Meatballs (film)
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Ivan Reitman |
| Produced by | John Dunning |
| Written by |
Len Blum Dan Goldberg Janis Allen Harold Ramis |
| Starring |
Bill Murray Chris Makepeace Kate Lynch |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Don Wilder |
| Edited by | Debra Karen |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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99 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.6 million |
| Box office | $43,046,003 |
Meatballs is a 1979 Canadian comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman. It is noted for Bill Murray's first film appearance in a starring role and for launching the directing career of Reitman whose later comedies included Stripes (1981) and Ghostbusters (1984), both starring Murray. The film also introduced child actor Chris Makepeace in the role of Rudy Gerner. It was followed by several sequels, of which only Meatballs III: Summer Job (1986) had any connection to the original.
Tripper Harrison (Murray) is the head counselor of a group of new counselors-in-training (CITs) at Camp North Star, a cut-rate summer camp. Camp director Morty Melnick (Atkin) falls victim to Tripper's practical jokes mainly by being taken from his cabin in the middle of the night and being relocated to an unusual place such as in a hammock above the trees or along the roadside outside of camp.
Meanwhile, Rudy Gerner (Makepeace), a lonely boy who is sent to summer camp by his father, decides to run away from camp to a nearby bus station. Noticing Rudy is unable to fit in, Tripper takes him under his wing and each morning they go jogging and bond as friends. Tripper helps Rudy gain confidence while Rudy encourages Tripper to start a romance with Roxanne (Lynch), the female head counselor. Love is also in the air for many of the CIT's; Candace "kidnaps" Crockett in a speedboat and confesses her feelings for him. Wheels, who had broken up with A.L. the year before, successfully rekindles their relationship during a dance. The nerdy Spaz develops a crush on Jackie.
A subplot deals with the camp's rivalry with the wealthy Camp Mohawk, located across the lake. During a basketball game, North Star is being beaten by Mohawk when they attempt their own perverse form of victory. This sets the stage for the yearly Olympiad held between the camps in which Mohawk carries a 12-0 record.
During the first day of competition, Mohawk dominates North Star, cheating in many cases to win. Crockett fails to clear the high jump bar, Hardware gets pummeled in boxing, and Jackie suffers a broken leg in field hockey, thanks to the dirty work of two Mohawk girls. The score at the end of Day One is: Mohawk 170, North Star 63. That evening at the North Star Lodge, Tripper gives a rousing speech, telling the demoralized campers that it doesn't matter whether they win or lose. In unison, Camp North Star begins to chant, "It just doesn't matter!" Day Two of the Olympiad belongs to newly inspired North Star as they win every event. Wheels outwrestles his opponent, Spaz defeats Rhino in a stacking contest with inspiration from Jackie and a thwarted Mohawk cheating attempt, and, after 12 years of North Star defeats, Fink finally beats "The Stomach" in the hot dog eating contest. North Star now trails by only 10 points with one event left, a four-mile cross country run for 20 points. Tripper steps forward and selects a surprised Rudy to compete against Horse, Mohawk's star runner. The many mornings Rudy spent jogging and training with Tripper pay off as he wins the race, giving North Star its first Olympiad victory by a score of 230–220.
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