Review of Meatballs (1979) by Stuart K — 28 Apr 2014

Directed by Ivan Reitman, who up until 1979 had struggled to get into directing, he'd done Foxy Lady (1971) and Cannibal Girls (1973), two low budget films made in Canada from taxpayers money. Reitman got by working for CITY-TV in Toronto, and producing David Cronenberg's early films, yet after producing National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), it gave him the opportunity to direct more, and it put him on the map.

Set at Camp North Star, a summer camp for teenagers. It follows the mishaps and misadventures of the staff who work there, mostly Tripper Harrison (Bill Murray), who has an unconventional approach to working.

However, when he notices new camper Rudy Gerner (Chris Makepeace) is struggling to fit in, Tripper takes Rudy under his wing, and they bond with nightly card games and morning jobs. Meanwhile, camp director Morty Melnick (Harvey Atkin) is busy trying to organise the annual Olympiad, where Camp North Star compete in a series of games against Camp Mohawk, a rival camp nearby which has more money, but Tripper is determined for everyone to win this year.

Made for $1.3 million and filmed in 30 days at a real summer camp in Haliburton, Ontario. The film was based on experiences from Reitman's youth, and it makes for an amusing film, and it's held together thanks to a spirited performance from Murray, and for his first film, he shows so much confidence.