Sorority Boys (2002)

A proud movie tradition of drag comedies teaches that he who would be a better man must spend some time in a tootsie's high heels. Updating ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' behavior to fit the WB generation, Sorority Boys adds that it helps to spend time in a woman's dorm, too. Barry Watson (''7th Heaven''), Michael Rosenbaum (''Smallville''), and acquired-taste comedian Harland Williams gaily star as frat brothers from Kappa Omega Kappa (KOK, duh) who infiltrate loser sorority Delta Omicron Gamma (DOG, double duh) in a complicated scheme, the point of which doesn't matter. What does matter is that, amid all the fake-boob adjusting (and despite the wan romantic subplot between Watson and Melissa Sagemiller as DOGhouse leader), there are moments of real funniness in this smarter-than-anticipated goof-fest. As directed by Wally Wolodarsky -- one of the original writers of The Simpsons -- from a script by first-timers Joe Jarvis and Greg Coolidge, ''Sorority Boys'' is suitably raunchy but unexpectedly generous. And if you think that's easy, check out ''Slackers'' or ''Tomcats.''

Myself, I'm partial to the charms of a French sorority sister (Yvonne Scio), with mustache and full-tufted armpits, who smokes while brushing her teeth. But others will appreciate the cameos by ''Animal House''-mates Mark Metcalf, James Daughton, and Stephen Furst as alumni dads, and John Vernon -- Dean Wormer! -- as a really old dude.

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