A well-meaning misfire, this SoCal coming-of-age tale tries to be both a broad teen farce and a sensitive family drama. If you can imagine the Hallmark Hall of Fame version of AMERICAN PIE, you can see why this doesn't work. Shaun Brumder (Colin Hanks, son of Tom) attends Vista Del Mar High School in affluent Orange County, Calif., where he essentially majors in surfing — until an accident kills a close friend and the suddenly serious Shaun stumbles on a life-changing coming-of-age novel (the fictitious "Straight Jacket" by Marcus Skinner) that inspires him to become a writer. Obsessed with attending Stanford University, where Skinner teaches, the seemingly sens...
Released:
2001
Rated:
PG-13
Length:
81 mins