Orange County

Second-generation Hollywood wrestles with but never truly pins down this big-hearted, broad and often flat comedy in which an affluent, dysfunctional family gradually pulls together to get a reformed surf bum sibling into college. After an incompetent high-school counselor sends the wrong transcript to Stanford, an ambitious wannabe writer (Colin Hanks, son of Tom), his girlfriend (Schuyler Fisk, daughter of Sissy Spacek) and his stoner brother (Jack Black in familiar burnout mode and jockey shorts) visit the institute of higher education to rectify the mistake. The film is fattened with cameos (Lily Tomlin, Ben Stiller, Chevy Chase, Harold Ramis, Kevin Kline) and directed with not-quite infectious enthusiasm by Jake Kasdan, son of Lawrence.