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Getting In (1994)
Starring Stephen Mailer, Kristy Swanson, David Chappelle, and Andrew McCarthy. Cinematography by David Claessen. Edited by Stephen Mirrione. Produced by Adam Lindemann, Nelle Nugent, and Victor Simpkins. Written by P.J. Posner, Joel Posner, and Jonathan Lewin. Directed by Doug Liman.
Gabriel Higgs has been born into a long line of graduates from the medical program at John Hopkins. He has little interest in medicine (he actually fancies himself to be a botanist) but he is also horribly intimidated by his overbearing parents so he just can’t seem to find the courage to go against their wishes. Gabriel’s lack of enthusiasm has also resulted in some pretty poor grades and when he applies to the university he is placed six spots down on a waiting list.
Fearing that his parents are going to eat him alive, he seeks out each one of the potential students and offers them a bribe to drop off the list. Some of the students accept, some don’t, but each candidate that he comes in contact with soon turns up dead.
Doug Liman attended the School of Cinema and Television at the University of Southern California and graduated in 1992. Shortly thereafter he began to work on this quirky little black comedy that was destined to be sent straight to video. The production budget was light and Liman ran out of money before he was able to shoot his grand opening sequence.
He fronted his own money, about five hundred dollars, to get the shot and it ultimately ended up being one of the more memorable moments of the film. Beyond that, the film hit video stores and promptly faded away into nothingness.
Getting In has some redeeming features. For those who enjoy the campy nature of straight to video releases, well this film is certainly a must see. There are a couple scenes that play out pretty well and are worth a good chuckle here and there. But if there’s only one reason to watch it, it would be to see the impressive collection of stars before they became stars.
Before they were television mainstays, Matthew Perry and Calista Flockhart are both featured as medical school candidates that must be persuaded to drop off the list. The tremendously popular comic Dave Chappelle plays the lead character’s buddy. One can also see Andrew McCarthy as he is trying to depart from his “brat pack” status. And Kristy Swanson and Christine Baranski are thrown in there for good measure. But realistically, for the average movie fan Getting In is probably worth missing.
Budget: $1,000,000 (approximate)
Total US Gross: Direct To Video Release
Genre: Black Comedy
Runtime: 94 Minutes
US Release Date: 12/7/94 (video release)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards: none
Tagline: Med School – The Price Of Admission Is Murder.
Quote: “Son, the time has come for you to follow in your ancestor’s footsteps.”
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