Accepted Movie Review

Accepted is a 2006 college comedy directed by Steve Pink that stars Justin Long, Jonah
Hill, and Blake Lively. Bartleby (Justin Long) is rejected by every college he applied to, and in
order to gain acceptance by his parents, he creates his own fake college, the South Harmon
Institute of Technology. He modifies a rejection letter from a school, reconstructs an abandoned
mental hospital, and his best friend Schrader (Jonah Hill) who got into the well-known Harmon
College, helps him out by creating a functional website for the fake school to fool Bartlebys
parents even more. On the website, there is a button that says Acceptance is only one click
away! Bartleby did not realize Schrader made the button clickable, and word gets around in
their Ohio town about this new school that popped out of the ground. Soon enough hundreds of
other students who also did not get into other colleges applied (and got in!) to the South Harmon
Institute of Technology, and students believed it was an actual school. Before Bartleby could
bring the pretend college to a stop, many students paid the $10,000 first semester tuition in full
and he didnt want to reject them from the rejection school. Accepted questions the various
ideals about receiving a college education and fitting within societal norms.
The representation of a college education in this movie primarily focuses on the flaws
and outcasts that are not part of a normal society. Bartlebys dad tells him, If you want to fit in,
you go to college. This statement is what motivates him to create his own school, where he can
fit in although he wouldnt at other colleges. He also criticizes how he was rejected from the
schools, along with the others, because they didnt have enough extracurricular activities or high
test scores therefore making them not good enough for society. This shows how colleges have
high expectations for its students, which is why many were not accepted to their top (or even
any) schools. Students stress out over getting good grades and the colleges expect As to
maintain those high standards. In the movie, Monica (Blake Lively) tells Bartleby that she did not
get into a photography class she was interested in because it was only reserved for certain
majors. This shows how even when you are accepted, you can get rejected.
At the South Harmon Institute of Technology, students want to learn more soft and
amusing skills, rather than just intellectual skills and knowledge. They find their interests, such
as fashion, wood carving, and culinary arts, and create classes in order to explore them. There
are no tests, essays, or required readings which are expected at colleges and universities in
order to learn and show growth. At Harmon College, Schrader is hazed by the fraternity he
wants to get into, which leads to various scenes of humiliation and bullying by the fraternity
brothers. The mascot of the South Harmon Institute of Technology is a sandwich, which is also
not the norm because it isnt something fierce or bold like other schools mascots. Students are
able to express themselves at the fake school as well by getting to design their own bedrooms,
which is somewhat allowed at other schools but it is filled with restrictions on what you can and
cannot have in the room. They also make sure to have fun and make the best out of any
situation. For example, even when a fire sprinkler was set off during a concert, they had a blast
by continuing to dance and have fun.
The South Harmon Institute of Technology becomes very questionable to outside
sources when it is discovered that they do not have a state accreditation nor are they deemed
an education institution. This brings up the question, what defines an educational institution?
When the school is brought to a hearing for state accreditation, the board defines college as a
body of people with a shared common purpose of higher education. There are also three
requirements to be deemed a college: they need a facility, curriculum, and faculty. Their facility
is not considered a traditional facility because they do not have a formal athletic facility, library,
or health services center. The curriculum is not acceptable either because there is no course
book with a list of available classes but, rather, they have an expo board with classes students
want to take. Since the classes do not have any merit or scholastic value, they do not meet that
requirement. The students argue that in one class you get to take walks and be in a stress-free
environment and in an art class you get to explore through personal life experiences to express
yourself, which in their opinion carries more value than merit knowledge. The faculty at the
South Harmon Institute of Technology is also not up to standards because the students are the
teachers.
The school is rejected for accreditation for a variety of factors. They are judged by they
look and not who they are as people in society. They are different than Harmon Colleges
tradition of hazing, humiliation due to differences, and putting so much pressure on students
that they become stressed and addicted to caffeine to make it through each day. This also
brings up the question of whether or not South Harmon needs to conform to the traditional ways
like Harmon. In Bartlebys opinion, Harmon robs students of their creativity and passion
because they are not allowed to follow their hearts and dreams but, rather, they have to play it
safe to gain acceptance in society. This movie shows how you dont need teachers, traditions, or
money to learn, you just need the desire to better yourself. Also, you dont always need the
approval of others to know what is right and what should be done in any given situation. The
students in Accepted break any traditional values within the college system to show that
everyone contributes to society in their own ways. The main message from this movie is that life
is full of possibilities, and the need to fit into societal norms should not hinder that growth and
exploration.

Accepted. Steve Pink. Universal Studios, 2006. Film.

Accepted. Poster. Universal Pictures, 2006.