Divorce and Custody Movie Review - Orange County

Today I review Orange County from my collection of divorce, child custody and child support related movies.

Orange County [2002] - Legendary comedy writer Mike White brings to us another fine offering of his whit delivered through characters based upon reality but slightly over the top. This time the story focuses around Sean, a high school senior who is aspiring to be a writer. His parents are divorced and both caught up in their own, unsatisfied lives. His mother has remarried an old wheelchair bound man with one foot in the grave. His father has taken the opposite approach and married the young bimbo.

The verbal sparing between the two parents provides well for a lighthearted comedy while still capturing the underlying animosity and ill-will that former spouses may hold for each other.

Due to the ineptness of his high school guidance counselor Sean is rejected from the college for which she assured him that he was a "shoe-in". Sean's mother is relieved by the news, hoping that he would not leave home and just go to the city college. However, Sean is devastated at the possibility of not being able to escape the insanity of his mother's home. His perpetually stoned brother takes it in stride proclaiming, "Dude you're over-reacting. I didn't get into college and check me out. I'm kick ass."

Undaunted, Sean, his girlfriend and brother, played by Jack Black, head to the college with Sean's actual transcript and SAT scores in hopes of gaining admission for Sean.

Naturally a series of misadventures ensues involving drugging the admissions officer and burning down a building. Sean seeks the assistance of his father who has his own goals and ambitions and little patience for a child who shuns materialism in pursuit of writing. Through some quick introspection the father comes to a decision to support Sean and heads over to the home he shares with his mother. She answers the door and the insults follow. The type in which people only make to each other because they care. Day falls into night and they are still together by morning.

Although this film has securely claimed a position on the opposite end of the spectrum from a documentary on post-divorce relations it is still a fun watch.

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