Python Hyena Stealing Harvard (2002): Dir: Bruce McCulloch / Cast: Jason Lee, Tom Green, Leslie Mann, Dennis Farina, Richard Jenkins: Pitiful comedy about stealing success, or in this case stealing for the good of another. Jason Lee has $30, 000 saved for a house but he learns that he made a video taped promise to his niece that he would pay her way through college. The problem is that he hasn't the money. Desperate he turns to brain dead pal Tom Green who suggests crime. This lands Lee in the wrong house where he is forced at gun point to dress in drag to impersonate someone's deceased wife. Embarrassing with an ending that applauds crime. Director Bruce McCulloch does a decent job at setting up the jokes but the production is lackluster. Lee is wasted in this cardboard role, and Green plays his usual embarrassing persona bent on vulgar humour. Leslie Mann overacts as a woman who cries during sex. Perhaps she realized what a bad career move this is and just let it all out. Dennis Farina plays an overprotective boss. He couldn't have been too protective or he would have avoided this mess altogether. Richard Jenkins plays a character with a double life that comes full circle in the conclusion. Pointless charade that serves mainly as a stage for Green and a mistake for Lee. Someone should steal this film and hide it under someone's car tire for the ultimate grade. Score: 2 / 10

Steve Pulaski If it had not been for the exceedingly unfunny sight gags and basic writing style, I'd immediately fault Bruce McCulloch's Stealing Harvard for being an assembly of charmless stupidity and its use of bland, undeveloped characters. Consistent readers know I've subjected myself to stupid comedies and have emerged from some of them with a good review in hand. Such films would be Bio-Dome, Encino Man, and more recently, 2010's remake of Death at a Funeral.However, there are requirements that I have in my head to be able to call a stupid movie a good one. For starters, a setup that's at least mildly intriguing. Second, one liners that are somewhat memorable. Finally, something that can differentiate it from a stupid movie in the crowd. Stealing Harvard only succeeds in having a somewhat interesting premise and one funny sequence, which involves shouting, repetition, and randomness - thinks I am known to have a disdain for.Our story begins with John (Jason Lee), a man who is this close to marrying his fiancée and buying a home. His plans get halted when his niece (Tammy Blanchard), who he has become increasingly close to due to her lack of a father figure, reveals that she has been accepted to Harvard, and pulls out a tape of her when she was little, after she failed a spelling bee. On the tape, her uncle John promises her that he will pay for her to go to school when the time comes, and, in present time, she tells them there is only one small chunk left to pay - a $29,000 chunk.Try to digest that plot point while I bring out another. John's best bud is "Duff" (Tom Green), a clueless, lazy dork who runs a third-rate landscaping business. He reveals to John that while clean and landscaping some rich stiff's home, that he has an open safe with a boatload of money that is simply collecting dust. The two half-wits decide to break in to the home and take the money, but when that idea fails, they concoct more, one of which is robbing a liquor store yuet becoming more preoccupied with who has what fake name rather than the actual operation.Jason Lee, an actor who we saw was completely capable of creating a character in Chasing Amy and Mallrats functions with sitcom shallowness here, and Tom Green, an actor whose wide range of performances hasn't allowed him to adopt much likability, is a text book idiotic Neanderthal here.And don't even get me started on the barrage of lackluster plot points and details the film includes, either. There's a little thing in comedies I call "too much information," where a running joke or setup is attempted to be created out of something rather disheartening or simply not funny. Certain "too much information" gags here are the details and the sequences showing John's fiancée (Leslie Mann) crying during sex and her oppressive relationship with her overprotective father. Such things do not belong in a comedy.Stealing Harvard greatly reminds me of a smarter, infinitely more nuanced comedy called Orange County, that came out the same year as this one in 2002. The film centered around Colin Hanks' character who desperately tries to get accepted to a college, but he finds that his dysfunctional family and chaotic mishaps are burdening roadblocks to this dream. Hanks' character had a screw-up brother, played by Jack Black, who acted much like Tom Green in this film. Hanks' character also reminded me of the niece character here, played by Tammy Blanchard, as someone clearly ambitious but limited. Why was Orange County a three star comedy and this one a one and a half star comedy? Because Orange County chose wisely and took the challenge, focusing on the struggling soul at the core of the story. Not the imbeciles limiting them.Starring: Jason Lee, Tom Green, Leslie Mann, and Tammy Blanchard. Directed by: Bruce McCulloch.

Spaceham First off, this movie SHOULD have been great. Bruce McCulloch directing? Yeah! And the cast is comedy gold: Jason Lee, Tom Green, Leslie Mann, Dennis Farina, John C. McGinley, Megan Mullally... I mean, even the women are funny! The only thing that's really lacking is, sadly, the script.Everyone is funny, they just don't have enough to work with. The characters are 2D, the plot paper thin, and everything is just too convenient. Now I didn't expect anything weighty or life changing. Just something worth caring about.Don't get me wrong, the movie IS funny. Tom Green is great, providing some hilarious moments (Drinking milk and then suddenly pouring lemon juice in his mouth, for instance.) For the most part though, the humor relies entirely on his performance, not the strength of the writing. Also, Jason Lee is cast here as the Straight, the regular guy just trying to get his life in order. Personally, I much prefer him as the goofy sidekick type (i.e. Tom Green).All in all, this makes for a palatable little episodic comedy. But there's not enough to sink your teeth into. You can't get involved enough to really let go and laugh.

Lucien Lessard When a good hearted young man (Jason Lee) did promise one day to his niece (Tammy Blanchard) that he would pay for his niece for college. When that day comes and when his niece got accept to at Harvard after all but she needs nearly $30,000 to enter. He cannot use the money, when he saved for his future wife (Leslie Mann) to buy their future home. But when he takes bad advice from his strange buddy (Tom Green) to steal the money and he takes his advice. But when he & his buddy land on so much trouble, which is out of trouble. It's gets harder, each time to get the job done.Directed by Bruce McCulloch (Dog Park, Superstar) made an amusing comedy, which it's starts as a oddball film early on. Directed McCulloch is best known as One of the Group from Comedy Canadian Gang-Kids in the Hall, which he also appears in a cameo near the end of the film as a lawyer. Lee & Green gives likable performances. But the film best moments belong to T.V.'s Six Feet Under-Richard Jenkins as a Strange Judge. Dennis Farina, Megan Mullally, Chris Penn, John C. Mc Ginley and Seymour Cassel also stars in the film.DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an fine-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD also has the original theatrical trailer and deleted scenes (also has the original ending). It is not the greatest comedy out-there. The film has some funny enjoyable moments. For a Comedy, it is worth watching & those who wants to see a Change of Pace role from Wild Comedian-Green. (****/*****).