The House Bunny, directed by Fred Wolf, is a movie that portrays the life of a Playboy Bunny and how she influences the girls of a sorority house at a local college. Anna Faris stars as “Shelley” who starts out as a bunny in the Playboy Mansion. “Shelley” is then kicked out of the house and left to find her way on her own. This is when “Shelley” happens to walk on a college campus and visit a sorority house. She falls in love with the idea and instantly wants to be the house mom for the ZTA household. “Shelley” helps the girls become confident and win over the guys. They become one of the most popular sororities and receive enough pledges to remain a sorority on campus. Although the other sorority tries to sabotage them, they are able to overcome the hate from the other sorority and be the sorority that they have always wanted to be. Some of the cast members in the sorority include Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Katharine McPhee, Rumer Willis, and Kiely Williams. Other key actors and actresses include Colin Hanks, Hugh Hefner, Christopher McDonald, Beverly D’Angelo, and Sarah Wright. The House Bunny was released in 2008 and runs for an hour and thirty-seven minutes It is considered a comedy and romance and has a rating of PG-13 for some language and nudity. Overall, I would personally rate this move a nine out of ten because it captured my attention and made me laugh, even if some of the scenes were corny. The movie does a good job of showing that determination can lead to a successful life. For example, when Shelley was turned away from being a Playboy bunny, she was lost and did not have a home anymore. When she found greek row and the sorority house, she knew she wanted to be a house mom. The house mothers at the first house she went to were stuck up and denied her of being a house mom because they “had standards.” After she was turned away, she went to the ZTA house and convinced them to let her be their house mother. Shelley was determined to find a home within the sorority sisters and she did just that by being persistent. She did not stop after the first time she was turned away. The determination and drive Shelley had also applies to college in general. There are many times in college where students feel defeated and close to giving up. If students show the determination and drive that Shelley showed, then many students would succeed with their academics and social life. Being true to oneself is another theme that is portrayed well throughout the movie. Shelley wants to make all of the sorority girls fit into the “standard” that the other sororities have placed among each other. The ZTA sorority was considered weird and boys never paid them any attention. The other sororities would make fun of them and mock them. The ZTA sorority was happy with who they were, but the other sororities would not let them enjoy who they are. Shelley wanted to give the ZTA girls a makeover so they would “fit in” with the other sororities and attract guys, which would then lead them to receive pledges. Receiving enough pledges would allow them to keep their sorority on campus. Shelley began right away with the stereotypical “hot girl” car wash to attract boys to their sorority. The ZTA girls felt out of place and did not know how to act. As well as the car wash, Shelley also provided the girls with a full makeover and wardrobe change. The girls felt more confident immediately after they received the makeovers. The ZTA sorority became the popular sorority on campus; guys stopped to look at them, Shelley taught them the “correct” way to flirt, and they hosted a huge party that attracted a lot of people. The ZTA sorority received a lot of pledges and were judging the girls on appearance as to whether or not the pledges would receive bids. The ZTA sisters realized that judging the pledges is exactly what they did not want to do in the first place. They ended up deciding they would put all of the pledges in a bowl and draw the thirty names. After changing their identity, the ZTA sorority really captured who they were as individuals. They knew that it did not matter what was on the outside, but what was on the inside. This particular situation occurs a lot throughout college. Individuals try to find themselves by joining groups that do not really fit them. It takes a lot of trial and error before people find their right fit in college. Sometimes on that journey, the people trying to fit in will be made fun of just like the ZTA sisters, but eventually everyone will find their niche and where they belong. The House Bunny also made many references to the social norms that accompany life and college. One specific social norm that Shelley stated in the movie was, “Boys don’t like girls that are too smart.” Shelley stated this when she was teaching the ZTA sisters how to flirt with a guy. This is a stereotype that can influence the way women and girls act. Many times, even if a girl is extremely intelligent, she will refrain from acting “too” smart because she does not want to scare the boy off. Social norms are widespread college issues. There are social norms about when an individual should attend college, what major a guy should pursue, what a major a girl should pursue, how fraternities should act, how sororities should act, and relationships while in college. College students have to fight against these social norms to be themselves. College students can often become swamped with what they should be than who they want to be. In this movie, the girls are overcome by how the other sororities want them to act instead of being who they truly are. Eventually, they find their place and end up being happier than ever. It is important to stay true to oneself in college, which is portrayed well throughout the movie. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie because it was funny while still having an underlying message. Two of the most important messages I took away from the film was “together we can do anything” and that not everything is based on looks. “Together we can do anything” sums up the movie and the messages that it portrays. For example, the social norms can be obliterated if people work together to change those social norms and how individuals perceive college. Being true to oneself is also less difficult if there is a team that everyone can lean on. Being a part of a group can allow an individual to succeed and be themselves more than any other strategy. Not basing everything on looks is a really important theme to remember throughout college. In college, it takes hard work and determination to succeed, not looks. The girls in the movie realized that their true personalities were more important than being considered “pretty.” If people are themselves, then they will be pretty inside, which is what matters most. -Jenny Kerley |
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie because it was funny while still having an underlying message." If students show the determination and drive that Shelley showed, then many students would succeed with their academics and social life." |