PCU (film)
Encyclopedia
PCU is a 1994 comedy film. The film depicts college life at the fictional Port Chester University, and represents "an exaggerated view of contemporary college life...." The film is based on the experiences of writers Adam Leff and Zak Penn at
Wesleyan University
in Middletown, Connecticut.
) who visits Port Chester University, a college where fraternities
have been outlawed and political correctness
is rampant on campus. The film makes heavy use of the political correctness movement as a comedy device.
During his visit, Tom manages to make enemies with nearly every group of students on the campus. Getting caught in an infamous "meat tossing incident" (where tubs of raw meat were dropped on a group of animal rights
protesters) angers the "cause-heads" (the name given to a group of students who jump from cause to cause protesting), and while taking a short cut through the computer lab, he trips over the power cords and accidentally crashes all the computers, angering all the people working on their thesis
papers.
During his visit, Tom also gets in the middle of the war between "The Pit" and "Balls and Shaft", two rival groups on campus. The latter group (officially known as "The Order of Balls and Shaft") is a parody of the Skull and Bones
secret society
and conservative fraternities in general. Among its members is Rand McPherson (David Spade
), who, with the other Balls and Shaft members, want the outlawed Greek system
to return. Meanwhile, members of "The Pit" (a party-frat which split from Balls and Shaft years ago, currently led by James "Droz" Andrews (Jeremy Piven
) and living in the dilapidated former Balls and Shaft frat house(the eponymous "Pit")) just want everyone to get along. The movie is in part about the battle between Droz and Rand.
Besides Balls and Shaft, the other great nemeses of The Pit are a radical feminist
group on campus known as the Womynists, and the college president, Ms. Garcia-Thompson (Jessica Walter
), who is obsessed with enforcing "sensitivity awareness" and multiculturalism
to the point where she proposes that Bisexual Asian Studies should have its own building (ousting either mathematics or hockey). The Womynists' entire world view revolves around a paranoia about rape culture
and all things phallic
, and they are known to hold protests at parties chanting "hey hey, ho ho, this penis party's got to go!" Ms. Garcia-Thompson conspires with Balls and Shaft to get The Pit, their mutual nemesis, kicked off campus, giving Rand control of the house.
The Pit responds by throwing a party
to raise funds to pay off their debts and keep their house. The Womynists take offense to The Pit's flyers advertising the party, and hold a protest outside. The party at first appears to be a failure. However, a series of unlikely events results in George Clinton
and Parliament-Funkadelic
performing at the party. Students begin streaming in and the party successfully raises the funds to keep the house.
After Garcia-Thompson decides to throw The Pit off campus anyway, using the history of complaints against The Pit as her reason, the members of The Pit plot their ultimate revenge at an alumni gathering the next day. They succeed in provoking the other students into an impromptu protest (ironically using the collective chant "We're not gonna protest"), causing the Board of Trustees to fire Garcia-Thompson due to her inability to control the student body.
The film ends showing Tom heading home, having decided to commit to going to PCU. As he sits on the bus, he sees Rand, who after unwittingly insulting the entire student body over the sound system of the event, is now in Tom's position at the beginning of the film being chased by the students across campus.
with the University of Toronto
serving as Port Chester University. Some limited 2nd unit shots were shot on the Wesleyan University campus.
Jeremy Piven
complains in the DVD commentary that actors were not allowed to improvise at all. Piven was able to include some limited improv by appealing to the writers who claimed the lines were theirs.
Production schedules were challenged when Piven, who is active in anti-malaria charities, contracted malaria
on a trip to Guatemala which affected him while filming the movie.
or Gene Hackman
will be showing on television. He spends the majority of the film in an unbroken television-watching marathon, culminating when the movie A Bridge Too Far, which is the only film starring both Michael Caine and Gene Hackman, airs.
The "Caine–Hackman Theory" was later presented in a book by Roger Ebert
, Ebert's Little Movie Glossary, listed among many other similarly satirical movie "rules".
. Roger Ebert
said the movie "begins with a fantastic premise, but immediately loses faith in it".
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in Middletown, Connecticut.
