The House Bunny

Name: The House Bunny
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Released: August 22, 2008
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 55
Cast: Anna Faris

2008

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 81 Ratings

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5.8

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5.8	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 81 Ratings

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The House Bunny

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: August 22, 2008 | PG-13

Starring: Anna Faris

Summary: Shelley is living a carefree life until a rival gets her tossed out of the Playboy Mansion. With nowhere to go, fate delivers her to the sorority girls from Zeta Alpha Zeta. Unless they can sign a new pledge class, the seven socially clueless women will lose their house to the scheming girls of Phi Iota Mu. In order to accomplish theirShelley is living a carefree life until a rival gets her tossed out of the Playboy Mansion. With nowhere to go, fate delivers her to the sorority girls from Zeta Alpha Zeta. Unless they can sign a new pledge class, the seven socially clueless women will lose their house to the scheming girls of Phi Iota Mu. In order to accomplish their goal, they need Shelley to teach them the ways of makeup and men; at the same time, Shelley needs some of what the Zetas have – a sense of individuality. The combination leads all the girls to learn how to stop pretending and start being themselves. (Sony Pictures)… Expand

Director: Fred Wolf

Genre(s): Comedy, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

Michael Ordona

Among the sunnier, funnier films of the year, thanks largely to the zest with which Faris embodies a mental vacuum. Read full review

John Anderson

A blissfully broad comedy that should catapult Anna Faris into a singular kind of stardom. Read full review

Scott Foundas

The movie is basically on one level and Faris on another -- in that exclusive aerie occupied by Judy Holliday, Carole Lombard, Lucille Ball and a few other blissfully original comedy goddesses. Read full review

Dana Stevens

The movie also has some embarrassing laugh-free stretches, but Faris holds everything together with bubbly intelligence, unexpected line readings, and a few deft pratfalls. Read full review

Carrie Rickey

Despite a winning performance by Anna Faris, the cutest thing in platform shoes since Goldie Hawn, the film falls on its keister so many times that before long the perky pinkness turns bruising black-and-blue. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

So haphazardly written and directed that it barely qualifies as a movie, The House Bunny is watchable solely for the comic stylings of the blond veteran of the "Scary Movie" series. Read full review

James Berardinelli

The resulting hodgepodge of unfunny, sophomoric humor and PG-13 T&A, frosted by a sheen of appallingly nauseous "drama," makes for such a noxious brew that it's amazing viewers stay in their seats for the entire production. Read full review

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User Reviews

MichaelN.

Dec 27, 2008

This movie was absolutely hysterical. Anna's character was very funny, and it was consistent throughout the entire movie. It is by far the funniest movie of 2008, in my opinion. I would've prefered tohave the character Carrie May shown a little bit more than she was, as she was This movie was absolutely hysterical. Anna's character was very funny, and it was consistent throughout the entire movie. It is by far the funniest movie of 2008, in my opinion. I would've prefered tohave the character Carrie May shown a little bit more than she was, as she was insanely funny during the parts she was in. Katharine McPhee probably gets the prize for best performance in the movie. She played her part perfectly, and she definitely has a future in acting. I like how most of the cast was semi- famous actors and actresses, because they are notable, and good, but at the same time, therewasn't really too high of an expectation for the movie. However, I think it was one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

annbd

Jan 24, 2018

Thank you Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith for making this movie and also for bringing us "10 thigs I hate about you"! You two are amazing women writers and make great collaboration together! A House Bunny shows that there is good in each and everyone of us, no matter what you do for aThank you Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith for making this movie and also for bringing us "10 thigs I hate about you"! You two are amazing women writers and make great collaboration together! A House Bunny shows that there is good in each and everyone of us, no matter what you do for a living and you should appreciate everybody around, which is in your life or you have a momentary connection with. The best achievement in life is helping somebody with their struggle!… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

lempililja

May 28, 2023

i'm not going to lie, i have a soft spot for movies with emma stone in them

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ChadS.

