Dare to be different.|Jul. 21, 2000|USA|98 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Comedy;Romance
Description: Paul Tannek, a bright and polite young man from a small Midwest town, earns an academic scholarship to New York University. Hoping to make friends, he follows his father’s advice by being courteous and considerate toward others. However, his roommates—Chris, Adam, and Noah, three wealthy and arrogant city boys—label him a “loser” due to his modest background, polite demeanor, and dedication to his studies. After they falsely accuse him of misconduct, Paul is forced to leave the dorm and takes up residence in a veterinary hospital.
Meanwhile, Chris, Adam, and Noah, banned from hosting parties in the dorm after an alcohol-related incident, manipulate Paul into allowing them to use the hospital as a party venue. At school, Paul meets Dora Diamond, a fellow student, and develops feelings for her. Unaware that Dora is secretly involved with their pretentious English professor, Edward Alcott, Paul invites her to an Everclear concert. Dora, equally intelligent but struggling financially, works as a waitress in a strip club to pay her tuition until she is fired.
Desperate for housing after losing her job, Dora asks Professor Alcott if she can stay with him. He refuses, fearing repercussions for his career. Later, Dora encounters Paul, who invites her to the concert. During a job interview for a night shift at a convenience store—which she is denied because of her gender—Dora meets Adam, who invites her to a party. She agrees but plans to leave early to meet Paul at the concert.
Cast director: Amy Heckerling
Cast actor: Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, Zak Orth, Thomas Sadoski, Jimmi Simpson, Greg Kinnear, Dan Aykroyd, Twink Caplan, Bobby Slayton, Mollie Heckerling
Original name: Loser