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5.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Life Begins in College remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for the Ritz Brothers doing their absolute weirdest, then yeah, sure, give it a go. But if you want a sports movie with, you know, actual stakes, you’re gonna be annoyed. It’s light, it’s noisy, and it feels like it was written on a napkin during a lunch break.
The whole thing hinges on this rich student who thinks he can just donate his way into a touchdown. It’s honestly the most believable part of the movie, isn't it?
The football scenes are just chaos. People run in circles, the camera zooms in on faces that look like they're trying to remember their grocery lists, and the Ritz Brothers are just... doing their thing in the background. It’s a lot.
At one point, the movie just decides to stop being about football entirely. It becomes a variety show for about twenty minutes. I checked my watch twice during that sequence. It’s not that the singing is bad, it’s just that you’re sitting there thinking, didn’t they have a game to win?
There’s a specific scene near the end where the team is in the locker room and it looks like a closet. I don't know why, but I couldn't stop looking at the coat hangers in the background. They were more interesting than the halftime pep talk.
It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn't try to be. It’s just a relic. Sometimes a relic is all you need on a rainy Tuesday. Or, you know, just skip it and watch Nearly Rich if you really need that specific vintage vibe.
Also, does anyone actually play football in this? Maybe once? I think I saw a ball move. Maybe. 🏈