Revisiting ‘Sorority Boys’ (2002): A Comedy Full of Twists and Laughter

We are used to films about high school and college students. College years are essential to our lives, and many films try to portray it. Cross-dressing, on the other hand, is not as common on screen. But on many occasions, cross-dressing and college movies are made for the sake of comedy. It leaves us wondering what would happen if we mix both genres in a single feature.

This movie tries to answer that. The comedy from 2002 is about college boys cross-dressing and posing as girls. It sounds exciting or funny, to say the least. And it’s not half as complex as the other movies I wrote about. It’s a nice piece of entertainment. If you’re curious, check out the rest of the article!

1- Plot summary

At first glance, it sounds a lot like your run-of-the-mill American college movie. It starts with a group of friends getting kicked out of a fraternity and accused of stealing from the treasury. Our protagonists are Adam, Dave, and Doofer. They are stereotypical “Frat boys” from the 1990s and 2000s. That means they like to party instead of study.

And it could be just another generic movie like “American Pie” and others from the genre. But after they get thrown out of the Fraternity, the three protagonists have a plan. They Cross-dress and pose as girls to prove their innocence. Their goal is to recover some videotapes containing the recording of the real Thief during a party. But since they don’t pass too well, they’re not allowed in. But girls from a sorority (an all-female fraternity) come to their aid.

Their female personas are Adina, Daisy, and Roberta. Adam knows the videotapes are in his former room back at the Fraternity. So he dresses up as Adina and seduces the guy who’s currently occupying it. But they end up knocking each other out with sleeping pills, and the plan fails. They learn that the tapes will be shown to some alumni at a cruise ship party and that some tickets are available. These will be awarded to whoever wins an all-female American football game. So the protagonists form a team with the girls from the Fraternity and win the game, earning the tickets.

Meanwhile, Dave, still posing as Daisy, falls in love with Leah but doesn’t break the ruse. She seems to like his Daisy persona but doesn’t seem fond of Dave. On the cruise, they dance, and Leah says she’d like to be in a relationship with daisy. But Dave comes up with a fake story about going back to Minnesota. The trio recovers the tape, and Dave (after changing from girl to boy, then back again) gets a job after succeeding in an interview.

Dave hugs Adam (both still dressed as Daisy and Andina) to celebrate their success. But Leah misinterprets the scene, believing them to be in a relationship. She storms off the boat but is assaulted by an Alumni. Dave and Adam expose themselves to save her, preventing her from being thrown overboard. Spencer, the fraternity president, arrives with doofer already exposed. The protagonists play the tape, revealing Spencer to be the Thief. He’s thrown off the boat, and the trio is admitted back into the Fraternity. Dave starts dating Leah and hints he’ll dress up as Daisy for her. Adam has a complete transformation of character, from misogynist to active feminist.

2- Why is it impactful?

This one may not be as complex and impactful as the other movies. It’s a comedy, not a drama or a biography. It doesn’t delve that deep into gender issues or trans identities. It’s a simple story about cross-dressing frat boys without much social commentary. It’s even deemed a “bad movie” by critics. But it’s still fun for specific demographics. It was the first contact with some 90s kids with cross-dressing. As such, it helped a few of our sisters to find out who they were on the inside. It makes Nostalgia a significant factor here, but that’s not the only thing that makes it impactful. Behind all of the sex jokes and goofiness, it still tries to spread a message of gender equality and freedom to be yourself. I mean, it’s not so good at doing so, but at least it tries.

The fraternity genre is known for its dirty jokes and dumb humor, especially in the early 200s. This movie is an example of that. You’ll notice it in the first few minutes. But if we consider the plot, there are some things we can learn from it. A good example is the character of Adam, portrayed by Michael Rosenbaum, who also played Lex Luthor in Smallville. Adam is a classic misogynist at the start of the movie.

His only goal is to sleep with as many women as possible, humiliating them afterward. As such, his life is turned upside down when he’s forced to pose as a girl. But Adam’s struggle to accept his Adina persona is vital for his character development. He starts to understand how women feel in a world dominated by men. He becomes the victim of what he used to do to women, as the same stuff starts happening to him.

Besides, he develops gender dysphoria, as his body doesn’t match his identity. He even starts to show symptoms of body dysmorphism that trans people experience. It’s an interesting parallel for us to analyze. And it helps Adam to grow as a person as he develops empathy. After experiencing sexism from a different perspective, he changes his behavior.

The early 2000s weren’t that long ago. This movie is barely 20 years old. But at its release, gender issues were still gaining visibility. And this movie seems to reflect that. It’s not nearly as offensive as movies from the 70s. It does have a few cliches from the 80s and a sense of humor from the 90s. But it is at least cautious and doesn’t replicate some of the oldest Hollywood prejudices. It uses cross-dressing not only as comic relief but also as a plot device.

It helps with character development and changes the protagonists for the better. In Dave’s case, it might’ve even led him to understand his gender identity better. As we see during the film, he’s comfortable with his Daisy persona. He makes the most effort to pass as a woman and hints that he might keep cross-dressing in the future. And since he also seems comfortable as Dave, some may assume he’s gender-fluid or non-binary.

3- Who should watch it?

This movie is not significant to trans people or any specific category of queer people. That’s because the characters don’t go through the same kind of struggle. It’s an American Frat-boy movie, after all. As such, if you’re looking for complex films about gender issues in detail, try the other movies on this list. This one might not be the right one for you. But if you want something to watch, relax, and maybe laugh at, you should watch Sorority boys. The humor may be a little bit dated for the newer generations. But if you’re from the 90s (As most trans people out of the closet), there’s a chance you’ll find it funny. Nostalgia may have some influence on that!

But it’s not a good movie for children. They won’t get the sex jokes, but they will ask questions about it. Even with appropriate parental guidance, this could be an awkward situation. Both adults and kids may feel uncomfortable. My suggestion for this movie is 12 and above, but people in their late 20s might enjoy it the most. They will be familiar with some of the stuff from that time, as things have changed a lot since then. Teenagers may also learn a thing or two from the plot regarding gender equality. But I suggest you watch this movie with cross-dressing friends, while en-femme. It should be a fun and memorable experience!

Summary

The movie is a product of its time. You’ll notice lots of cliches and a few attempts at sexist humor. But it tries to be less offensive than other movies of the same genre. In other words, it represents the struggle of early 2000’s society with gender issues. They were trying to understand us better but were not quite there yet. Alas, the improvements were starting to show.

The plot is nothing exceptional, and American fraternities only work like that in the US. But it does a fascinating job by using cross-dressing as a plot device. Some of us might relate to the characters or at least to their struggles. But the core of the experience is the laughs we’ll get while watching it with friends. And that’s what earned sorority boys an entry on this list, despite its problems. What do you think about this movie? Can you see what kind of progress since then? And what about the humor? Please let us know in the comments!