This is our ongoing series of the Top Teen & College Comedies You Haven’t Seen. You can access links to previous lists below. This article is about the Top Teen & College Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 2000 – 2004.
Listed below are the links to previous years and links of the Top Teen & College Comedies You Haven’t Seen lists:
- Teen & College Comedies – The 1970’s
- Teen & College Comedies – 1980 – 1984
- Teen & College Comedies – 1985 – 1989
- Teen & College Comedies – 1990 – 1994
- Teen & College Comedies – 1995 – 1999
- Teen & College Comedies – 2000 – 2004
- Teen & College Comedies – 2005 – 2009
- Teen & College Comedies – 2010 – 2013
- Teen & College Comedies – 2014 – 2017
- Teen & College Comedies – 2018 – 2022
Four major themes of the Teen & College Comedy subgenre dominated throughout 2000 – 2004 – Raunchy & Sex Humor Comedies, Coming-of-Age Teen Dramedies, Parodies and Satires of the subgenre and Female-focused Teen Comedies.
Female-focused Teen Comedies continued trending upwards from the 1990’s into the 2000’s with But I’m a Cheerleader (2000), Bring It On (2000), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), Legally Blonde (2001), Ghost World (2001), The Princess Diaries (2001), Crossroads (2002), The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Mean Girls (2004) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004).
Parodies and Satires of the Teenage & College Comedy subgenre emerged during the early 2000’s with Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Not Another Teen Movie (2001) and Saved! (2004).
The 2000 – 2004 period also saw classic Coming-of-Age Dramas and Comedies appear with Malena (2000), Almost Famous (2000), Y Tu Mamá También (2001), About a Boy (2002), Roger Dodger (2002), Igby Goes Down (2002), The Girl Next Door (2004), Napoleon Dynamite (2004) and Garden State (2004).
And finally, the Raunchy Comedy & Sex Humor theme had re-emerged with American Pie (1999) in the late 1990’s and continued into the 2000’s with Road Trip (2000), Tomcats (2001), American Pie 2 (2001), Orange County (2002), Slackers (2002), National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (2002), The New Guy (2002), The Hot Chick (2002), Old School (2003), American Wedding (2003), EuroTrip (2004), The Girl Next Door (2004) and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004).
Other classic and notable subgenre films from 2000 – 2004 included Billy Elliot (2000), Sunset Strip (2000), The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002), Pumpkin (2002), The Rules of Attraction (2002), Tadpole (2002), Malibu’s Most Wanted (2003) and School of Rock (2003).
For our list of the Top Teen & College Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 2000 – 2004, we selected some lesser-known films from a variety of subgenre themes. We also tried to select films that were representative of early 2000’s culture and nostalgia.
Classic, must-see subgenre films from 2000 – 2004: Road Trip (2000), Almost Famous (2000), Legally Blonde (2001), American Pie 2 (2001), Y Tu Mamá También (2001), National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (2002), Old School (2003), School of Rock (2003), The Girl Next Door (2004) and Napoleon Dynamite (2004).
Lesser-known subgenre films that didn’t make our list: But I’m a Cheerleader (2000), Tomcats (2001), Ghost World (2001), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Orange County (2002), Bookies (2003), Malibu’s Most Wanted (2003), Love Don’t Co$t A Thing (2003).
Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Here is our list of the Top Teen & College Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 2000 – 2004:
#10
Sunset Strip
Plot: A look at young adults in 1972 Hollywood.
KBZ’s Take: More of a coming-of-age film than a straight comedy, this is a surprisingly good period film set in LA in 1972. The film focuses on the music industry and the lives of different young artists trying to make their mark in the music scene. Recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3HFPk5N
#9
Saved!
Plot: A student at American Eagle Christian School finds out her boyfriend is gay.
KBZ’s Take: This satire is a film of two parts. The first half of the film is an almost perfect satire of Christian schools similar to how The Righteous Gemstones satirizes televangelists. Unfortunately, the film loses its footing a bit in its second half as the film focuses on typical teen comedy clichés. However, it’s still a film worth seeing if only for the first half of the film.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3JJQ7nR
Plot: A group of Catholic School friends plan a heist that will make them local legends.
KBZ’s Take: Though this film is also set at a Catholic / Christian school like Saved! (2004), it’s not a satire but rather a coming-of-age film. The film resembles the classic 80’s film Heaven Help Us (1985) which also centered around of group of friends who ultimately pull a prank (to disastrous effects). The film has some hilarious moments and is anchored by performances from Emile Hirsch, Keiran Culkin, Jodie Foster and Jena Malone. Highly recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3YrXFQf
#7
Tadpole
Plot: 15-year-old who speaks fluent French and has a passion for Voltaire, has a crush on his stepmother.
