Movies with Frat Pack Friends and Sorority Sisters

The Brady Bunch Movie
(1995)
A Very Brady Sequel
(1996)

Gary Cole

Christine Taylor

Great comedy from two Dodgeball stars. Cole is scary good with his imitation of Robert Reed's Brady dad cadence.

Christine Taylor looks like Marcia Brady, of course, but brings her own beauty and comedic sensibilities.

The less than worthy sequel is notable only for the sexy subplot involving Chrstine Taylor as Marcia kissing her brother Greg. Christine's kind of sexy in a bikini too.

Christine was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss.

Freaks and Geeks
(1999-2000)

Seth Rogen (star), Judd Apatow (producer, director, writer), Mike White (writer)

Ben Stiller, David Koechner, Leslie Mann (guests)

Judd Apatow's honest dramedy, set in the early 80s, followed the high school experience of two unique groups of students (including The 40 Year-Old Virgin's Seth Rogen.)

The show was critically-acclaimed, but its low ratings ultimately lead NBC to cancel it before all the episodes had aired (though they are now available on DVD.) The show also launched the careers of Spiderman's James Franco and ER's Linda Cardellini. Naked Trucker/Wake Up Ron Burgundy's Dave Allen co-starred as a teacher, while School of Rock's Mike White served as a staff writer.

Office Space
(1999)

Ron Livingston, Gary Cole, Stephen Root, David Herman, Mike Judge (also writer/director)

Jennifer Aniston

A great movie with excellent Frat Pack sensibilities.

Gary Cole is nearly perfect as the condescending boss. Jennifer Aniston is sweet but flaky, an archetype she would reprise in Along Came Polly.

Look for writer/director Mike Judge as Aniston's Chotchkie's manager.

Undeclared
(2001-2002)

Seth Rogen (star, writer), Judd Apatow (producer, writer, director), Kay Baruchel

Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Kyle Gass, Amy Poehler, Jenna Fischer, Fred
Willard (guests), Jon Favreau (guest director)

Another critically acclaimed yet canceled dramedy by Judd Apatow, focusing on college life. Knocked Up's Jay Baruchel stars as a student enrolled at University of North Eastern California, at the same time as his father is also studying there.

Seth Rogen brings big laughs as one of Baruchel's roommates, playing a "a wise-cracking, glasses-wearing, beer-guzzling Canadian business major." Rogen also contributed to the show as a staff-writer.

Wet Hot American Summer
(2001)

The setting is Camp Firewood, the year 1981. It's the last day before everyone goes back to the real world, but there's still a summer's worth of unfinished business to resolve. At the center of the action is camp director Beth (Janeane Garofalo), who struggles to keep order while she falls in love with the local astrophysics professor (David Hyde-Pierce). He is busy trying to save the camp from a deadly piece of NASA's Skylab which is hurtling toward earth. All that, plus: a dangerous waterfall rescue, love triangles, misfits, cool kids, and talking vegetable cans. The questions will all be resolved, of course, at the big talent show at the end of the day.

There are a slew of familar faces along with the regular "The State" crew (director David Wain, et. al.) in Wet, however there's not much to laugh at.

Arrested Development
(2003-2006)

Level-headed son Michael Bluth (Bateman) takes over the Bluth Family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.

This critical favorite won several Emmys but few viewers. Hardcore fans know that that many of the show's stars and guests have impressive Frat Pack resumes, starting with Bateman of course. The show's quirky humor and single-camera shots made it hard to fit into network TV expectations. The show was cancelled in early 2006.

Ben Stiller appeared as Tony Wonder in four episodes of the series.

Thank You For Smoking
(2006)

David Koechner

Tobacco industry lobbyist Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) has a seemingly impossible task: promoting cigarette smoking in a time when the health hazards of the activity have become too plain to ignore. Nick is a member of the MOD Squad (MOD = Merchants of Death), lobbyists from tobacco, alcohol (Maria Bello), and firearms (David Koechner).

