Graduation Trip
Genre: Comedy
Director: Gregg Araki
Writer: Alex Conn
Cast:
Charlie Plummer .... Alex
RJ Cyler .... Tariq
Harley Quinn Smith .... Tara
Ty Simpkins .... Ryan
Molly Gordon .... Julia
Austin Abrams .... Jared
Steve Buscemi .... Principal Harrison
Plot: Graduation Trip starts off on the graduation trip of a private high school. Ryan (Ty Simpkins), Alex (Charlie Plummer) and Tariq (RJ Cyler) discuss their plans to get laid. Tariq is in love with a girl named Tara (Harley Quinn Smith). Alex is in love with a girl named Julia (Molly Gordon). Ryan is in love with a football player named Jared (Austin Abrams). Ryan is an outspoken bisexual guy who talks about how unattainable Julia and Tara are to Alex and Tariq respectively. Alex comments on how Jared is not even out. They continue to discuss the plans and if they are logical or not.
Next the bus stops at a McDonalds and Ryan and Tariq and Alex are sitting down together and Ryan bets Tariq to talk to Tara. Tara and Julia are sitting at a table together. Tariq tries to and compliments her skirt and this fails miserably. Everyone is called back to the bus.
The kids go to the hotel and the head of school Principal Harrison (Steve Buscemi) does a rap about how abstinence is cool and that all teenage sex leads to AIDS especially gay sex. The kids are all given the names of their roommates and Alex gets assigned with his crush a Julia and Tariq gets assigned with a kid on the Autism spectrum named Max. Ryan is given his own room because both boys and girls are uncomfortable with his homosexuality.
The kids go to their rooms and Alex and Julia get settled in and Julia makes a list of rules. Alex is supposed to be silent whenever Julia has sex with her boyfriends and Alex questions this by saying she has a boyfriend and she slaps him. Also she draws a clear line between her bed and his bed.
We then cut to Tariq’s bed and Max the first thing he does is take a shower and after he takes a shower he drops his towel down on the floor and tries to seduce Tariq. Also while this is happening Principal Harrison is on the trip is having sex with Julia.
The film then cuts to Alex, Tariq and Ryan discussing the past night and Tariq says that he was basically raped by Max.
The students then go to a museum and they have to sit through a dude rapping about American History. There is an Q and A and Ryan says that the guy sucks at rapping. Ryan is then yelled at by Principal Harrison with homophobic slurs.
That night Alex has to deal with watching Julia and Jared have sex and they are having sex loudly. Alex tells them to be quieter and she yells at him and he starts to just stay under the covers.
At the same time Tariq has to deal with hearing Max blast Despicable me 2 very loudly. Tariq is trying to sleep but he cannot and Max also yells at him.
It then cuts to Ryan masturbating to a picture of Jared and he decides to go and chat with Alex but he then sees Julia and Jared having sex and it makes him cry.
The next day it is time to leave and Julia at 5 am is giving Principal Harrison a handjob in the lobby while no one is watching. Alex then goes out of his room and sees Julia giving Principal Harrison a handjob.
All the kids are going on the bus. Alex and Ryan and Tariq are talking about how embarrassing the weekend. Alex spends the time on the bus writing. Tariq is crying. Ryan is thinking mostly about Jared.
Jared on the other side of the bus is saying homophobic things about Ryan and Ryan stands up for him and the whole bus cheers. Tariq also asks out Tara and she says yes. Everyone cheers also.
We then cut to the gang of Ryan, Tariq and Alex at Applebee’s and reflecting on the weekend
Director: Gregg Araki
Writer: Alex Conn
Cast:
Charlie Plummer .... Alex
RJ Cyler .... Tariq
Harley Quinn Smith .... Tara
Ty Simpkins .... Ryan
Molly Gordon .... Julia
Austin Abrams .... Jared
Steve Buscemi .... Principal Harrison
Plot: Graduation Trip starts off on the graduation trip of a private high school. Ryan (Ty Simpkins), Alex (Charlie Plummer) and Tariq (RJ Cyler) discuss their plans to get laid. Tariq is in love with a girl named Tara (Harley Quinn Smith). Alex is in love with a girl named Julia (Molly Gordon). Ryan is in love with a football player named Jared (Austin Abrams). Ryan is an outspoken bisexual guy who talks about how unattainable Julia and Tara are to Alex and Tariq respectively. Alex comments on how Jared is not even out. They continue to discuss the plans and if they are logical or not.