Plot
The story involves preppy pre-freshman (pre-frosh) Tom Lawrence (Chris YoungChris Young (actor)
Christopher Tyler "Chris" Young is an American actor, producer and director.-Life and career:Young was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, the son of Judy , a teacher and librarian, and Dick Young, a businessman...
) who visits Port Chester University, a college where fraternities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
have been outlawed and political correctness
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
is rampant on campus. The film makes heavy use of the political correctness movement as a comedy device.
During his visit, Tom manages to make enemies with nearly every group of students on the campus. Getting caught in an infamous "meat tossing incident" (where tubs of raw meat were dropped on a group of animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
protesters) angers the "cause-heads" (the name given to a group of students who jump from cause to cause protesting), and while taking a short cut through the computer lab, he trips over the power cords and accidentally crashes all the computers, angering all the people working on their thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
papers.
During his visit, Tom also gets in the middle of the war between "The Pit" and "Balls and Shaft", two rival groups on campus. The latter group (officially known as "The Order of Balls and Shaft") is a parody of the Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
and conservative fraternities in general. Among its members is Rand McPherson (David Spade
David Spade
David Wayne Spade is an American actor, comedian and television personality who first became famous in the 1990s as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and from 1997 until 2003 when he starred as Dennis Finch on Just Shoot Me!. He also starred as C.J...
), who, with the other Balls and Shaft members, want the outlawed Greek system
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
to return. Meanwhile, members of "The Pit" (a party-frat which split from Balls and Shaft years ago, currently led by James "Droz" Andrews (Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor....
) and living in the dilapidated former Balls and Shaft frat house(the eponymous "Pit")) just want everyone to get along. The movie is in part about the battle between Droz and Rand.
Besides Balls and Shaft, the other great nemeses of The Pit are a radical feminist
Radical feminism
Radical feminism is a current theoretical perspective within feminism that focuses on the theory of patriarchy as a system of power that organizes society into a complex of relationships based on an assumption that "male supremacy" oppresses women...
group on campus known as the Womynists, and the college president, Ms. Garcia-Thompson (Jessica Walter
Jessica Walter
Jessica Walter is an American actress, known for the films Play Misty for Me, Grand Prix, and for her role as Lucille Bluth on the sitcom Arrested Development...
), who is obsessed with enforcing "sensitivity awareness" and multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
to the point where she proposes that Bisexual Asian Studies should have its own building (ousting either mathematics or hockey). The Womynists' entire world view revolves around a paranoia about rape culture
Rape culture
Rape culture is a term which originated in women's studies and feminist theory, describing a culture in which rape and sexual violence against women are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media condone, normalize, excuse, or tolerate sexual violence against women...
and all things phallic
Phallus
A phallus is an erect penis, a penis-shaped object such as a dildo, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. Any object that symbolically resembles a penis may also be referred to as a phallus; however, such objects are more often referred to as being phallic...
, and they are known to hold protests at parties chanting "hey hey, ho ho, this penis party's got to go!" Ms. Garcia-Thompson conspires with Balls and Shaft to get The Pit, their mutual nemesis, kicked off campus, giving Rand control of the house.
The Pit responds by throwing a party
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
to raise funds to pay off their debts and keep their house. The Womynists take offense to The Pit's flyers advertising the party, and hold a protest outside. The party at first appears to be a failure. However, a series of unlikely events results in George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
and Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
performing at the party. Students begin streaming in and the party successfully raises the funds to keep the house.
After Garcia-Thompson decides to throw The Pit off campus anyway, using the history of complaints against The Pit as her reason, the members of The Pit plot their ultimate revenge at an alumni gathering the next day. They succeed in provoking the other students into an impromptu protest (ironically using the collective chant "We're not gonna protest"), causing the Board of Trustees to fire Garcia-Thompson due to her inability to control the student body.
The film ends showing Tom heading home, having decided to commit to going to PCU. As he sits on the bus, he sees Rand, who after unwittingly insulting the entire student body over the sound system of the event, is now in Tom's position at the beginning of the film being chased by the students across campus.
