Meatballs (1979)

"Is that a bra you're wearing, or are you expecting an assassination attempt?"

Summer camp always looked like the most amazing adventure a teen could have, especially if under the age of 18. Living in cabins in the woods, swimming in lakes, attending campfires, making new friends, defeating bullies, chasing girls... it's no wonder it became a staple coming-of-age setting for many American genre films. Sadly it is a genre that is so purely American that I can't imagine it translating well into any other culture or country. We certainly had nothing like it when I was growing up, nor would I really want to see the likes of this set in the rural Irish countryside. It would probably feel more like a borstal prison film than any ones idea of a fun time.

Despite the very American nature of the setting, it didn't stop Canada getting one of the earliest films up on screen. Meatballs wastes no time and jumps right into the silliness. We meet Tripper (Bill Murray; Ghostbusters, Stripes, Caddyshack), an ageing senior camp counsellor at Camp North Star, as he takes a bunch of CIT's (counsellors-in-training to you and me) and a gang of fresh faced kids under his wing for the summer break. The CIT's are the usual mix of feisty teens; we have the goofy dork, Spaz (Jack Blum; Hog Wild, Happy Birthday to Me), his oafish slob of a sidekick, Fink (Keith Knight; Class of 1984, Hog Wild, My Bloody Valentine), busty blonde babe, Wendy (Cindy Girling;Dirty Tricks) the leggy A.L. (Kristine DeBell, a mainstream and hardcore porn actress), and of course, Trippers long time love interest, Roxanne (Kate Lynch; Curtains, Def-Con 4). All are out for a good time and under the not-so-watchful eye of camp director, Morty (Harvey Atkin; Heavy Metal, Visiting Hours).

After the kids arrive the time is spent keeping them entertained with sporting events in between the guys chasing the girls and usually getting outwitted. The subplot deals with the rivalry between Camp North Star and the ultra-rich camp, Camp Mohawk. They have a face-off basketball match that ends in our heroes simply pulling down the shorts of the opposition and fleeing when they realise they can't win, and the film builds towards a climax-of-sorts with camp Olympics. The camp kids themselves don't get a huge amount of look-in time, but the film focuses on the lonely Rudy, (Chris Makepeace;Last chance, Vamp, Aloha Summer) and his developing friendship with the wacky Tripper. Tripper slowly helps coax the kid out of his shyness, whilst Rudy teaches Trip a few valuable lessons about what his affections towards Roxanne really mean.

The humour is fairly juvenile, and for once that's a good thing. Some of the highlights include; Tripper pretending to be the camp leader for Camp Mohawk to a TV reporter ("We import two hundred hookers from around the world, and each camper, armed with only a thermos of coffee and two thousand dollars cash, tries to visit as many countries as he can"), Spaz and Fink crawling under the girls house to spy on them, Fink trying to win the hot dog eating contest ("What? No mustard?"), Tripper wrestling with Roxanne, Spaz and his attempts to impress the ladies ("What's cookin', good lookin'?"), and any of Trippers P.A announcements throughout the film.

In terms of plot, don't expect much more than you would from the likes of National Lampoons Animal House. The film has some loose ideas on storyline and character development, and is little more than a collection of sketches revolving around the campsite. And like Animal House, Meatballs works perfectly within these sketches. Rarely does it take itself seriously, and the scenarios and gags come thick and fast. In fact, there are so many character quirks and one liners that it is nearly impossible to take it all in on first viewing. It's what makes the film so repeatedly watchable, and it's no wonder kids were able to sit down and watch it endlessly on TV and tape.endlessly on TV and tape.

It's no surprise that Bill Murray steals every scene he is in. In his first leading role, he bounces through the film like a one-liner spouting hobo, and I get the feeling he ad-libbed most of his dialogue. It all feels rough-and-ready, and that is part of its charm. He also brings a bit of weight to the more tender moments of screen time with the young Rudy, and he doesn't come across cynical in any way. The rest of the cast are fun; Chris Makepeace is the only really dramatic character in the film, and the young actor does fine. Jack Blum as Spaz is great, as is Knight as Fink. Some of the girls are less defined as the guys, though, with only Cindy Girling and Kristine DeBell sticking out from the pack. Kate Lynch as Roxanne is playing the straight character to Bill Murray most of the time, which is non-rewarding task. She does OK, but you get the feeling that her character might have been trimmed back in the edit, as she doesn't have as much character development as or screen time that you might expect from the love interest. Harvey Atkin is enjoyable as the lovable and incessantly pranked Morty.  

The directing by Ivan Reitman (Stripes, Ghostbusters, Twins), is consistent throughout, and he manages to get likable performances from his chaotic cast. He isn't doing anything too exceptional beyond capturing the fun, but he does it well. The film was a huge hit and launched him into the big leagues, where he was responsible for some of the great comedies of the decade. Written by JanisAllen, Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg and Harold Ramis, the latter trio would go on to repeat this success on the equally chaotic and charming Stripes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! The soundtrack byNorman Gimbel and Elmer Bernstein is made up of some lively disco-funk numbers, apart from the horrifically catchy theme tune, 'Are You Ready For the Summer?', which is sung by a crowd of rowdy kids. It gets stuck in your head for days.

I'm gonna go out and say it; if you don't like Meatballs, there is something wrong with your soul. It's rude, but in a fun and nearly family friendly kinda way. The characters are all likable; there are no actual bad guys in this film. For most people reading this, it is a film that will immediately transport you back to your childhood, when no doubt you watched it 'til your tape wore out. For anyone who has yet to see it, give it a chance. It will grow on you, and like all great comedy, will still feel fresh every time you see it.