Fast Food. High Times.
In the great cinematic tradition of “Road Trip” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?” comes “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” which follows two underdogs who set out on a Friday night quest to satisfy their craving for White Castle hamburgers and end up on an epic journey of deep thoughts, deeper inhaling and a wild road trip as un-PC as it gets.
John Cho (“American Pie” 1 & 2) and Kal Penn (“Malibu’s Most Wanted”) take on the title roles in the film directed by Danny Leiner (“Dude, Where’s My Car?”). The film features cameos by Ethan Embry, Jamie Kennedy, Anthony Anderson, Ryan Reynolds and Luis Guzman.
Combining the outrageous comic sensibilities of American Pie with the wild open-road adventures of Road Trip, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle takes the buddy comedy genre to mind-altering new highs.
Harold Lee (John Cho) is stuck in a low-level investment banking job, overworked and definitely under-appreciated by his colleagues, who aren’t shy about handing off their own work for him to finish over the weekend. To make matters worse, he can’t find the courage to talk to his pretty neighbor (Paula Garces) from down the hall at home.
While Harold toils away, his best friend, Kumar Patel (Kal Penn), is doing everything he can to avoid the real world, valiantly upholding his carefree partying ways while making half-hearted attempts to gain admittance to medical school and follow in his family’s footsteps.
Seeking a break from their realities, these two likeable underdogs unwind in front of their TV for a Friday night smoke-out session, which results in an incredible case of the “munchies.” Catching sight of a commercial for White Castle and their mouthwatering hamburgers, Harold and Kumar discover their true mission in life (or at least their mission for this one Friday night) — they must set out on an unbelievable all-night quest across their home state of New Jersey in search of a White Castle restaurant to satisfy their cravings.
What follows is a comic roller-coaster ride that takes the duo on a twisted tour of the Garden State — from its finest academic institutions to its scariest backwoods territories, from shady fast-food establishments to, just maybe…the holy grail of White Castle.
Along the way, Harold and Kumar meet an array of crazy characters (not to mention one rabid raccoon and an escaped cheetah on the run…) and overcome some outrageous obstacles. But with every step of the journey, they somehow manage to keep their eyes on the tasty prize — learning more than they bargained for about themselves and each other in the process.
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Ethan Embry
Directed by: Danny Leiner
Screenplay by: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Release Date: July 30, 2004
MPAA Rating: R for strong language, sexual content, drug use and some crude humor.
Box Office: $18,250,550 (US total)
Studio: New Line Cinema
Related Link: Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle on Movies Central