Production
The movie was filmed almost completely in and around TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
with the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
serving as Port Chester University. Some limited 2nd unit shots were shot on the Wesleyan University campus.
Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor....
complains in the DVD commentary that actors were not allowed to improvise at all. Piven was able to include some limited improv by appealing to the writers who claimed the lines were theirs.
Production schedules were challenged when Piven, who is active in anti-malaria charities, contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
on a trip to Guatemala which affected him while filming the movie.
Cast
- Jeremy PivenJeremy PivenJeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor....
- James "Droz" Andrews - Chris YoungChris Young (actor)Christopher Tyler "Chris" Young is an American actor, producer and director.-Life and career:Young was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, the son of Judy , a teacher and librarian, and Dick Young, a businessman...
- Tom Lawrence - Megan WardMegan WardMegan Marie Ward is an American actress best known for her numerous credits in science fiction and horror movies and television series...
- Katy - Jon FavreauJon FavreauJonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
- Gutter - Alex DésertAlex DésertAlex Désert is a Haitian-American actor and musician most known for his roles in the TV series The Flash, Becker, and Boy Meets World...
- Mullaney - Gale Mayron - Cecilia
- Jake Beecham - Dave #1
- Darin Heames - Dave #2
- Matt RossMatt RossMatthew Brandon "Matt" Ross is an American actor best known for his role as Alby Grant in the HBO series, Big Love.-Filmography:*Urusei Yatsura 2 *Desperation Rising *PCU...
- Raji (as Matthew Brandon Ross) - Stivi Paskoski - Deege
- Jody Racicot - Pigman
- Sarah Trigger - Samantha
- Viveka DavisViveka DavisViveka Davis is an American actress who has starred on television and in films. As a young actress, she was best known for her role in the 1983 NBC TV miniseries V as Polly Maxwell, a role she reprised in the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle.Discovered at age 11, by Alan Parker in an inner city...
- Womynist #1 - Maddie CormanMaddie CormanMaddie Corman is an American television and film actress.-Career:Born Madeleine Cornman in New York City, New York, she began her career as a child actress in the 1980s...
- Womynist #2 - David SpadeDavid SpadeDavid Wayne Spade is an American actor, comedian and television personality who first became famous in the 1990s as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and from 1997 until 2003 when he starred as Dennis Finch on Just Shoot Me!. He also starred as C.J...
- Rand McPherson - Kevin JubinvilleKevin JubinvilleKevin Jubinville is a Canadian actor, best known for playing The Shep in Degrassi: The Next Generation and Bob Venton in Rabbit Fall.- Filmography :- External links :...
- Carter Prescott - Jake BuseyJake BuseyWilliam Jacob "Jake" Busey is an American actor, musician and film producer. He is sometimes credited as "Jacob Busey" or "William Busey".-Personal life:...
- Mersh - Jessica WalterJessica WalterJessica Walter is an American actress, known for the films Play Misty for Me, Grand Prix, and for her role as Lucille Bluth on the sitcom Arrested Development...
- President Garcia Thompson - Colin FoxColin Fox (actor)Colin Fox is a Canadian actor. His acting credits include playing Jean Paul Desmond and Jacques Eloi Des Mondes in Strange Paradise , as well as voice work in various animated series, and in other roles in film, television and on the stage...
- Trustee #1 - Larry Reynolds - Trustee #2
- George ClintonGeorge Clinton (funk musician)George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
- Himself
Caine–Hackman Theory
In the film, a member of "The Pit" named Pigman bases his senior thesis on proving the "Caine–Hackman Theory", which states that there is a 100% statistical probability that at any given moment in time, a film starring either Michael CaineMichael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
or Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
will be showing on television. He spends the majority of the film in an unbroken television-watching marathon, culminating when the movie A Bridge Too Far, which is the only film starring both Michael Caine and Gene Hackman, airs.
The "Caine–Hackman Theory" was later presented in a book by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, Ebert's Little Movie Glossary, listed among many other similarly satirical movie "rules".
Critical reception
The movie received mixed reviews. It currently holds a 47% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
said the movie "begins with a fantastic premise, but immediately loses faith in it".