The film won due praise for it's satire and effective drama between Nick and his son. Koecher is effective in his scenes with the MOD Squad.

Accepted
(2006)

Justin Long, Johan Hill

Diora Baird

After being rejected every numerous colleges, Bartleby Gaines (Justin Long) enlists his friends (including Jonah Hill) to create a fictitious university, South Harmon Institute of Technology. But when their deception works too well and every other college reject starts to apply to his school, B. must find a way to provide the education his students and friends deserve.

Long shows the physical comedian skills he showed off in Dodgeball, and it's nice to see Hill in a larger role than he had in The 40 Year-Old Virgin. Long and Hill have real chemistry and could be a great comedy team if given the right material. Wedding Crashers' Diora Baird shows nice comedic chops, in addition to being gorgeous. This isn't a classic comedy but is worth a look and a few laughs.

Read the Frat Pack Tribute's Review

Snakes on a Plane
(2006)

David Koechner

Riding his motorcycle in Hawaii, Sean Jones witnesses the brutal murder of a prosecutor. When the villains come to take out Sean, Agent Nelville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) comes to his rescue. In order to protect Sean for the trip back to L.A., Flynn takes over the entire First Class section of Pacific Air Flight 121. Displeased First Class passengers aside, the flight is uneventful until hundreds of angry, poisonous snakes are released into the cabin. Once the snakes begin attacking, it is up to Agent Flynn to keep the plane in the air and save as many passengers as they can.

Koechner channels "Champ" Kind as a chauvinistic pilot. The film is a lot of fun, including a great monologue that Kochener delivers halfway through the film.

Read the Frat Pack Tribute's review

Things To Do
(2006)

An unstable and indifferent office worker, Adam Stevenson (Mike Stasko), decides to leave his job and escape to his childhood home to reevaluate his “life strategy”. Upon his return, Adam is greeted by the under concern of his baby boom parents and quickly aligns with the lazy comforts of his backyard, yearning for a summer of sulk and solitude.

A chance encounter at the grocery store reunites him with Mac (Daniel Wilson), an unusual acquaintance from his past who acts as the perfect catalyst for Adam to turn the wheel of change and rebirth. Together the underachieving duo set out to complete a “Things To Do” list, a collection of bizarre aspirations plucked from the gaps of an incomplete adolescence.

Read the Frat Pack Tribute's review

Read the Frat Pack Tribute's interview with the filmmakers

The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show
(2007- )

David Koechner (star)

Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Andy Richter

Nancy Walls

"Comedy Central brings you the twisted tales of a naked trucker and his freeloading sidekick in our brand new series, The Naked Trucker & T-Bones Show. The Naked Trucker is a long-haul driver who preaches the gospel of 'live and let live" in a world of 'us versus them." His sidekick, T-Bones (Anchorman's David Koechner), is always looking for an angle to work and not nearly as dumb as he looks."

Official Website

Superbad
(2007)

Jonah Hill (star), Seth Rogen (cameo, writer, producer), Judd Apatow (producer), Bill Hader, Michael Cera, Justin Long (DVD), Ian Roberts (DVD), Nick Swardson (DVD), Chris Kattan (DVD), Craig Robinson (DVD)

Shauna Robertson (producer), Jane Lynch (DVD) , Kristen Wiig (DVD)

Two co-dependent high school seniors (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.

This semi-autobiographical coming of age tale was written by Seth Rogen (with Evan Goldberg), but due to his age Jonah Hill was tapped to play the lead role. Rogen appears as Officer Michaels alongside Apatow-vet Bill Hader.

Read the Frat Pack Tribute's Review

The Brothers Solomon
(2007)

Will Arnett, David Koechner, Bob Odenkirk (also director), Bill Hader

Jenna Fischer, Malin Akerman

Tells the hilarious story of Dean and John Solomon (Will Forte and Arnett), two good-hearted but romantically-challenged brothers. When they find out their dying father’s last wish is for a grandchild, the brothers set out to find someone to have a baby with. But after spending their formative years being home-schooled by their father in a remote arctic location, their social skills prove to be somewhat lacking and their attempts at fatherhood go hysterically and disastrously wrong.

