Wet Hot American Summer

The summer of 1981 is winding down at Camp Firewood, a ramshackle summer camp, but the counselors and campers have one last day to cram in romance, rebellion, and a talent show. Written and directed by David Wain and Michael Showalter, this comedy takes a loving, absurdist look at the final hours of camp, where the biggest threat isn't a homesick kid but a piece of NASA's Skylab that's on a collision course with Earth. The ensemble cast includes Janeane Garofalo as the camp director Beth, David Hyde Pierce as the astrophysicist Henry, and Paul Rudd as the dim but good-hearted Andy, along with a host of familiar faces from the comedy scene.

Made on a modest budget of $5 million, the film barely made a dent at the box office, grossing just over $295,000, but it has since become a cult favorite for its offbeat humor and nostalgic yet irreverent take on summer camp life. With its R rating, the movie leans into adult jokes and raunchy situations, but it's the earnest silliness of the cast that makes it so endearing. It's a comedy that doesn't take itself seriously, and that's exactly why it works. [edit]

September 3, 1981. The last day of summer at Camp Firewood, a dilapidated camp in upstate New York. Director Beth (Janeane Garofalo) is frazzled, her assistant Gail (Molly Shannon) is overwhelmed, and the cook Gene (Christopher Meloni) is a disturbed Vietnam veteran living in the basement. The counselors are all in their late twenties, playing teenagers with a mix of earnestness and absurdity.

Coop (Michael Showalter) pines for Katie (Marguerite Moreau), who is dating the handsome but dim Andy (Paul Rudd). Andy is planning to win Katie back after a summer of infidelity, though his plan relies more on his looks than any real effort. J.J. (Zak Orth) tries to woo Susie (Amy Poehler), while Gary (A.D. Miles) pines after Abby (Marisa Ryan). Meanwhile, astrophysicist Henry Newman (David Hyde Pierce) arrives to warn that a piece of Skylab is on a collision course with the camp. Beth dismisses him, distracted by her own flirtation with visiting artist Victor (Ken Marino).

The campers run wild, engaging in dangerous stunts and casual drug use. The counselors try to organize the annual talent show, which becomes a centerpiece of chaos. As the day progresses, romantic tensions boil over: Coop must confess his feelings, Andy must face his infidelity, and Beth must decide whether to take Henry seriously. The film's comedy comes from its deadpan delivery and its affectionate mockery of 1980s summer camp movies like Meatballs. The constant threat of the Skylab crash hangs over everything, even as the characters seem more concerned with their own dramas.[edit]