Stealing Harvard (2002)

9% of critics liked it
(103 reviews)
41% of users liked it
(19,778 ratings)

Two buddies find themselves doing some very wrong things for perfectly right reasons in this broad comedy. John (Jason Lee) is a nice guy who is responsible and hardworking; his best friend Duff (Tom Green), however, is his polar opposite, a layabout who is constantly getting in some sort of… More Two buddies find themselves doing some very wrong things for perfectly right reasons in this broad comedy. John (Jason Lee) is a nice guy who is responsible and hardworking; his best friend Duff (Tom Green), however, is his polar opposite, a layabout who is constantly getting in some sort of trouble. John is very much in love with his longtime girlfriend Elaine (Leslie Mann), and wants to marry her, but true to form, he has pledged not to make the walk down the aisle until he has saved up to 30,000 dollars so they'll be able to afford a down payment on the house they've always wanted. After years of saving, John has finally put 30 grand in the bank, and has set the date with Elaine. However, as John's big day approaches, he gets word from his sister Patty (Megan Mullally) that her daughter Noreen (Tammy Blanchard) has been accepted into Harvard University -- and years ago, John promised her if she got into the prestigious college, he'd pay the tuition. Making good on John's pledge to his niece would leave him with a mere 121 dollars in the bank, but he doesn't have the heart to say no to Noreen, or tell Elaine of his dilemma. John does tell Duff about his problem, who comes up with a typically hare-brained solution -- turning to a life of crime for the next two weeks in order to steal another 30,000 dollars. Stealing Harvard costars Dennis Farina and Chris Penn; Bruce McCulloch, a member of the comedy series The Kids in the Hall, served as director. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 25 min.
Directed By: Bruce McCulloch
Written By: Peter Tolan
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 13, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Feb 18, 2003
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Bill Stamets, Chicago Reader
Among the squandered supporting cast are Dennis Farina, Chris Penn, Megan Mullally, and Seymour Cassel.
Bruce Fretts, Entertainment Weekly
The timing in nearly every scene seems a half beat off.
Scott Foundas, Variety
Depressingly thin and exhaustingly contrived. Only masochistic moviegoers need apply.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
It's bland and that's the worst thing a comedy can be.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
A shambling, incoherent story ... manages to abuse both Mr. Lee's good nature and his comic gift.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
Chronicles lame crimes poorly imagined, unplanned, wretchedly executed, with little wit or surprise.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Mafia films, westerns, pirate films, and now Comedies. These are the genres that are rapidly going extinct in the movie world.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
Director Bruce McCulloch tries to minimize the damage Green does, but even one frame of him would be too much.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Weird, then, how the cast play as if holding their breath for the pay cheque.
Geoff Carter, Las Vegas Weekly
McCulloch stages his action as if he were still working on the two-walled sets he knew from Canadian television.
Jim Shelby, Palo Alto Weekly
There is no real reason to see this unless you are related to someone involved in the project, and even then you might think pretty hard before you spend $9 and 90 minutes here.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Stealing Harvard is a limp and lazy affair, and a flick that positively reeks of contractual obligation.
Danny Graydon, Empire Magazine
This is just lazy.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Nothing can survive the toxic unfunniness of Green.
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
You'll just have your head in your hands wondering why Lee's character didn't just go to a bank manager and save everyone the misery.
Kimberley Jones, Austin Chronicle
The result is a corps of good actors stuck with feeble, unfunny material that could easily pass as a crime against the moviegoing public.
Mark Stevens, BBC
It's no-win stuff. It's not offensive enough to appeal to Green's (ever-decreasing) fan-base, nor witty enough to convince anyone else.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
This film tries so hard to be both charming and disgusting that it's almost painful to watch.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
I suppose as long as there are teenage boys to shell out money for movie tickets, there will be movies like this to suck it up.
Scott Von Doviak, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
There's a funny movie trapped somewhere inside Stealing Harvard, but the finished product offers only fleeting glimpses of it.

Read all 24 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lafe F

A crazy movie! Jason Lee was good as the poor husband who promised to pay for his niece's education, whilst his wacky gift-basket-making wife wants him to invest the same money in a new home. Jason Lee's character must turn to his half-insane old friend Duff (Tom Green - who… More
A crazy movie! Jason Lee was good as the poor husband who promised to pay for his niece's education, whilst his wacky gift-basket-making wife wants him to invest the same money in a new home. Jason Lee's character must turn to his half-insane old friend Duff (Tom Green - who wasn't too gross this time) - for ideas for finding cash quickly. They get involved in a liquor store robbery with a toy gun and other schemes. Jason Lee works for his father-in-law (Dennis Farina) at a health care supermarket, which also lead to some crazy jokes. Humour was a bit hit-or-miss - I laughed at the housecat in the cupboards, the gift-baskets, the housebreaking at the lonely widower's mansion and Tom Green being assaulted by the puppy. The story is very cartoonish; I didn't realize Bruce McCulloch (of Kids in the Hall fame) directed this movie; his lawyer character was funny in it. This comedy should've done better, but was probably not gross enough for the likes of the Van Wilder and American Pie-eating crowd.
Steve B

Gets points for Jason Lee, but otherwise not much to speak of.
Deb S

In Stealing Harvard, Jason Lee plays John Plummer, a man who makes a promise to his niece (Tammy Blanchard) that he would pay for her first year in Harvard University costing approximately $30000. Coincidentally, he has saved up exactly 30,000 dollars over the years, but… More
In Stealing Harvard, Jason Lee plays John Plummer, a man who makes a promise to his niece (Tammy Blanchard) that he would pay for her first year in Harvard University costing approximately $30000. Coincidentally, he has saved up exactly 30,000 dollars over the years, but unfortunately, it is supposed to go toward the home that he and his fiancée (Leslie Mann) hope to buy. He turns to a life of crime, even though he completely sucks at it. After many mishap robberies John's fiancée decides that they should steal the money from her father. But, will they get caught like every other time? An amusing comedy and Jason Lee has the uncanny knack for delivering a quip that leaves you laughing out loud.
Barry L

oddball stuff but good