Is It College Yet?
Is It College Yet? is a 2002 American animated comedy-drama television film written by Glenn Eichler and Peggy Niccoll, and directed by Karen Disher. The film was the second film-length installment of MTV's animated series Daria, after 2000's Is it Fall Yet?, and served as the series finale, chronicling the end of high school as the characters prepare for college.[1]
| Is It College Yet? | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Created by | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Karen Disher |
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer | Splendora |
| Composer | Janet Wygal |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Editors |
|
| Running time |
|
| Production company | MTV Animation |
| Release | |
| Original network | MTV |
| Original release |
|
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Is It Fall Yet? |
Is It College Yet? was produced in lieu of an abbreviated, six-episode sixth season requested by MTV. Series creator Glenn Eichler planned to wrap the show with the fifth-season finale "Boxing Daria", believing that there was no more story to tell.[2] Eichler agreed to write Is It College Yet? in order to have a true series finale for Daria.
The film was first broadcast by MTV on January 21, 2002, released on both VHS and DVD formats on August 27, 2002,[3] and was included on the DVD release of Daria: The Complete Animated Series on May 11, 2010.[4] The film has yet to see a Blu-ray release.
Plot
Daria, best friend Jane, and their classmates Jodie, Mack, Brittney, and Kevin have begun considering the colleges they wish to attend (or not attend in Jane's case, at least initially) after graduating Lawndale High. Daria applies to prestigious Bromwell University and the less famous but respected Raft College (possibly Tufts University) for her second choice. Her boyfriend Tom Sloane also applies to Bromwell, where his family have legacy status. Tom's mother agrees to drive them to tour Bromwell and Raft in Boston.
At Bromwell, Tom charms the admission officer with stories about his family's experiences there, while Daria, feeling self-conscious, only musters inarticulate and vapid responses. Daria and the Sloanes leave Bromwell later than planned after a boisterous professor holds them up. To Daria's dismay, they arrive at Raft after the admission office has closed.
Daria is accepted by Raft, but wait listed by Bromwell. Tom reveals he got into Bromwell and doesn't congratulate Daria for getting into Raft, upsetting her. Daria admonishes Tom for the privilege his family's wealth and status affords and accuses him of looking down on her and Raft. She insinuates that being a Sloane was the sole reason he got accepted, while Tom blames Daria's personality as the reason she wasn't. After reconciling, Tom offers to have his parents write Daria a letter of recommendation to Bromwell, but she declines.
Jane wants to attend Boston Fine Arts College/ BFAC, but is overwhelmed with creating a portfolio. Instead, she applies to less demanding colleges, but is rejected. She considers skipping college entirely and argues with Daria over the necessity of higher education. Jane agrees to submit a portfolio to BFAC if Daria lets Tom's parents recommend her to Bromwell, which she does. Jane's brother, Trent, accuses Jane of 'selling-out' as an artist, before admitting he's afraid of losing her.
Despite the Sloanes' letter, Daria is rejected by Bromwell. However, she feels no disappointment and announces to her parents that she is going to Raft, which they are proud of. During a date with Tom, Daria dumps him, explaining that their lives are diverging and the relationship has run its course. While initially shocked, Tom is unable to argue otherwise, and they agree to stay in touch as friends. Daria is also thrilled to discover that Jane was accepted into BFAC, and will join her in Boston.
Mack and Jodie worry about becoming a long-distance couple after high school. Jodie, exhausted from being the model minority student at Lawndale, wants to attend Turner College, a historically black university, while her parents expect her to attend the exclusive Crestmore University. Mack applies for Vance College, but needs a scholarship to afford it. Jodie is accepted by Crestmore and Turner, but is distraught because her parents pressure her to go to Crestmore. Mack contacts Jodie's father to explain her distress, leading to her parents changing their minds. Mack also receives his scholarship. While they will be geographically separated, Jodie is convinced this experience has brought them closer.
Brittney is accepted to local Prairie State University, but boyfriend Kevin will need to repeat his senior year due to abysmal grades. Embarrassed, Kevin tries to hide this from Brittney before coming clean, and asks if she'll stay with him through college. Brittney promises she will, while secretly crossing her fingers.
