Frat Pack
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The Frat Pack is a 2000s era nickname given to an unofficial group of male Hollywood actors, who have appeared together in many movies since the mid 1990s. It was coined by USA Today in a story from June 2004.Before USA Today dubbed this group the Frat Pack, Entertainment Weekly referred to them as the "Slacker Pack," but this term is rarely used. Meanwhile, EW used the term Frat Pack to describe Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Edward Norton, and Ryan Phillippe,[link] but this usage has not been seen elsewhere.
Since then, EW has dropped the "Slacker Pack" term, and also began referring to the group as the Frat Pack.[link]
The name is a take-off of the Rat Pack, a nickname given to a group of performers that included Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in the 1950s and 1960s and as well is an updated take on the 1980s era Brat Pack (another reference to the Rat Pack); combined with the shorthand term for a college fraternity. The implication is that this group is a cross between the cool, hipness of stars in the past and the sophomoric or outrageous antics of more recent stars. Also, this name is a reference to the group's quintessential film, Old School.
Members
While several actors have been linked to the Frat Pack at one point or another, the six actors originally linked to the group are:
- *Steve Carell is considered to be a new member of the group.[link]
Other Friends and often collaborators
- Christina Applegate
- Hank Azaria
- Jason Bateman
- Jim Carrey
- Gary Cole
- Andy Dick
- Snoop Dogg
- Jon Favreau
- Judah Friedlander
- Kyle Gass
- David Koechner
- Juliette Lewis
- Justin Long
- Bill Murray
- Bob Odenkirk
- Patton Oswalt
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Chris Parnell
- Jeremy Piven
- Amy Poehler
- John C. Reilly
- Tim Robbins
- Seth Rogen
- Paul Rudd
- Maya Rudolph
- Seann William Scott
- Jerry Stiller
- Christine Taylor
- Christopher Walken
- Mike White
- Andrew Wilson
Movies
The members of the Frat Pack often work with certain directors multiple times. Todd Phillips directed both Old School and Starsky & Hutch. Adam McKay directed ', and is behind the upcoming '. Jay Roach directed both Meet The Parents and Meet The Fockers and is directing the upcoming Used Guys. Judd Apatow is the writer/producer of several Frat Pack comedies like The Cable Guy and . He made his directorial debut with The 40-Year-Old Virgin starring Steve Carell. Wedding Crashers helmer David Dobkin is set to begin another collaboration with Vince Vaughn for the dark Christmas comedy Joe Klaus (2007). In addition, John Michael Higgins of The Break-Up will also co-star as Santa's head elf.According to the Frat Pack Tribute website, "to "strictly" qualify as a Frat Pack movie, a movie must have at least one Frat Pack member in a starring role, along with at least one more in a supporting role. More importantly, the movie must also share a certain comedic sense. Looser and more inclusive definitions almost allow for movies such as The 40 Year-Old Virgin or Along Came Polly, which have at most a single Frat Pack star, several Frat Pack friends, and a similar comedic sensibility" to qualify. The un-aired television pilot Heat Vision and Jack (1999) would have been a Frat Pack television series, as it starred Jack Black and Owen Wilson, and was directed and introduced by Ben Stiller.
Although all six "core" Frat Pack members have never appeared in a single movie together, they have come closest in , which featured all but Owen Wilson (chiefly in minor roles and cameos); Starsky & Hutch (tied with Zoolander) is a close second, and feature many more Frat Pack members in starring roles.
