Fat, Drunk, and Stupid is the Only Way That "Animal House" Remains a Masterpiece 40 Years On

Scene from Animal House

In 1978, comedy changed forever with one beer keg flying through a frat house window. Before the madness that laid inside of the notorious Delta House could be seen, there was already a sense of change in director John Landis' groundbreaking Animal House. The underlying nature of Flounder's (Stephen Furst) evening on campus already went through the "snobs," who picked pledges based on elite standards that even the legacy student couldn't achieve. There was already a sense of rejection before Delta House, "the snobs," came in and swooped him amid a 50's soundtrack and toga parties. 40 years later, the spiral into the only frat house that would accept him has become a bit of a thorny title, thanks in large part to its ribald and off-color humor, but essentially embodies the anarchy that always spirals out of control, but is held together by the sturdiest of glues: a quality cast of young actors willing to reenact "Louie Louie" while drunk, barreling around like there was no tomorrow. Animal House made comedy edgier than it had been, and it's likely that modern films wouldn't be the same without it.

According to filmmakers, Animal House is itself a film based on various frat house lore from over the years. In that regards, the more salacious details are given an extra layer of shock thanks to the fact that it feels real even as Bluto (John Belushi) sneaks across a campus to peek into the sorority's upstairs window. Everything is heightened, and dumbed down, for the sake of the comedy. The Delta House is a fraternity that should've disappeared years ago due to failing grades, destructive pranks, and a bad reputation. Every one of their problems' answers are solved by parties or drinking (or, most commonly, both). It's a film that glamorizes the worst in college behavior, finding men being antagonistic to those who hate them while also doing little to better themselves. Dean Wormer (John Vernon) once says that "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son." as Flounder stares drunkenly at the man who told him that his grades are an embarrassment. In another movie, that would be the moral center of the movie, for Landis and the staff at National Lampoon (who released the film), that's more of a challenge that is met with gleeful depravity.

But what exactly makes Animal House timeless compares to the other films that used ribald humor, sexual misconduct, and racy moments towards similar effect? This isn't to say that films have failed to capture the film's charm, such as the even sketchier Superbad from 2007. It's just that Landis had a bigger idea at the center of his comedy beyond simply having Bluto pop food out of his mouth (he's a zit, get it?) and start a legendary food fight. For as much as the experiences relied on shock humor, there was never a sense of malice - at least in a way that made the dimwitted characters seem vile. Yes, they did kill a horse in Dean Wormer's office - but the premise established suggests that the death was an accident. With exception to the iconic end, which gets by on sheer ingenuity and awe, the film sympathizes the snobs enough that they're just boys being boys - for better and worse. They're the chaotic side of the coin, the one that is willing to try anything once. In that way, the comedy is more fascinating because it's likely that the audience revels in the characters' depravity without wanting to actually go out and drink an entire bottle of Jack Daniels in a single swig.

Of course, the discussion of Animal House wouldn't be prescient without mentioning the breakout star, whose short-lived career is itself tragically ironic when compared to his character. Belushi was a star on Saturday Night Live and became known for his physical humor and ability to be just as funny silent as he was with any script. In fact, Bluto's role in the film required more dialogue, but Belushi found ways to innovate with gross-out gags and eyebrows that alluded to his dastardly behavior. He was an actor not too far removed from Charles Chaplin... if he had a manic streak. If the film had one breakout, it was him. He is more of a loose canon, not having a through line compared to his co-stars, but the film doesn't work without him. He is needed to swoop down at the end scene from a ripping banner and steal a woman. He is needed to give the worst pep talk in film history. He is an actor whose comedy works because he himself is an actor who has a keen sense of what each individual moment calls for.

By comparison, the rest of the cast is a bit underrated in typical discussions. Donald Sutherland as Professor Jennings is especially charming as a clear stand-in for the counterculture movement as a teacher who is willing to smoke pot and talk about universes in thumbs (a scene that played most recently and relevantly in the summer blockbuster Ant-Man and the Wasp). He is just as exhausted of the educational hierarchy as the Delta House, and it's refreshing to see someone on the inside rebelling. Similarly, the cast of characters at Delta House have plenty to offer, whether it be the nuanced delusions of D-Day (Bruce McGill), the false sense of leadership by Otter (Tim Matheson), or the naivety of Pinto (future Oscar-nominated actor Tom Hulce). Even the female cast has one bright spot in Karen Allen as Katy, whose journey is less grotesque, but full of whimsical supporting moments that are underrated, such as her fling with Professor Jennings. As a whole, the cast's one downfall is that most were doomed to roles as character actors so no name stands out like Belushi as a breakout. Still, they all control the chaos of the film in ways that better the final result.

For any of the faults regarding the rest of the film, the finale is easily one of the greatest achievements in comedy. Not only does it feature D-Day ramming a cake-shaped car into a stand full of patrons at a parade, but it also includes Flounder dropping 10,000 marbles into a panicking crowd, a sexually-dressed woman being flung into a teenage boy's room (fun fact: that boy is now a priest), a "unity" float with black and white hands being torn apart, a marching band being lead down an alleyway, and a cacophony of subtitles, likely parodying American Graffiti, where they answer the question: where are these characters now. Considering that the climax was built around being expelled for the most insane reason possible, what follows is a clever touch. Seeing as how, in 1978, the Nixon administration and the Vietnam War were still prevalent, the idea of pinning half of the characters as Nixon staff was a hilarious twist that not even M. Night Shyamalan could've predicted. It makes what came before sound like a political satire, even if its satire was more geared at morally reprehensible behavior and a few dead and/or underaged girlfriends.

The film's edginess is definitely its pros and cons as to how a contemporary audience would see it. In a lot of ways, the Delta House has been outdone by real frats in way that reflect poorly on the film. It's also a more progressive time, and the legend of Belushi has faded (even his successor, Chris Farley, has came and went by a good 20 years). Everything is too sensitive now and the fact that bad behavior had no repercussions may be frowned upon by some. With that said, the film is never malicious about its intents, and its ribald nature seems to be exclusively motivated within their own built-in logic. With that said, it's a comedy that swings for the fences, not caring if a few planks are broken in the process. It's astounding because it balances between being too much and just the right amount. There's a camaraderie that is affecting and it overall is compelling as a look into comedy that changed the medium. Without it, films like Caddyshack and Ferris Bueller's Day Off would have to work hard to invent the slobs vs. snobs concept. Its lack of structure may be a detriment, but it's also why the film works. It barely holds together, and it's marvelous as a result.

Animal House is a comedy that turns the world of frat houses into a place of danger. Anything that is pretentious is banged violently against the wall until it's broken. In its place is a sense of ribald stream-of-consciousness that plays itself like a drunken party with some memorable folks. This is a fraternity that sticks together no matter what, and it's amazing to see what that what actually ends up being. It may be a film defined in college dorms by Bluto posters, but it's so much more in terms of humor. It established the National Lampoon style of comedy for the big screen (which it rarely got right after), and made audiences believe that nothing was off limits. It's a film that pushes boundaries and even has uncomfortable jokes about racism, but it all paints a picture that satirizes the niceness of the 50's and the greatest generation who lived their lives on a Leave it to Beaver model that wasn't sustainable. Once a beer keg got involved, the only thing left to Beaver was the blame for a broken window.