Meatballs
A mischievous counselor rallies an underdog group of campers while helping a lonely boy discover confidence during a chaotic summer.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- lazy summer afternoon
- nostalgic comedy night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film pleasant and entertaining, with Bill Murray's improvisational vitality lifting a familiar and relatively tame summer-camp comedy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Camp North Star's counselors, campers, traditions, and Camp Olympics provide the film's central social world.
Tripper's playful guidance helps Rudy feel better about himself while navigating camp challenges.
Underwear-on-the-flagpole antics, burps, food gags, and counselor pranks create the film's broad comic texture.
The annual Camp Olympics against wealthy Camp Mohawk drive the campers' collective motivation.
Films like Meatballs, and why
Wet Hot American Summer
shared summer-camp setting, coming-of-age themes, and mischievous teen comedy
Meatballs Part II
shared ensemble teen comedy, irreverent humor, and formative group experience
The Great Outdoors
shared rowdy youth ensemble, broad comedy, and summer vacation setting
Breaking Away
shared 1970s youth-culture comedy, outsider friendship, and warm emotional payoff
Movie Details
- Director
- Ivan Reitman
- Release Date
- 1979-06-28
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (374)
Cast
- Bill Murray
- Harvey Atkin
- Russ Banham
- Kristine DeBell
- Matt Craven
- Kate Lynch
- Sarah Torgov
- Keith Knight
- Chris Makepeace
- Jack Blum
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, YouTube TV, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Meatballs about?
- A mischievous counselor rallies an underdog group of campers while helping a lonely boy discover confidence during a chaotic summer.
- What is Meatballs like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Meatballs as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Meatballs violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Meatballs.
- What did critics think of Meatballs?
- Critics generally found the film pleasant and entertaining, with Bill Murray's improvisational vitality lifting a familiar and relatively tame summer-camp comedy.
- Which films are like Meatballs?
- Films with a similar feel include Wet Hot American Summer, Meatballs Part II, The Great Outdoors, and Breaking Away.
- How long is Meatballs?
- Meatballs runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Meatballs?
- In United States, Meatballs streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, YouTube TV, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