Filmography
| | | | | | | | |
| Minor Role | Minor Role | Supporting Cast | Supporting Cast | Lead Role | Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Tim Robbins, Chris Parnell | ||
| Bongwater | Supporting Cast | Lead Role | Andy Dick, Kyle Gass | ||||
| Bottle Rocket | Lead Role | Lead Role, Writer | Andrew Wilson | ||||
| The Cable Guy | Supporting Cast | Minor Role, Director | Minor Role | Jim Carrey, Andy Dick, Kyle Gass, Janeane Garofalo | |||
| Danny Roane: First Time Director | Supporting Cast | Supporting Cast | Andy Dick (Cast, Director) | ||||
| Lead Role, Producer | Lead Role | Christine Taylor, Hank Azaria, Jason Bateman | |||||
| Envy | Lead Role | Lead Role | Amy Poehler, Christopher Walken | ||||
| Meet The Fockers | Lead Role | Supporting Cast | |||||
| Meet the Parents | Lead Role | Supporting Cast | |||||
| Night at the Museum | Lead Role | Supporting Cast | Paul Rudd | ||||
| Old School | Lead Role | Lead Role | Lead Role | Andy Dick, Snoop Dogg | |||
| Old School 2 | Lead Role | Lead Role | Lead Role | ||||
| Orange County | Lead Role | Minor Role | Colin Hanks | ||||
| Outsourced | Lead Role | Lead Role | |||||
| Permanent Midnight | Lead Role | Supporting Cast | Andy Dick | ||||
| The Royal Tenenbaums | Lead Role | Lead Role | Lead Role, co-writer | Gwyneth Paltrow, Andrew Wilson | |||
| Starsky & Hutch | Lead Role | Lead Role | Lead Role | Supporting Cast | Snoop Dogg, Jason Bateman | ||
| The Suburbans | Supporting Cast | Supporting Cast | |||||
| Lead Role, Writer, Songs | Supporting Cast, Producer | Kyle Gass, Amy Poehler | |||||
| Wedding Crashers | Lead Role | Lead Role | Minor Role | Christopher Walken | |||
| The Wendell Baker Story | Lead Role, Director, Writer | Supporting Cast | Supporting Cast | Andrew Wilson (Director) | |||
| Zoolander | Lead Role, Director, Writer, Producer | Lead Role | Minor Role | Supporting Cast | Andy Dick, Christine Taylor, Andrew Wilson | ||
Trademarks
Frat Pack movies usually include a scene where a certain character or group of characters either eats or mentions fondue. Some of these movies include: Meet the Fockers, Starsky & Hutch, Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, and Wedding Crashers.Also common is the song "Afternoon Delight," which played in both Starsky & Hutch and Anchorman.
An appearance is made by The Dan Band in Old School, in which they perform their own renditions of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Lady" at a wedding reception, and in Starsky & Hutch, where they perform "Feel Like Makin' Love" at a Bat Mitzvah.
Another trademark that usually is seen are references to Sisqo's "The Thong Song." It is referenced by Frank the Tank (Ferrell) in Old School when he asks his wife to dinner, and is also referenced in Dodgeball when Average Joe's is about to close and Peter La Fleur (Vaughn) rallies the troops he says, "I'll put on 'The Thong Song' and we'll tear this place apart."
Twiggy, the "Water-Skiing Squirrel," can be seen in Dodgeball and Anchorman
See also
- Heat Vision and Jack - a failed Frat Pack pilot starring Jack Black and Owen Wilson, directed by Ben Stiller.
- Rat Pack - The 1950's entertainment clique that the "Frat Pack" term references.
- Brat Pack - The 1980's acting clique that featured different actors that appeared in multiple movies.
- Slap Pack - Group of comedians stemming from the early 90's SNL cast
Notes
External links
- [The Frat Pack Tribute]
- [Comedy's funniest serial sidekicks] from Entertainment Weekly. (The first article written about the group.)
- [Wilson and Vaughn: Leaders of the 'Frat Pack'] from USA Today (The second article written about the group, and the first to refer to them as the Frat Pack.)
- [These guys would be great to hang out with] from USA Today, featuring a chart detailing the movies that each Frat Packer has been involved in.
- [The Frat Pack Circle of Trust] A diagram detailing connections between the Frat Pack and their co-stars.
- [Frat Packers just get better] from MSNBC
- [Unlikely heroes of the box office: The Frat Pack] from the Christian Science Monitor
- [They're In on the Joke: Hollywood's Funniest Clique] from The New York Times
- [Frat Pack back on track this summer] from the New York Post
- [London Times profile]
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