Daria's younger sister, Quinn, gets her first job as a restaurant hostess and befriends an older coworker named Lindy. Quinn's work causes her to miss several Fashion Club meetings, and the clique drifts apart; after club president Sandi is her usual nasty self, Stacey secret wishes that Sandi would lose her voice and feels guilty after Sandi does suffer a vocal chord injury that temporarily silences her). Quinn notices Lindy has a drinking problem, which culminates with Lindy arriving at work drunk and getting fired. Quinn implores her to seek help, but Lindy angrily denies Quinn's assertions. Lindy later apologizes, but still insists she's not an alcoholic. At an end of year party, after Sandi tries to punish Stacey for her bad thoughts, Stacey bluntly says she'd rather take a sabbatical like Quinn did, and Tiffany joins in (Sandi does so at the end to save face) and they all agree they'll still hang out as friends without the club banner.
At graduation, Daria unexpectedly wins an academic award and is forced to improvise a speech. She reiterates her contempt for high school, but ends with a summation of her life philosophy and expresses gratitude for Jane and her family, drawing applause from the crowd.
Afterwards, Daria and Jane meet for pizza as usual, and muse on what they'll find once they arrive at college and begin a new era in their lives.
During the end credits, various "alter ego" renderings (more detailed than at the end of the regular episodes) depict possible future careers and scenarios for nearly all of the series' characters.
Soundtrack
The first music video for "Breaking Up the Girl" by Garbage premiered as part of the film, featuring a Daria montage, and the song was promoted as the "theme song" for College;[5] the song used during the title sequence of the film was Splendora's last-ever song "College Try (Gives Me Blisters)".
Alternate version
An edited version of this TV-movie was cablecast by MTV in reruns, which cut several minutes from the original broadcast version. A VHS was distributed in 2002 by MTV Home Video/ Paramount. Both DVD releases (the original single-disc release and the Complete Animated Series release) include the edited version, not the original which is presumed to be lost.[6]
In 2020 a home-made restored version with all the lost parts was released on the web. This version was created using the original DVD release with the inclusion of the previously cut parts recovered from an old MTV recording, making it finally possible to watch the movie in its entirety.[7]
Cast
See also: List of Daria characters
- Tracy Grandstaff as Daria Morgendorffer
- Wendy Hoopes as Jane Lane, Helen Morgendorffer and Quinn Morgendorffer
- Julián Rebolledo as Jake Morgendorffer
- Alvaro J. Gonzales as Trent Lane
- Russell Hankin as Tom Sloane
- Marc Thompson as Anthony DiMartino, Timothy O'Neill, Kevin Thompson and Jamie White
- Tim Novikoff as Jeffy
- Steven Huppert as Joey
- Jessica Cyndee Jackson as Jodie Landon
- Amir Williams as Michael Jordan "Mack-Daddy" Mackenzie
- Janie Mertz as Sandi Griffin, Brittany Taylor and Andrea
- Sarah Drew as Stacy Rowe
- Ashley Albert as Tiffany Blum-Decker and Janet Barch
- Geoffrey Arend as Charles "Upchuck" Ruttheimer III
- Nora Laudani as Angela Li
- Bart Fasbender as Andrew Landon
- Laurine Towler as Michele Landon
- Rand Bridges as Bill Woods
- Jessica Hardin as Lindy
- Daniel Milledge as Angier Sloane
- Amanda Fox as Katherine Sloane
- John W. Lynn, Jr. as Sick, Sad World Announcer
Reception
In a review of the movie and the show in general, Slate reporter Emily Nussbaum said Is It College Yet? was "a bit of a classic" for showing its "sharply funny exploration of social class... the high-schoolers head off to very different paths in life, based on their economic prospects — unlike, say, the characters on 90210."[8]
References
- "Is It College Yet?". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
- Desowitz, Bill. "Daria Ends Successful Run on MTV with Second TV Movie", Web.Archive.com of Animation Magazine, January 18, 2002. Reprinted at Outpost Daria: "In the Media".
- "Daria - Is It College Yet?". Amazon.
- "Daria: The Complete Animated Series". Amazon.
- Breaking Up the Girl (trade ad) in USA: Hits magazine. 2001-12-01.
- Quinn, Mike. "Episode Guide: Is It College Yet? - Interesting Tidbits: Miscellaneous", Outpost Daria, 2002
- https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120217/16322717797/la-la-la-la-la-internet-routes-around-copyright-censorship-to-restore-daria.shtml
- Nussbaum, Emily. "Requiem for Daria: Daria slips into the Ghost World of great high-school drama", Slate.com, January 21, 2002
