Meatballs

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Meatballs

PG,

1979,

1h 32m,

Comedy

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Watchlist

Watchlist

72%

36 Reviews

Tomatometer

57%

25,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Tripper is the head counselor at a budget summer camp called Camp Northstar. In truth, he's young at heart and only marginally more mature than the campers themselves. Tripper befriends Rudy, a loner camper who has trouble fitting in. As Tripper inspires his young charges to defeat rival Camp Mohawk in the annual Olympiad competition, Rudy plays matchmaker between Tripper and Roxanne, a female counselor at Northstar.

Critics Consensus

Meatballs is a summer camp comedy with few surprises, but Bill Murray's riffing adds a spark that sets it apart from numerous subpar entries in a frequently uninspired genre.

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James Jackson

The Times (UK)

Nov 18, 2022

Along with the set pieces of comic disaster there’s also a touching (sort of) subplot as Tripper brings the shy boy Rudy (Chris Makepeace) out of his shell and makes him realise his true worth.

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Yardena Arar

Associated Press

Sep 20, 2019

If one or two fall flat, so what. The next probably will hit your funnybone.

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Frank Rich

TIME Magazine

Oct 5, 2008

Through it all, Murray smiles and forges ahead, but his big riffs have been edited down to frantic bursts of mugging.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 6, 2026

The comic invention of "Meatballs" is sporadic at best.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 16, 2025

2.5/4

The lack of mean-spiritedness is refreshing.

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Ed Travis

Hollywood Jesus

Mar 31, 2020

...while Meatballs is not a very good movie, you still kind of wish you could have gone to Camp North Star as a camper.

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Feb 1, 2019

The best comedy movie ever made!

Theodore G

Dec 4, 2018

When life sux i watch this and it gets me out of reality and it makes me feel good for an hour and the movie is fun and every one did good with there acting just watch it and you will be back again

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Finn G

Apr 8, 2018

Feel better about how long it took me to finally see the notorious MEATBALLS because it is hardly the definitive Murray movie its cult status suggests. If you love early Bill Murray, who gives a surprisingly heartfelt performance here, and don't expect Animal House, you'll have fun with MEATBALLS, which in its own homegrown Americana way is a minor classic.

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George W

Mar 29, 2018

Entertaining, funny enough, aged well.

Feb 1, 2018

I loved this film since it came out in the theaters. A couple of years ago, I bought on DVD. I love every scene in the movie. I watched Meatballs over a hundred times. More times I can count.

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Abraham L

Sep 22, 2017

Authentic and believable for the most part meatballs is like s blast back to chill hood summer's.

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Ivan Reitman

Director

Bill Murray

Tripper

Chris Makepeace

Rudy

Kate Lynch

Roxanne

Harvey Atkin

Morty

Kristine DeBell

A.L.

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Synopsis

Tripper is the head counselor at a budget summer camp called Camp Northstar. In truth, he's young at heart and only marginally more mature than the campers themselves. Tripper befriends Rudy, a loner camper who has trouble fitting in. As Tripper inspires his young charges to defeat rival Camp Mohawk in the annual Olympiad competition, Rudy plays matchmaker between Tripper and Roxanne, a female counselor at Northstar.

Director: Ivan Reitman
Producer: Daniel Goldberg
Screenwriter: Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg, Harold Ramis, Janis Allen
Production Co: Famous Players, CFDC, Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 28, 1979, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 13, 2015
Runtime: 1h 32m

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