« Dr. Christian Szell | Main | Simon Gruber »
August 27, 2003
Richard Bagg
Coolidge College has been the home of one legendary college student for nearly seven years. Campus party animal Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) holds interviews for his own personal assistant with waiting lines that put class registration to shame. He gives the basketball team pep talks and raises money for the swim team. And he even finds the time to help out guys like Sick Boy.
All of these facts mean very little, however, to campus kiss-ass and Delta Iota Kappa (D.I.K.) fraternity president Richard Bagg (Daniel Cosgrove), an aspiring med student and incredible asshole with a very hot girlfriend, Gwen Pearson (Tara Reid). Richard belittles his frat's pledges and generally acts like a tight-ass stiff whenever someone bothers him, but when it comes to Gwen, he's got all the time in the world. He's got plans for the two of them - very specific, goal-oriented, unwavering plans - and no one is going to mess them up for him. Cue Van Wilder.
Gwen is a reporter at the campus newspaper and her editor demands an expose on Wilder and his status as the campus' "party legend." The chemistry between Van and Gwen is unmistakable, and before you know it, Van's moving in on Richard's girl. Thus, Richard wants revenge: ruin Wilder's reputation, get him kicked off the campus, arrested... whatever will keep him from coming between him and Gwen. Nobody wants to lose Van, though, and they especially don't want Richard to win. With friends like Taj, his personal assistant, Hutch, his number one buddy, and Colossus, his extremely horny bulldog, Van Wilder emerges as The Big Man on Campus.
As for Richard, he endures some of the worst pranks ever caught on film. Van turning the tables and getting in good with Gwen's parents: well done. The medical school interview with the trash can: brilliant. But the, ahem, creme de la creme of Van Wilder & Company's maneuvers was easily The Eclair Incident. If you saw it, you'll never forget it, but if you haven't witnessed Richard and his frat cronies enjoying these delectable treats, you've missed The Biggest Gross Out Gag of the last decade. Not that that helps out Richard's ranking as a villain; it just gives him a little more cinematic staying power. You can thank Colossus for that.
INTELLIGENCE - 6: He is an aspiring doctor, so he's got some brains, but he's overmatched by Van and his plans.
POWER - 5: Looks like a jock but hardly raises a hand to anyone.
VILENESS - 5: He's a bully, no doubt, and makes a decent frat president, but unlike Colossus, he lacks serious balls.
SWAY - 4: Mostly, he whines and complains. He'll yell and try to scare his pledges, but then he whines again.
PURITY - 6: Richard is very driven but it's hard to stay on track with so many people undermining him at every turn.
PHYSICAL - 4: He's a serious weenie with a stick up his ass, but he's always got a scowl.
TOTAL: 30
Posted by Destro at August 27, 2003 12:06 AM