Aug 26, 2008

Twenty was antediluvian in Menudo years. In the house of "wome-nudo", it's twenty-seven. Beauty and brains, that's the happy medium all women should hanker for, because that's "what boys like". A sensitive "boy" like Oliver(Colin Hanks), who looks after oldsters in a Twenty was antediluvian in Menudo years. In the house of "wome-nudo", it's twenty-seven. Beauty and brains, that's the happy medium all women should hanker for, because that's "what boys like". A sensitive "boy" like Oliver(Colin Hanks), who looks after oldsters in a retirement home, prizes scintillating dinner conversation above a gravity-defying rack, right? In "The House Bunny", a homeless bunny imparts her Playboy ideology to some ostracized sorority girls, who in return, help Shelley(Anna Faris) feel better about herself when they point the "dumb blonde" in the direction of the nearest library. Since "The House Bunny" never shows these nerdy girls excelling in the classroom, or anything to compensate for their lack of success with the opposite sex, looking f***able is the only currency that matters. To suggest that Shelly needs a cerebral cortex makeover is disingenuous, at best, in a film that received Hugh Hefner's endorsement. While Natalie(Emma Stone) gets her man by being the best version of herself, Shelly wins Oliver over without ever having to read another book. The fact that Shelley turns down a chance to be a Playboy centerfold is beside the point. She's still hopelessly vapid. No man ever dates a woman for her brains.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

MeritCoba

Jan 4, 2016

The playmate Shelley Darlington is told to leave the Playboy Mansion because of her age and finds new purpose by becoming a house mother for the Zeta Alpha Zeta sorority which is about to be shut down due to a lack of members. Shelly, with her boundless sexy optimism transforms the oddballThe playmate Shelley Darlington is told to leave the Playboy Mansion because of her age and finds new purpose by becoming a house mother for the Zeta Alpha Zeta sorority which is about to be shut down due to a lack of members. Shelly, with her boundless sexy optimism transforms the oddball members into sexy damsels who, like honey and bees, attract the interest of the boys, which makes the sorority interesting for the female students to join in turn. At the end the misfits revolt but the sorority is saved nevertheless by a deus ex machina.

The overall story is a ship that flounders over the ocean steering away from anything uncomfortable that might contain a deeper message to run aground on the shore of mediocrity.
The fact that Shelly has a due date because of her looks is quickly stepped over and doesn't result in anything more than the remark: oh, but 27 isn't that old! So 28 is? Or 29? Or 30?
That the oddballs are easily turned into sexy ladies shows a missed opportunity for some fireworks. Why are the women so ready to submit to being objects of lust for men? Non of the ladies seem to have problems with that. Are non of them lesbian? Or from some social or religious background that frowns on these things? Or even themselves not ready to stoop that low? A confrontation between Shelly and the grumpy Mona seemed in the make, but Mona's resistance quickly evaporates after some quibbling. It is not to be had.
The Zetas apparently live in social isolation for no friends or family members show up to protest the loss of their individuality and personality. It is not only nonsensical but it also fails to make use of the material that lies there. People are not malleable like that, but for the sake of the movie they are.
Near the end the movie turns it around again and shoves us the 'be yourself' message down the throat. Another contrived concept that belies reality. And thus the movie misses every opportunity to stand out one way or the other.

The problem is that the movie is neither fish nor fowl. It is not light enough to be just a silly funny movie with an upbeat message and not heavy enough to make for a social drama of sorts that challenges our thinking. Instead it kind of does everything in a haphazard way without doing much with anything specifically.
The low down: a cute idea but the execution fails because the movie is too afraid to provoke or raise questions. It is a safe movie with a vapid message and thus easily forgettable. A missed opportunity either way.

Anna Farris deserves most of the credit as she not only saves the sorority but also the movie.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Broyax

May 28, 2023

Cette vague histoire à la godille de blonde écervelée (pléonasme ?), cette satire trop molle ne mériterait que fort peu d’attention si Anna Farris ne portait autant le poids du film sur ses jolies épaules et son joli petit… euh…

Enfin, je veux dire qu’Anna tient ici une forme olympique… etCette vague histoire à la godille de blonde écervelée (pléonasme ?), cette satire trop molle ne mériterait que fort peu d’attention si Anna Farris ne portait autant le poids du film sur ses jolies épaules et son joli petit… euh…

Enfin, je veux dire qu’Anna tient ici une forme olympique… et nous lui accordons toutes nos plus sincères félicitations. Il faut dire par ailleurs qu’elle est toujours à l’aise dans les bouffonneries les plus échevelées (cf les Scary Movie) et/ou les plus débiles…

…ce qui rend donc ici -en comparaison ou en con-paraison- cette connerie grotesque presque regardable, finalement ! (à notre grand étonnement bien sûr). Sa bonne humeur est communicative. Mais ce machin reste une débilité, tenez-vous le pour dit.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

CSW.

Oct 13, 2008

Terrible disappointment. Could have been very cute, but mishandled and badly written so it ended up a mess. Don't waste your money.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

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