Search - Winter Break (Widescreen) on DVD

Better Than You'll Expect

Mr. Roget Webster | Sunny Side Up, USA | 01/26/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"You would think that this movie is a really cheesy teen flick with gratuitous nude scenes and absolutely no story. Just look at the horrible box cover . . . it does no justice to what the movie really tries to cover: growing up, friendship, and love.



I just saw this movie for the first time the other day. I was expecting it to be a horrid piece of junk, but the movie completely surprised me. At best, critics will give it a B-/C+ (which is good considering that it's intended audience is the same people who love the American Pie movies).



The story? It's about a group of friends from Aspen who are moving on with their lives after college. Honestly, it's everything American Pie 2 wasn't but SHOULD HAVE BEEN.



Another good thing is that most teen-flick or WB watchers will recognize most of the cast. Although their acting isn't memorable, they do a fine job representing a typical group of guys and gals after college.



Overall, I was quite pleased with the movie. I didn't see it on DVD, so I can't comment on any special features or anything. But strictly about the movie, you'll have a good time watching this with your buddies or gals. Although it's far from being a really great film, it does stand out among the newer (2000-2005) teenage or young adult releases."

Features listed on box not on disc

John Benson | 10/13/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Although "deleted scenes" are promised on the back cover of the box, there are no deleted scenes on the DVD. Instead there's a perfunctory "documentary" which interviews the cast and other creators, who recite a common litany of how much fun it was to make the film. In this short segment there are a very few informal shots of the players that aren't in the film, but there are no deleted scenes in the normal usage of the term. Rather disappointing since the cast in audio commentary talks about seemingly dozens of neat scenes that "hopefully will be in the DVD deleted scenes section."

Also, although the box promises "2.35 wide screen," the film is pan-and-scan and only slightly letterboxed at about a 1.85 to 1 ratio. Some of the scenes are annoying because of the missing portion of the image.

Also, it's not a gross teen comedy as the box copy suggests, more of a puppy-love romance with the "four buddies" comedy stuff as a sidebar. Which makes it potentially better, I guess, but it suffers from a lack of talent, especially in Ventimiglia's acting and in the writing. Very anemic; not much here. In the key scenes the players just hem and haw, since they're not given much to say. Kevin Kirkpatrick, in a small part, is way beyond the rest of the cast in acting sophistication. He draws a very perceptive portrait; extremely funny, but not a typical caricature, the most real character in the movie."

Go someplace else on break

D. Roberts | Battle Creek, Michigan United States | 10/29/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"From the box cover & the rating, this movie would appear to be a party movie that takes place @ a Colorado ski resort. Well, it does take place in Colorado, but that's where the veracity of the box cover ends. Despite an "R" rating for sexuality, this was a "PG" film at best. While there are some hot babes in the film, there is absolutely no nudity in it - zilch. If, like me, you're enticed to buy this DVD based on the provacative girl on the cover, I would urge you to look elsewhere.



As for the story itself, well......I just found it boring. It's not really a comedy as the only funny scene is at the beginning when the Duke grad finds out there aren't any Wall Street jobs available for him. Meanwhile, he owes Duke university $250,000 for tuition. Bummer! At that point I thought the film was going to be what I thought it was, but the rest of it was basically just a lame soap opera.

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