EuroTrip is a 2004 teen sex comedy about a group of young Americans who cross Europe in search of a German pen pal. It was directed by Jeff Schaffer and written by Alec Berg and David Mandel, with a cast that includes Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg and Travis Wester. The film is a spiritual successor to the 2000 DreamWorks comedy Road Trip, though it was not originally intended as one — its working title was Ugly Americans. DreamWorks changed the name to EuroTrip to ride on Road Trip’s success.
The story follows Scotty Thomas, a recent high school graduate from the Youngstown, Ohio area, who travels to Europe with his best friend Cooper after learning that his German pen pal Mieke is a girl. Scotty and Cooper first arrive in London, where they befriend a Manchester United football hooligan firm led by Vinnie Jones as Mad Maynard. After a night of drinking, they wake up on a bus bound for Paris. In Paris, they meet Scotty’s twin siblings Jenny and Jamie, played by Trachtenberg and Wester. The group travels to Amsterdam, where Jamie is robbed while receiving oral sex in an alley, losing everyone’s money, passports and train tickets. They attempt to hitchhike to Berlin but end up in Bratislava after a language misunderstanding. They find a good exchange rate with the U.S. dollar and go to a nightclub, where Jenny and Jamie make out with each other, witnessed by Scotty and Cooper.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
The Cast and Their Roles
Scott Mechlowicz plays Scotty Thomas, a recent high school graduate who mistakes his German pen pal Mieke for a homosexual sex predator because of his limited German. When he learns Mieke is a girl, he travels to Berlin to apologize. Jacob Pitts plays Cooper Harris, the raunchy, libidinous friend who gets everyone into trouble. Michelle Trachtenberg plays Jenny, a risk-taker and book-savvy twin. Travis Wester plays Jamie, a lifelong learner and the older twin. Jessica Boehrs makes her film debut as Mieke Schmidt.
The supporting cast includes Lucy Lawless as Madame Vandersexxx, a sex-club dominatrix; Patrick Malahide as Arthur Frommer; Diedrich Bader as Mugger; Fred Armisen; and Kristin Kreuk as Fiona, Scotty’s ex-girlfriend.
From London to Berlin
Scotty and Cooper arrive in London and befriend Mad Maynard and his hooligan firm. They spend a night drinking and wake up on a bus bound for Paris. In Paris, they meet Jenny and Jamie. The group then travels to Amsterdam, where Jamie is robbed, losing everyone’s money, passports and train tickets. They attempt to hitchhike to Berlin but end up in Bratislava after a language misunderstanding. They find a good exchange rate with the U.S. dollar and go to a nightclub, where Jenny and Jamie make out with each other, witnessed by Scotty and Cooper.
The journey is a series of mishaps, bad decisions and comical misfortunes. The film’s tagline is “No actual Europeans were harmed in the making of this film.”
Reception and Legacy
EuroTrip received mixed reviews from critics. It underperformed at the box office, grossing $22.6 million against a $25 million budget. The film gained popularity through its home video release and eventually attained cult classic status. It is considered a spiritual successor to Road Trip, though it was not originally intended to serve as one. DreamWorks deliberately changed the title from Ugly Americans to EuroTrip in order to capitalize on the success of Road Trip.
| Film | Director | Year | Budget | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EuroTrip | Jeff Schaffer | 2004 | $25 million | $22.6 million |
Comedy That Misses the Mark
The film’s comedy is broad, often physical and frequently reliant on cultural stereotypes about Europeans. The humor is fueled by the characters’ bad decisions, misunderstandings and awkward encounters. The film is at its best when it leans into the absurdity of the situation — the group lost in Bratislava, the twins making out, the hooligans in London. It is at its worst when it relies on lazy jokes about Europeans or when it stretches a punchline past its expiration date.
| Character | Role | Notable Moment |
|---|---|---|
| Scotty Thomas | Lead | Learns Mieke is a girl |
| Cooper Harris | Sidekick | Drives the group into trouble |
| Jenny and Jamie | Twins | Make out in the nightclub |
| Mad Maynard | Hooligan leader | Befriends Cooper in London |
EuroTrip is a film about young Americans learning that the world is bigger and stranger than they expected. The comedy is uneven, but the energy is real, and the cast is game from start to finish. It is a film about friendship, embarrassment and the lengths one will go to for a girl across the ocean.
The film is not a masterpiece, and it is not trying to be. It is a teen comedy with a budget, a title that was changed at the last minute, and a cast that committed fully to the material.
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