KBZ’s Take: This is a hidden gem of a film that not many people have seen. Though it’s a lower budget film, it has a lot of star power with John Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth and Kata Mara. Aaron Stanford also gives an amazing performance as Oscar (nicknamed Tadpole) in a more tasteful subgenre film about younger males infatuated with older women. Highly recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XTgFHi
#6
Roger Dodger
Plot: Smooth talking ad executive attempts to teach his teenage nephew how to pick up women.
KBZ’s Take: This film is completely driven by the dialogue between Campbell Scott (Roger) and Jesse Eisenberg (Nick). Like witty dialogue found in Barcelona (1994), Roger repeatedly tries to force his misogynistic view on women through long winded ‘advice’ on the impressionable Nick. Their banter throughout the film drives the narrative through situations involving other women including Isabella Rossellini, Elizabeth Berkley and Jennifer Beals. This was Eisenberg’s first starring role and based on that alone, it’s highly recommended to check out.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3DrHQku
#5
Pumpkin
Plot: Sorority sisters vying for a Sorority of the Year award coach disabled athletes.
KBZ’s Take: This film somehow finds a way to tackle a very sensitive subject in a heartful manner. As a Black Comedy/Satire/Romantic Comedy hybrid, the film focuses on Christina Ricci (Carolyn) and her pairing with the disabled Hank Harris (Pumpkin). The Satire elements focus on the sorority system as a whole while the Romantic Comedy elements cover the eventual romance between Carolyn and Pumpkin. The Black Comedy elements skewer society’s view of a ‘normal person’ falling in love with a disabled person and the ramifications of that romance on family members and the community. While the film wasn’t a critical hit, it has developed a cult following over the years and is worth checking out for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://tubitv.com/movies/306942/pumpkin
#4
Malena
Plot: In 1941 Sicily, 13-year-old Renato falls for the beautiful war widow Malena.
KBZ’s Take: This is a beautiful film which blends Period Drama with Coming-of-age Comedy. It’s an Italian film centered around Monica Bellucci (Malena) who becomes the object of desire for the many young adult boys growing up in war-time Sicily. Though the comedic elements center around the coming-of-age antics of the boys, the film is foremost a drama about a woman trying to find her place in the community after her husband is assumed dead. It’s a highly recommended film for fans of the subgenre, but just don’t expect American Pie-style humor throughout the film.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Y8o5WL
Plot: A rebellious and sarcastic 17-year-old trust fund baby navigates life and his family.
KBZ’s Take: Keiran Culkin has cornered the market on roles centered around sarcastic young adults. We’re going to assume the casting director for the Succession TV series had seen this film and cast Culkin as Roman Roy as a result. His character is basically the same in both this film and the Succession series – a sarcastic, overprivileged brat who struggles to come to terms with his wealthy family and the demands of upper-class society. Apart from Culkin’s great performance are amazing performances from Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Susan Sarandon, Jared Harris, Amanda Peet and Ryan Phillippe. It’s one of the best films of the subgenre from the 2000’s and highly recommended.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3JsqdEF
#2
Slackers
Plot: Three soon to be College graduates, find their cheating and scheming over the last 4 years is about to be exposed.
KBZ’s Take: This film was savaged by the critics during the wave of Teen & College Comedies that embraced Raunchy and Sex Humor comedy. While it’s not a classic film of either subgenre, it’s still one of the better (and lesser known) subgenre films of the early 2000’s. The film isn’t going to win any Academy Awards but does have some hilarious situations throughout the film and a great cast with Devon Sawa, Jason Segel, Laura Prepon and Jason Schwartzman. Recommended for fans of Teen & College comedies with Raunchy humor.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/40i5uJK
Plot: Spoiled and overprivileged students at Camden College get caught up in sex and drugs.
KBZ’s Take: Though this film was a minor hit of the subgenre in the early 2000’s, it’s been lost to time a bit. We’re listing it as #1 here so subsequent generations don’t miss out on one of the best films of the subgenre. This was Roger Avary’s second major directorial effort after the classic Heist film Killing Zoe (1993). Based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name, Avary transforms the Black Comedy and Satire from the novel onto screen in one of the more compelling films of its time. The comedy is more subdued in this effort, and Avary is able to bring out the best in a cast including James Van Der Beek, Ian Somerhalder, Shannyn Sossamon, Jessica Biel, Kip Pardue and Kate Bosworth. The film was mis-marketed at the time as another Teen Comedy but the film is the exact opposite of that with biting satire on College students experimenting with sex and drugs (and Sean Bateman’s classic line “Rock & roll”). One of the best films of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3HSyQHL
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