Kristen Wiig (Knocked Up, Walk Hard) plays the surrogate mother in the film, and look for Jenna Fischer (Blades of Glory) and Malin Ackerman (The Heartbreak Kid). Directed by Bob Odenkirk.

Read the Frat Pack Tribute's Review

The Comebacks
(2007)

David Kochener, Andy Dick, Will Arnett

Melora Hardin

A college football coach (Koechner) with the worst record in the history of the sport vows to turn things around with his new team of ragtag recruits. Hardin plays Koechner's wife, while Andy Dick is listed as "referee."

Familiar faces Will Arnett, Dax Shepard, Bradley Cooper, and Jon Gries appear together cameo-style but are sadly underused.

Read the Frat Pack Tribute's Review and Inteviews with the stars

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
(2008)

Jason Segel (also writer), Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Judd Apatow (Producer), Jack McBrayer, Jason Bateman

Shauna Robertson (producer)

Kristen Bell stars as the title character, an actress who dumps her boyfriend and vacations with her new beau only to find her ex is also at the same resort trying to forget about her. Jason Segal (Knocked Up) wrote the script and will co-star with Bell in the film. Directed by Nicholas Stoller.

Scheduled for release on April 18, 2008

Read the Frat Pack Tribute's Review, Set Visit, and Cast Interviews

The Promotion
(2008)

?????

John C. Reilly, Seann William Scott, Fred Armisen

Jenna Fischer

Reilly and Scott play two assistant managers of a large grocery chain who compete with each other for a coveted promotion. Lili Taylor and Jenna Fischer portray their frustrated wives, respectively. Armisen plays the store manager.

Scheduled for release on June 6, 2008

The Pineapple Express
(2008)

?????

Seth Rogen (also cowriter), Judd Apatow (producer), Gary Cole, Bill Hader, Danny McBride

Shauna Robertson (producer)

An action-flavored buddy comedy concerning two pot-smoking friends (Seth Rogen and James Franco) who unwittingly become involved with a vicious gang of drug dealers. Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson produce a script co-penned by star Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad).

The director is David Gordon Green, previously known for dramatic fare. "This project is an opportunity to plant an absurd buddy comedy in a rough-and-tumble action movie," Green said. "I've always been a sucker for the genre and hungry to fire up a comedy where characters don't get lost in their own concept."

Scheduled for release on August 2, 2008

Spring Breakdown
(2008?)

Will Arnett

Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Parker Posey, Missi Pyle, Jane Lynch

Three thirtysomething friends (Poehler, Dratch, Posey) break the monotony of their uninspired lives by vacationing on an island that's a popular spring break getaway for college co-eds. One of the women works for a powerful senator (Lynch) whose daughter is one of those co-eds, only she's as geeky as her chaperones.

Filmed in 2006, the release date is unknown

I Love You, Man
(2009)

?????

Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, John Hamburg (director, writer)

A comedy from John Hamburg (Meet the Parents / Along Came Polly) features Paul Rudd as a man about to get married (to Rashida Jones) who seeks out a stranger (Jason Segel) to be his best man for the wedding.

Scheduled to open on January 15, 2009

The Middle Child
(2009?)

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Jonah Hill (also writer), Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow (producer)

"Child" centers on a young man (Jonah Hill) who finds out that his parents gave up a child for adoption before he was born. When the son (Seth Rogen) returns, the young man becomes the proverbial "middle child" and is an outcast in his own family, who look upon the newcomer as the son they've always wanted.

"I think of Judd as my mentor, and him and I have very similar tastes," Hill said. "It's a sense of humor very much based in reality, with characters that you see in real life." Said Apatow, "Jonah is the future of North American comedy. My bet has been placed."