MovieChat Forums > Krippendorf's Tribe (1998) Discussion > Krippendorf Crok!!! - SPOILERS REVEALED!...

Krippendorf Crok!!! - SPOILERS REVEALED!!!!

posted 16 years ago by kenburke0627
5 replies | jump to latest

WARNING - SPOILERS REVEALED!!!

This movie is supposed to be a comedy, but it comes across as being funny for the wrong reasons. The professor (Richard Dreyfuss) is supposed to be the "good guy", but what is he doing? He (a) misappropriates college funds, (b) tells a bold faced lie to cover up his misdeeds, (c) involves his children in the scam, (d) gets a woman drunk to have sex with her (that's rape as in sexual assault, in case you have forgotten) and winds up televising it to the public, (d) tries to get more money from the college via the same scam, and (e), once the truth is out in the open, is saved via a lie from his daughter. Those that are after the truth are portrayed as arrogant, unfair, and snobbish who "deserve" to be fooled. The fact that the professor is in the wrong seems to get lost in the shuffle, and if there's a moral to the movie it's "don't get caught".

I do not recommend this movie, for the above reasons, for children.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Viderum 16 years ago

The world isn't perfect main

[–] psaxe-2 12 years ago

It's the American way!

[–] rizdek 10 years ago

Why do you imagine Krippendorf is a good guy?

I see it as a story without a moral...a series of character sketches embedding in a plot full of odd and not sometimes very nice people. Perhaps it was done as a satire of academic funding. Perhaps it was just to show actors portraying different kinds of characters...or should I say caricatures. Whether I was supposed to or not, I didn't see it as portraying the dishonest prof in a good light.

I think the twist was at the end where the head guy says, "That is how we are going to handle it," or something like that. Just when you think he's going to "get his" the dean or whatever lets him off to save HIS face.

[–] MadinMiddleAge 10 years ago

Exactly. And, if you have been through graduate school, I think it is amazing how well they captured the mean-spirited, egotistical, and stifling nature of the beast. I went to grad school to get my PhD. and was shocked and disappointed to discover that it was NOT the warm and friendly atmosphere all about the love of learning and researching. Naive as I was, I expected more of a "team" spirit, instead of the back-stabbing and massive egos. Sigh. Whaddaya know when you're young and idealistic, right?