RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Freshman Orientation
Freshman Orientation

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Freshman Orientation (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
33 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:21

Fresh:7

Rotten:14

Average Rating:4.8/10

Consensus: This over-the-top comedy suffers from an exhaustive screenplay, which tries too hard to be funny…and fails.

Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: A typical Midwestern 18 year-old freshman at a large state university eager to delve the college party life, instead he discovers that school is not the beer-driven, sexual fantasy of his... A typical Midwestern 18 year-old freshman at a large state university eager to delve the college party life, instead he discovers that school is not the beer-driven, sexual fantasy of his imagination. Determined to do anything to obtain the girl of his dreams (a gorgeous but reluctant sorority girl), he decides to adopt a gay identity in order to insinuate himself in her life. This casual charade, however, quickly lands him in a morass of campus activism, gender warfare, fraternity hazes, sorority torture, "coming out" narratives, political martyrdom, and ultimately, a university-wide meltdown. [More]

Starring: Sam Huntington, Marla Sokoloff, Heather Matarazzo, Kaitlin Doubleday

Starring: Sam Huntington, Marla Sokoloff, Heather Matarazzo, Kaitlin Doubleday, Bryce Johnson, Jud Tyler, John Goodman, Rachel Dratch

Director: Ryan Shiraki

Director: Ryan Shiraki
Screenwriter: Ryan Shiraki
Producer: Dan Halsted, Stavros Merjos, Adam Rosenfelt
Composer: Tomandandy
Studio: Regent Releasing

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 34

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Freshman Orientation

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Admirably aiming to recreate the feelings of newfound freedom and self-discovery that college inspires, Freshman Orientation never finds a way to successfully execute its good intentions.

Full Review Source: Metromix.com | comment Comment
11/08/07
Geoff Berkshire
Geoff Berkshire
Metromix.com

You enter expecting something really stupid, and you wind up with something really clever . . . hysterical . . . wise.

Full Review Source: New York Theatre Wire | comment Comment
10/20/07
Brandon Judell
Brandon Judell
New York Theatre Wire

John Goodman has a nice turn as a queen with a heart of gold.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
09/28/07
Joshua Katzman
Joshua Katzman
Chicago Reader

...might push boundaries better were it not so painfully unfunny.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
09/28/07
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

...goes way over the top for the Greeks vs. Gays climax.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
09/28/07
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

A campus comedy with a dirty mouth, an innocent heart and a surprisingly wise mind, Freshman Orientation uses identity politics as a road to romance and emotional maturity. The naked breasts are a bonus.

comment Comment
09/28/07
Jeannette Catsoulis
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The charms of this college gross-out comedy with a "message" are elusive.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
09/27/07
Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece
Film Journal International

Consider my two-star rating an indication that the film's Gut-Buster-to-Forehead-Slapper ratio is relatively even.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
09/23/07
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

This trivial film toys with the postmodern lifestyles.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
09/21/07
Bill Stamets
Bill Stamets
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Freshman Orientation is not incompetently made. Nor is it badly acted. But there’s not a fresh idea in it, and everyone on screen seems to be in a different comedy.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
09/20/07
Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune

OK, it's official: I no longer care about 18 year olds.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
09/18/07
Don Willmott
Don Willmott
Filmcritic.com

Theatres showing it will likely have as many conspicuously empty seats as the classrooms and barrooms in this picture, which was apparently shot on such a shoestring that they couldn’t even get enough extras to fill a set.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
09/15/07
Chad Greene
Chad Greene
Boxoffice Magazine

Freshman Orientation barely rates a passing grade.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
09/01/07
Timothy Knight
Timothy Knight
Reel.com

...too often feels more like a tapped-out keg than a provocative romp.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
08/31/07
Robert Abele
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A genderbending teensploit turning on a clever twist of the genre's trademark theme. For while most makeover movies feature a female making herself more attractive, this flick has a male deliberately doing the opposite.

Full Review Source: DallasBlack.com | comment Comment
08/31/07
Kam Williams
Kam Williams
DallasBlack.com

Writer/director Ryan Shiraki certainly adds some youthful exuberance to his debut feature film, but it's all wasted on a tremendously misguided and exhaustively dim screenplay

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
08/31/07
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
eFilmCritic.com

There are other things to like about writer-director Ryan Shiraki’s college comedy, mainly that it feels more real than most... Just one problem: It isn’t particularly funny.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
08/30/07
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
L.A. Weekly

Freshman Orientation feels a bit like a missed opportunity. It's too bad the motion picture as a whole isn't as quirky and clever as its double-edged title.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
08/29/07
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Blessedly shrewd where it counts and deserves notice. The lessons develop naturally and aren't jammed down the viewer's throat like the hypocritical sermonizing in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
08/23/07
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

I was honored and privileged to say that I saw a film at Sundance that actually captured the fun of pretending to be gay to win a sorority sister.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
02/18/04
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

Latest News for Freshman Orientation

August 16, 2008: Genderbending sitcom about a college freshman faking being gay to date the girls of his dreams. Opens in new window
More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
36% 36% Angels & Demons
95% 95% Star Trek
25% 25% Four Christmases

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
67% 67% Public Enemies
75% 75% Julie & Julia
95% 95% The Cove
85% 85% World's Greatest Dad

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Natalie Portman Will Battle Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Source: Variety
2
  • Marvel Begins Iron Man 2 Viral Campaign Source: Superhero Hype
6
  • Bryce Dallas Howard Talks Spider-Man 4, Terminator, and Twilight Source: ComingSoon.net
15
  • David Lynch Says He Turned Down Return of the Jedi Source: CinemaBlend.com
33
  • Thomas Dolby Starts a Star Wars Rumor Source: Ain't It Cool News
31
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
54
  • The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Headed for IMAX Source: Collider.com
48
  • James Cameron Developing Sci-Fi Film for Fox Source: ComingSoon.net
10
  • Peter Jackson Reveals Which LotR Characters Will Return for The Hobbit Source: MTV
26
  • Josh Brolin Rumored for Men in Black 3 Source: Los Angeles Times
26
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Keith David's Best Movies
65
  • Five Favorite Films With Avatar's Sam Worthington
51
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
41
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
37
  • The Gimmicks That Changed Cinema: Part 1
34
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: The Blind Side Takes the Lead
29
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and more!
24
  • Help Us Choose the Community Golden Tomato Award
22
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Avatar Live Up To The Hype?
20
  • Awards Tour: D.C. Film Critics Name Up in the Air as Year's Best
18
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
18
  • Five Favorite Films With Avatar's Sam Worthington
51
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
23
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Freshman Orientation at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Freshman Orientation at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.