National Lampoon’s Senior Trip

National Lampoon’s Senior Trip

Year: 1995

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Kelly Makin

Comedy

During detention, a ragtag group of misfits and slackers are tasked with drafting a letter to the President that outlines the flaws of the American education system. The catch? The President is oddly supportive of the very problems they criticize. Determined to confront him, they embark on a chaotic road‑trip to Washington, hoping to meet the “Main Man” himself and deliver their message.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995)

Explore the full timeline and setting of National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Mid-1990s

The events unfold in a contemporary mid-1990s backdrop, a pre-digital era for teen life. Communication relies on payphones, landlines, and face-to-face schemes rather than smartphones. The setting reflects the era’s youth culture, school-hour rebellions, and a satirical take on media and politics. The cross-country trip turns a typical school day into a nationwide adventure.

Location

Fairmount High School, Ohio, United States, Washington, D.C.

The story begins at Fairmount High School in the suburbs of Dayton, Ohio, a typical American public school setting. From there, a spontaneous bus trip sends the seniors on a cross-country misadventure that travels through urban and national spaces. The Washington, D.C. stop becomes a focal point where school life collides with national politics. The film blends a familiar Midwestern high school atmosphere with a chaotic, humor-driven road trip.

🎒 High School 🗺️ Road Trip 🏫 Suburban America

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:28

Main Characters – National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995)

Meet the key characters of National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dags D'Agastino (Jeremy Renner)

A quick-witted senior who becomes the de facto ringleader of the prank-filled plan. He orchestrates the lip-sync exposure and drives the group through escalating chaos, balancing boldness with moments of strategic restraint. His charisma and impulsiveness push the others toward bigger risks, but he also shows initiative when stakes rise. Through the road trip, Dags discovers the limits of mischief and the weight of leadership.

🎯 Leader 🧭 Rebel

Reggie Barry (Rob Moore)

Dags' partner in mischief and the group’s resident thrill-seeker. He adds comedic chaos to schemes and backs the plan to skip class and crash the hotel party. Reggie’s loyalty to friends keeps the crew united even as plans spiral out of control. His boldness upticks the stakes and heightens the film’s road-trip energy.

🎭 Prankster 🧭 Loyal Friend

Principal Todd Moss (Matt Frewer)

The stern but eventually sympathetic authority figure who detains the students and assigns them a form of accountability. He becomes entangled in the group’s scheming, yet ultimately stands up for them when faced with the senator’s plot. Moss represents adult perspective and nuance amid teenage rebellion. His arc reflects tension between discipline and understanding.

🏫 Authority 🛡️ Protective

Steve Nisser (Sergio Di Zio)

The student body president who communicates the initial party to the wider group and becomes a focal point of the trip’s drama. His leadership position places him at the center of the group’s plans and their consequences. He experiences the risks of teenage ambition and the fallout of collective action. Steve’s role underscores how authority figures among students shape the journey.

🎓 Leadership 🗳️ Ambition

Carla Morgan (Tara Strong)

A confident and socially savvy student who embraces party energy and adds a provocative layer to the group dynamic. She participates in the bus party and social maneuvers, influencing group decisions through charm. Carla’s presence highlights social appetite and the complexities of teen reputations. She helps push the story’s social stakes forward.

💃 Social Power 🔥 Party Spirit

Lisa Perkins (Fiona Loewi)

Dags’ romantic interest who draws him toward both personal connection and the unfolding political intrigue. She becomes aware of the Senator’s scheme and plays a pivotal role in the group’s dynamic on the roof and beyond. Lisa embodies curiosity, boldness, and the tension between desire and responsibility. Her actions influence the direction of the students’ choices.

💋 Seduction 💡 Courage

Miosky (Eric Edwards)

The inventive, prank-friendly member who drives some of the film’s most chaotic moments (including a memorable fart-related distraction). He thrives on improvisation and adds a wild, unpredictable edge to the plan. Miosky’s antics push the group through tense situations and bridge humor with danger. He proves to be a catalyst in the crew’s adventures.

🧪 Mischief 🌈 Performer

Senator John Lerman (Lawrence Dane)

The corrupt politician whose ploy is to humiliate the President by exploiting the seniors. He engineers a kidnapping and a chase that intensifies the film’s political satire. Lerman embodies manipulation, deceit, and the corrupting allure of power. His exposure marks the story’s moral confrontation between spectacle and integrity.

