Meatballs (film)

Meatballs is a 1979 Canadian summer camp comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman. It stars Bill Murray as Tripper Harrison, a head counselor at Camp North Star, a cut-rate summer camp. The film is known for its raunchy humor, slapstick antics, and generally irreverent tone.

The plot revolves around Tripper's efforts to help a lonely young camper, Rudy Gerner (Chris Makepeace), find friendship and confidence, while also engaging in humorous rivalry with the head counselor of a wealthier, neighboring camp. The film also showcases the various comedic misadventures of the other camp counselors and campers.

Meatballs was a commercial success, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics upon its initial release. It is considered a cult classic and helped launch the careers of both Bill Murray and Ivan Reitman. The film spawned several sequels, none of which involved Murray or Reitman. Despite their lack of involvement, the success of Meatballs paved the way for the careers of many involved in comedy at the time.