Stealing Harvard

2002

Stealing Harvard

Critics Consensus

There are laughs Stealing Harvard, but they are few and far between. Tom Green's antics grow old fast.

9%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 104

39%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 20,389
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Movie Info

Two buddies find themselves doing some very wrong things for perfectly right reasons in this broad comedy. John (Jason Lee) is a nice guy who is responsible and hardworking; his best friend Duff (Tom Green), however, is his polar opposite, a layabout who is constantly getting in some sort of trouble. John is very much in love with his longtime girlfriend Elaine (Leslie Mann), and wants to marry her, but true to form, he has pledged not to make the walk down the aisle until he has saved up to 30,000 dollars so they'll be able to afford a down payment on the house they've always wanted. After years of saving, John has finally put 30 grand in the bank, and has set the date with Elaine. However, as John's big day approaches, he gets word from his sister Patty (Megan Mullally) that her daughter Noreen (Tammy Blanchard) has been accepted into Harvard University -- and years ago, John promised her if she got into the prestigious college, he'd pay the tuition. Making good on John's pledge to his niece would leave him with a mere 121 dollars in the bank, but he doesn't have the heart to say no to Noreen, or tell Elaine of his dilemma. John does tell Duff about his problem, who comes up with a typically hare-brained solution -- turning to a life of crime for the next two weeks in order to steal another 30,000 dollars. Stealing Harvard costars Dennis Farina and Chris Penn; Bruce McCulloch, a member of the comedy series The Kids in the Hall, served as director.
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (drug Content and Language)
  • Genre:
    Comedy
  • Directed By:
    Bruce McCulloch
  • Written By:
    Martin Hynes, Peter Tolan
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $13,914,181
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Columbia Pictures

Cast

Jason Lee
as John Plummer
Tom Green (III)
as Walter "Duff" Duffy
Leslie Mann
as Elaine Warner
Megan Mullally
as Patty Plummer
Dennis Farina
as Mr. Warner
Tammy Blanchard
as Noreen Plummer
Richard Jenkins
as Mr. Cook
Chris Penn
as David Loach
John C. McGinley
as Det. Charles
Seymour Cassel
as Uncle Jack
Ken Magee
as Butcher
Martin Starr
as Liquor Store Kid
Mary Gillis
as Duff's Mom
Bruce McCulloch
as Fidio the Lawyer
Ashlynn Rose
as Younger Noreen
Lorna Scott
as Aunt Jean
Bobby Harwell
as Uncle Dave
Jeanette Miller
as Grandma
Gabe Laskin
as Underage Kid
Ashley Bishop
as Underage Kid
Pamela Gordon
as Loretta
Tracy Ryan
as Toy Store Salesperson
Marshall Manesh
as Toy Store Manager
Nick Offerman
as Electrician
Paul Feig
as Electrician
Shane Wayton
as Kid in Tree
Vinnie Curto
as Loach's Friend
Don 'The Dragon' Wilson
as Loach's Friend
Gilbert Rosales
as Loach's Bandit
Thomas Rosales Jr.
as Loach's Bandit
Steffiania Dela Cruz
as Loach's Girlfriend
Ernie Grunwald
as Lineup Man
Channing Chase
as Neighbor Lady
Brian Galyean
as Phone Sales
Susan Solari
as Phone Sales
Courtney Black
as Phone Sales
Terita Jackson
as Noreen's Harvard Roommate
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Critic Reviews for Stealing Harvard

All Critics (104) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (9) | Rotten (95)

View All Critic Reviews (104)

Audience Reviews for Stealing Harvard

  • Apr 29, 2014
    Tom Green and Jason Lee team up for the incredibly stupid goofball comedy Stealing Harvard. When John Plummer's niece gets into Harvard he's reminded of a promise that he made to her to pay for her college tuition, which leads him to seek the help of his friend Duff, who devices a series of schemes to get the money. Co-starring Leslie Mann, Dennis Farina, and Chris Penn, the film has some impressive comedic talent. But the script is awful, and the actors are unable to make the material work (despite their best efforts). A buddy comedy gone horribly awry, Stealing Harvard is a mass of stupidity.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
  • Jul 04, 2012
    Stealing Harvard is one of those comedies that could have been very funny and memorable and simply a good time all around. However due to a poor cast, a bad story and minimal jokes, this film fails at delivering what you want from a good comedy. Add to the mix, Tom Green, and you're bound to have a comedy that is sure to fail. Aside from a few funny moments, this is a failure of a comedy that really doesn't have anything good going for it. In the end, I didn't enjoy the film, and I thought it had wasted potential to actually being funny. If the cast was better, it might have been good, and if the plot was better as well, then maybe the film would have succeeded. In the end, there's nothing really interesting going on here, and most of the time the jokes fail to bring on genuine laughter. I think that's pretty bad because, this could have been a good little comedy, instead it falls flat, and the gags are strained, unfunny and overall pointless. This film is one of those comedies that fail because of poor writing, and directing. To me, it all seemed that the filmmakers didn't care about the end result of the film, and this is a film that is not worth your time, and should be avoided if you're looking for something funny. Richard Jenkins was funny in his part, but that wasn't enough to save this film from being a total dud. Ultimately this film is a train wreck, and is just unfunny and it lacks effective jokes to really make it stand out.
    Alex r Super Reviewer
  • Jul 09, 2011
    Should of been better
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Jun 26, 2010
    In Stealing Harvard, Jason Lee plays John Plummer, a man who makes a promise to his niece (Tammy Blanchard) that he would pay for her first year in Harvard University costing approximately $30000. Coincidentally, he has saved up exactly 30,000 dollars over the years, but unfortunately, it is supposed to go toward the home that he and his fiancée (Leslie Mann) hope to buy. He turns to a life of crime, even though he completely sucks at it. After many mishap robberies John's fiancée decides that they should steal the money from her father. But, will they get caught like every other time? An amusing comedy and Jason Lee has the uncanny knack for delivering a quip that leaves you laughing out loud.
    Deb S Super Reviewer
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