Bill Murray stars in Meatballs, a quirky comedy taking place at a summer camp, that launched the careers of both him and Ivan Reitman (RIP). This vintage film wouldn’t even qualify as a coming of age movie, but it does touch upon the idea of believing in oneself, no matter what others may seem to think of you. (A lesson sorely missing from the modern hyper-sensitive woke PC culture.) Bill Murray is his usual wisecracking self, but for all his cynicism, his character actually cares about those around him. He motivates through friendship, sarcasm and by banding the group together playing practical jokes on the camp director, who is a very sound sleeper and incredible sport about things.
What I take away from the movie is a nostalgic look at how we used to interact with one another. This isn’t by far the funniest comedy. Nothing scary happens. Sexuality is all about that natural awkwardness which takes courage to overcome. People are playful with one another. Boys are mesmerized by girls, girls will often use this to tease back. Bill Murray’s character Tripper is afraid to show his sensitive side, and flirts with his crush played by Kate Lynch first by wrestling with her, in spite of her protesting, and then in a insulting banter where she gives as good as she takes, we learn that they have been having these sort of exchanges for 3 years.
As Tripper, Bill Murray, has taken a direct role intervening with a young boy who feels isolated at the camp, they go for early morning runs together as he builds his confidence. Playing opposite of Bill Murray is Chris Makepeace who is the boy and he picks up on the fact that Tripper has a crush and he convinces him to ask her out. By the end of the movie the pair are a couple, as are several of the misfit (stereotype) counselors-in-training who act as supporting characters.
There is a subplot athletic competition with another camp (located across the lake). That camp is considered a rich-kids camp at $1000/week back in 1979. They never say how much the fictional Camp North Star costs in comparison, but Camp White Pine in Halliburton, Ontario where the film was shot remains in operation. If we account for inflation, the $3800 for two weeks is approximately half the cost.
I give this a classictvmovies rating of 7.5 / 10 and Bill Murray gets a special 8/10
