to the above mentioned star. Justin has now perfected that intelligent, quick tongued nerd he started on the TV show ED a few years back. He has the perfect charm to fool everyone into believing it is a real school as well as subtle, sly humor to make the lines hit perfectly. Whether he is calling the rival school preppie student by some stereotypical name like "Thad" "Gunther" or "Floyd" or as he gives quiet the lengthy monologue at the end to convince the board of education to accredit his school, He never misses his mark. The supporting players work as well. Jonah Hill, fresh off of his scene stealing part as the E-bay customer from The 40 yr old virgin summons me as the fat wisecracking friend. He has some of the funniest lines towards the beginning of the film and also has the line that got the most laughs from my frat boy sorority girl audience members. And of course it wouldn't be this kind of movie if our lead nerd didn't get some gorgeous girl in the end and in this movie that gorgeous girl is in the form of Blake Lively, whom I sadly was able to identify as the hottie soccer player from The sister hood of the traveling pants. She isn't going to win any Oscars in her life, but she sure can light the camera up when she smiles and when she dances around under sprinklers. Another added bonus to this movie is Lewis Black. Here he is in his full manic, about to have a heart attack rambling, basically playing himself. His first scene where he is berating a child at a shoe store is vintage Lewis Black and he certainly adds something to the movie.


Accepted doesn't have huge laughing moments but it has good laughs sprinkled throughout. It is not going to be heavily quoted for years and it probably won't be talked about at water coolers, but I think that's fitting for the movie about rejecting rejection. Some of the lines may just go over the heads of all those Will Ferrell fans who need an ugly near naked man running around in order to find humor. Justin Long, like Ryan Reynolds, keep plugging along perfection his schtik and hopefully soon bigger movies will come calling for him because he does deserve it!