🗡️ Manipulation 🏛️ Corruption

Miss Tracy Milford ( Valerie Mahaffey)

The chaperone who becomes a target of the group’s antics and ends up entwined in the hotel’s chaotic night. Her vulnerability in the face of alcohol-fueled chaos mirrors the film’s critique of adult complicity and naivety. Milford’s experiences reveal the blurring lines between adult authority and teen rebellion. Her arc emphasizes the unpredictable consequences of the trip.

🍷 Naivety 🎭 Opportunism

Red (Tommy Chong)

The bus driver who navigates the mounting chaos and ultimately dies from an overdose, marking a dark turn in the trip. Red’s death underscores the fragility of the journey and the real-world risks that lurk behind carefree misadventure. He serves as a sobering reminder of consequence amidst high-spirited hijinks. His presence anchors the film’s more serious undertones.

🚐 Driver ⚠️ Consequence

President Davis (George R. Robertson)

The national leader who receives the supposedly complimentary letter and invites the seniors to Washington, setting the stage for the political stunt. He becomes a symbol of state power and public image, whose reputation is tested by the senator’s plot and the students’ turmoil. The President’s arc reflects themes of leadership, accountability, and the impact of public perception. He ultimately witnesses the reveal of the scheme and the students’ vindication.

🏛️ Presidency 🗣️ Public Image

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:28

Major Themes – National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995)

Explore the central themes of National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗽 Rebellion

Teens push against rules and expectations, sabotaging a school assembly and plotting a party, seeking autonomy beyond the classroom. The plan to expose lip-syncing embodies a desire to challenge authority in a humorous, reckless way. The group’s actions reveal bold, impulsive energy that tests boundaries. The events highlight the tension between youthful freedom and responsibility.

🗳️ Political Games

A staged invitation to meet the President becomes a tool in a larger scheme, showcasing how media and politics manipulate public perception. The seniors are used as pawns in Senator Lerman’s plot to humiliate the President. The narrative satirizes power, influence, and how easily information can be weaponized. The trip turns into a commentary on integrity within political spectacle.

🤝 Friendship

The core group relies on camaraderie to navigate chaos, leaning on each other through mischief and danger. Bonds are tested by pranks, evasion, and moral choices, yet loyalty keeps the group together. The adults’ interventions contrast with teen solidarity, underscoring growth through shared adversity. The story ultimately celebrates how friends shape outcomes when plans go awry.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:28

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Slacker Rebellion Road Trip Movies like National Lampoon’s Senior Trip

Misfit teens hit the road in a chaotic vehicle for political and personal rebellion.If you liked the chaotic journey and underdog spirit of National Lampoon’s Senior Trip, you'll enjoy these movies. This list features similar comedies where misfit teens and slackers hit the road, causing mischief and challenging the system with lighthearted, rebellious energy.

rebelliousanarchicyouthfulenergeticsatiricalmischievousroad trip

Narrative Summary

The narrative typically starts with a group of discontented teens or slackers facing an oppressive system. A catalyst event prompts them to escape their mundane lives via a road trip, where the journey itself—filled with mishaps, pranks, and encounters with authority—becomes the central plot, leading to a triumphant, if chaotic, conclusion.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on youthful rebellion expressed through a physical journey. They mix a fast-paced, energetic plot with a light tone, using satire and slapstick humor to critique authority while celebrating the anarchy of the underdog.

Satirical High School Underdog Comedies like National Lampoon’s Senior Trip

Irreverent teen comedies where misfits expose the absurdity of the system.Fans of National Lampoon’s Senior Trip will love these similar movies featuring clever, rebellious teens. Discover comedies where underdog students use satire and humor to expose corruption and challenge authority, all with a fast-paced, lighthearted, and mischievous vibe.

satiricalmischievousyouthfullightheartedrebelliousunderdoghigh school

Narrative Summary

The pattern involves a group of high school outsiders identifying a flaw or corruption within their educational or social system. They devise an elaborate, often chaotic plan to expose it, leading to a series of humorous set pieces and pranks that ultimately result in their victory and the system's comeuppance.

Why These Movies?

These films share a specific blend of teen comedy and satire. They are united by a light, energetic tone, a focus on underdog characters, and a narrative that uses humor as a weapon against authority, resulting in a consistently fast-paced and happy viewing experience.

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National Lampoon’s Senior Trip Summary

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National Lampoon’s Senior Trip Timeline

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