Van Wilder
National Lampoon's Van Wilder is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Walt Becker and written by Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner.
| National Lampoon's Van Wilder | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Walt Becker |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | James Bagdonas |
| Edited by | Dennis M. Hill |
| Music by | David Lawrence |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Artisan Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Box office | $38.3 million |
The film stars Ryan Reynolds as the title character alongside Tara Reid, Kal Penn, and Tim Matheson. The film follows the misadventures of its lead character, Van Wilder, a seventh-year senior who has made it his life goal to help undergrads at Coolidge College succeed in the future.
After an article is written about his legacy by fellow student, Gwen Pearson (played by Reid), Van Wilder's party lifestyle is brought to light. This attracts the attention of Wilder's father, played by Matheson, who cuts off his tuition. Wilder becomes stuck in the middle of a love triangle between Gwen and her mean-spirited boyfriend, Richard Bagg, while struggling to graduate. He tries various schemes to earn enough money to pay his tuition and graduate, with help from Gwen and the rest of the student body, except a couple of sinister enemies who attempt to sabotage his efforts.
The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, but was popular with audiences. The film grossed $21,305,259 in the US box office; $16,970,224 in the international box office; and $38,275,483 overall, thus making it a box-office success.
A sequel, Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj, was released on December 1, 2006. A prequel, Van Wilder: Freshman Year, was released straight-to-DVD on July 14, 2009.
The movie is loosely based on a Rolling Stone article featuring comedian Bert Kreischer.