DEAD MAN ON CAMPUS
This is not to say that the film is without faults. Written by a foursome
of newcomers (Anthony Abrams & Adam Larson Broder [story] and Michael
Traeger & Mike White), it does have some major plot holes that, if you
let them trip you up, can ruin the whole show.
The story is this: Josh Miller (Tom Everett Scott) is starting his freshman
year at Daleman College. He's a studious kid; in fact he's there on an academic
scholarship, and he must maintain a B average to keep it. He has no money,
so if he lets his grades slip, he's out. But Josh's roommate, Scott Cooper
(Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is a true party animal. This is the latest of several
schools he's been to (he's been kicked out of the rest), and he has no intention
of straightening up now. But Cooper knows that his father, the wealthy CEO
of a toilet cleaning business, is fed up. If Cooper ruins his last chance,
he will be forced to go into biz with his dad. And not in some cushy desk
job, either. He'll be in the, er . . . trenches. Josh also meets up with
a very attractive and sensible girl, Rachel (Poppy Montgomery), with whom
he'd like to build a relationship.
After the boys party a little too hearty and Josh fails a test, he realizes
that it's mathematically impossible for him to retain a B in that class.
While brooding over a beer, they learn of an obscure clause in the college's
bylaws: If a student commits suicide, all his or her roommates will receive
straight A's. (See "plot holes" section above.) So after a few
brief moments of conscience, Josh is convinced by Cooper that if they find
a student who seems to be already suicidal, they can get him to move into
their dorm and then "push him over the edge"--psychologically,
of course.
After this laborious and ridiculous first section is done with, then
the fun really begins. We meet several different characters, each hilarious
in his own way, whom Josh and Cooper try to work into their plan. There's
a thrill-seeking frat boy (Lochlyn Munro) who spends all his time hanging
off high ledges for fun, a paranoid (Randy Pearlstein) who thinks Bill Gates
is out to get him, and a supposedly British lead singer in a grunge band
(Corey Page) who patterns himself after Kurt Cobain. Needless to say, their
plan falls flat every time, and Rachel becomes increasingly suspicious of
Josh's emotional stability.
This could really be a terrible film, were it not for the energetic performances of the cast. An MTV production, the film shows the youthful spirit that institution is known for. There's even a cameo appearance by MTV newsman Kurt Loder, as himself. The resolution of the story is as hard to swallow as the premise, but the performances are funny enough to compensate for this. Dead Man will remind any college grad of the fun and freedom of freshman year, and the wide variety of personalities met there. ****