Next the bus stops at a McDonalds and Ryan and Tariq and Alex are sitting down together and Ryan bets Tariq to talk to Tara. Tara and Julia are sitting at a table together. Tariq tries to and compliments her skirt and this fails miserably. Everyone is called back to the bus.
The kids go to the hotel and the head of school Principal Harrison (Steve Buscemi) does a rap about how abstinence is cool and that all teenage sex leads to AIDS especially gay sex. The kids are all given the names of their roommates and Alex gets assigned with his crush a Julia and Tariq gets assigned with a kid on the Autism spectrum named Max. Ryan is given his own room because both boys and girls are uncomfortable with his homosexuality.
The kids go to their rooms and Alex and Julia get settled in and Julia makes a list of rules. Alex is supposed to be silent whenever Julia has sex with her boyfriends and Alex questions this by saying she has a boyfriend and she slaps him. Also she draws a clear line between her bed and his bed.
We then cut to Tariq’s bed and Max the first thing he does is take a shower and after he takes a shower he drops his towel down on the floor and tries to seduce Tariq. Also while this is happening Principal Harrison is on the trip is having sex with Julia.
The film then cuts to Alex, Tariq and Ryan discussing the past night and Tariq says that he was basically raped by Max.
The students then go to a museum and they have to sit through a dude rapping about American History. There is an Q and A and Ryan says that the guy sucks at rapping. Ryan is then yelled at by Principal Harrison with homophobic slurs.
That night Alex has to deal with watching Julia and Jared have sex and they are having sex loudly. Alex tells them to be quieter and she yells at him and he starts to just stay under the covers.
At the same time Tariq has to deal with hearing Max blast Despicable me 2 very loudly. Tariq is trying to sleep but he cannot and Max also yells at him.
It then cuts to Ryan masturbating to a picture of Jared and he decides to go and chat with Alex but he then sees Julia and Jared having sex and it makes him cry.
The next day it is time to leave and Julia at 5 am is giving Principal Harrison a handjob in the lobby while no one is watching. Alex then goes out of his room and sees Julia giving Principal Harrison a handjob.
All the kids are going on the bus. Alex and Ryan and Tariq are talking about how embarrassing the weekend. Alex spends the time on the bus writing. Tariq is crying. Ryan is thinking mostly about Jared.
Jared on the other side of the bus is saying homophobic things about Ryan and Ryan stands up for him and the whole bus cheers. Tariq also asks out Tara and she says yes. Everyone cheers also.
We then cut to the gang of Ryan, Tariq and Alex at Applebee’s and reflecting on the weekend
BOX OFFICE
Budget: $15,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $10,591,451
Foreign Box Office: $3,099,909
Total Profit: -$14,312,750
Domestic Box Office: $10,591,451
Foreign Box Office: $3,099,909
Total Profit: -$14,312,750
REVIEWS
"Okay may I ask without judging, 'who is this for?' I mean no one is likeable, the script feels desperate in need of a script doctor who understands comedy, and devoid that certain social issues here makes NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE look like a masterpiece. I'm sorry but I left this in need of a drink." - Merle Eliassen, Film Journal International
"Ooof. I want to try to keep my criticism of this film constructive, but it is hard as there is not a single funny moment in this supposed 'comedy'. Writer Alex Conn and director Gregg Araki clearly went for broke going for a raunchy tone. They brought the raunchy, they just forgot the funny." - Dave Manning, Ridgefield Press
"I really tried to go into Graduation Trip with an open mind, hoping to find something good in the story. Turns out there really isn't much of a story other than a series of excuses to get a bunch of horny teenagers and their principal into hotel rooms where they do a bunch of really inappropriate things with and to each other. This is being marketed strictly as a comedy, so story issues can be forgiven if it delivers laughs. I did not laugh once during Graduation Trip. If you like jokes about AIDs, gay sex (and possible rape), a principal having sex with students, middle-aged white guys rapping, autism, and fast food restaurants, maybe you'll enjoy this film more than I did."- Perry Manson, CinemaBlend.com
Rated R for language and sexual content/nudity