The cult classic Wet Hot American Summer came out in 2001. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival alongside Donnie Darko and Memento. If I had to guess at the time which of those films I’d attend a 25th anniversary screening of with one of the stars, I would never have predicted it would be Wet Hot American Summer. Yet, reality is often stranger than fiction, and Saturday night at the Athenaeum Center in Lakeview, I did just that.
The screening was an exclusive presentation put on by the Filmspotting Festival, ahead of a nationwide re-release in August of this year. It was attended by Marguerite Moreau, who plays Katie, and Chicago-based film critic Scott Tobias. Director David Wain couldn’t be there in person, but sent in a video greeting, accompanied by a can of Mixed Vegetables. During a Q&A session after the movie, both Moreau and Tobias claimed to be unapologetic fans of the film from the beginning. This puts them in the minority, as the movie has a 39% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and made less than $300,000 at the box office.
While the movie flopped initially, it developed a following through DVD sales and home viewing, becoming a retrospective favorite. Tobias called it a cult classic as early as 2008, and Moreau said she was never surprised by its success. She always got the humor and always thought it was brilliant. Moreau said the cast was too busy making each other laugh to worry about what anyone else thought, anyway.
The comedy feels like a bunch of funny friends in the woods trying to make each other laugh, which is essentially what the film is. It’s got an ensemble cast that includes comedy greats Janine Garofolo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, and many others. This was before most of them had big careers, which gave them the freedom to take big swings without the pressure to always succeed.
For me, most of the jokes landed masterfully, with the absurdist comedy pushing beyond the normal limits of a feature-length film. For instance, the “going to town scene” had me laughing out loud because it is completely ridiculous, not in spite of its ridiculousness. This movie is full of absurdist comedy, and you’ll only like it if you can appreciate that going in.
It’s worth noting that a lot of the humor would not meet today’s standards for how we talk about sexuality, misogyny, or racial diversity. Because the film was made in 2001 and set in 1981, to an extent, it knows this about itself and generally uses nostalgia as a tool to make these jokes playfully, rather than harmfully. And while some of the jokes would be cut or rewritten if this film were made today, a lot of them would stay. The heart of the humor in this film is that people are in a special place where they have the freedom to be themselves and learn who they are.
The story takes place on the last day of summer camp in Maine, where campers, counselors, and even the camp director are trying to make the most of their last hours together. The characters are going all out for whatever they want, whether it’s love, sex, fun, or honesty. Everyone has the hopefulness of youth, and they’re unapologetic about it. That spirit is what makes the movie infectious and what brings every character’s crazy subplot together in the film’s climax.
If you’re thinking about attending a screening later this summer, you’ll probably fall into one of two camps. One, you love the movie, and you always have. It reminds you of your youth, and the absurdist comedy connects you to who you were when you first saw it. Two, like me, you’ve never seen this movie before. You’ve heard the hype, and you’re cautiously curious.
No matter which group you fall into, I highly recommend putting on your favorite cut-offs and seeing this movie in a crowded theater. The laughs come loud and easily, and the energy in the room will elevate your experience. Just remember to relax and give yourself the freedom to have a good time. This humor isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, this will be the most fun you’ve had at the movies in a long time.
Wet Hot American Summer (25th Anniversary release) will play in theaters nationwide beginning August 14.
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