History Film / WetHotAmericanSummer

* SummerRomance: In many of the plotlines. Coop has spent the whole summer pining for Katie and spends the film trying to win her over; the sequel suggests [[spoiler: that he's still pining for her ten years later]]. Many of the other characters experience the FourthDateMarriage version of this; Ben and McKinley met at the beginning of camp and get married during the film, while camp director Beth and physicist Henry fall in love over the course of the film and end up together afterward.

* AnythingThatMoves: Abby. She makes out with ''at least'' 4 people in less than a day, including a 10-year-old camper and [[LesYay Lindsay]]. The series makes her entire character even more disturbing by revealing that [[spoiler: she's actually a 12 year old who just ''looks'' like an adult woman, meaning the aforementioned make out session with a 10 year old is arguably the ''least'' questionable thing she does. To make matters worse, in the same series, Lindsay is revealed to actually be 24 years old, meaning what originally appeared to be two hot teenagers making out was actually full on pedophilia.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Wet_Hot_Collage_2270.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"CAPTURE THE FLAAAAAAG!"'']]

[[caption-width-right:350:CAPTURE THE FLAAAAAAG!]]

''Wet Hot American Summer'' is a 2001 comedy cult film directed by ''Series/{{Stella|US}}'''s David Wain (yes, ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}} that]]'' David Wain, also known for directing ''Film/RoleModels''). The film is about the adventures, both physical and emotional, of the preteen campers, teenage counselors and adult camp directors on last day of summer camp at Camp Firewood on August 18th, 1981. It stars an EnsembleCast including Creator/JaneaneGarofalo, Creator/DavidHydePierce, Michael Showalter, Marguerite Moreau, Creator/PaulRudd, Creator/MollyShannon, Creator/ChristopherMeloni, Creator/ElizabethBanks, Creator/MichaelIanBlack, Creator/BradleyCooper, Creator/AmyPoehler, Zak Orth, A.D. Miles and members of Creator/{{MTV}}'s sketch comedy group ''Series/TheState''. It was written by Wain and Showalter.

A prequel series focusing on the first day of summer, ''Series/WetHotAmericanSummerFirstDayOfCamp'', premiered on July 31st, 2015 through Netflix. A sequel series, ''[[Series/WetHotAmericanSummerTenYearsLater Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later]]'' was released on August 4th, 2017 also through Netflix. The original adult cast reprised their roles 14 years after the film's release, meaning RuleOfFunny is in full effect. A ''Wet Hot American Summer'' GraphicNovel set between the prequel series and original film was relased by Creator/BoomStudios in 2018. A licensed tabletop role playing game called ''TabletopGame/WetHotAmericanSummerFantasyCamp'' was funded through Website/{{Kickstarter}} by Devastator Press.

''Wet Hot American Summer'' is a 2001 comedy cult film directed by ''Series/{{Stella|US}}'''s David Wain (yes, ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}} that]]'' David Wain, also known for directing ''Film/RoleModels''). The film is about the adventures, both physical and emotional, of the preteen campers, teenage counselors and adult camp directors on last day of summer camp at Camp Firewood on August 18th, 1981. It stars Creator/JaneaneGarofalo, Creator/DavidHydePierce, Michael Showalter, Marguerite Moreau, Creator/PaulRudd, Creator/MollyShannon, Creator/ChristopherMeloni, Creator/ElizabethBanks, Creator/MichaelIanBlack, Creator/BradleyCooper, Creator/AmyPoehler, Zak Orth, A.D. Miles and members of Creator/{{MTV}}'s sketch comedy group ''Series/TheState''. It was written by Wain and Showalter.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Since the movie's made up of vignettes rather than one cohesive story, there are ''dozens'' of characters who all interact and cross over into one another's plotlines.

''Wet Hot American Summer'' is a 2001 comedy cult film directed by ''Series/{{Stella|US}}'''s David Wain (yes, ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}} that]]'' David Wain, also known for directing ''Film/RoleModels''). The film is about the adventures, both physical and emotional, of the preteen campers, teenage counselors and adult camp directors on last day of summer camp at Camp Firewood on August 18th, 1981. It stars Creator/JaneaneGarofalo, [[Series/{{Frasier}} David Hyde Pierce]], Creator/MichaelShowalter, Marguerite Moreau, Creator/PaulRudd, Molly Shannon, [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit Christopher Meloni]], Elizabeth Banks, Creator/MichaelIanBlack, Creator/BradleyCooper, Creator/AmyPoehler, Zak Orth, A.D. Miles and members of Creator/{{MTV}}'s sketch comedy group ''Series/TheState''. It was written by Wain and Showalter.

-->-- '''Beth (Creator/JaneaneGarofalo)'''

''Wet Hot American Summer'' is a 2001 comedy cult film directed by ''Series/{{Stella|US}}'''s David Wain (yes, ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}} that]]'' David Wain, also known for directing ''Film/RoleModels''). The film is about the adventures, both physical and emotional, of the preteen campers, teenage counselors and adult camp directors on last day of summer camp at Camp Firewood on August 18th, 1981. It stars Creator/JaneaneGarofalo, [[Series/{{Frasier}} David Hyde Pierce]], Michael Showalter, Marguerite Moreau, Creator/PaulRudd, Molly Shannon, [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit Christopher Meloni]], Elizabeth Banks, Michael Ian Black, Creator/BradleyCooper, Creator/AmyPoehler, Zak Orth, A.D. Miles and members of Creator/{{MTV}}'s sketch comedy group ''Series/TheState''. It was written by Wain and Showalter.

A prequel series focusing on the first day of summer, ''Series/WetHotAmericanSummerFirstDayOfCamp'', premiered on July 31st, 2015 through Netflix. A sequel series, ''[[Series/WetHotAmericanSummerTenYearsLater Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later]]'' was released on August 4th, 2017 also through Netflix. The original adult cast reprised their roles 14 years after the film's release, meaning RuleOfFunny is in full effect. A licensed tabletop role playing game called ''TabletopGame/WetHotAmericanSummerFantasyCamp'' was funded through Website/{{Kickstarter}} by Devastator Press.

''Wet Hot American Summer'' is a 2001 comedy cult film directed by ''Series/{{Stella|US}}'''s David Wain (yes, ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}} that]]'' David Wain, also known for directing ''Film/RoleModels''). The film is about the adventures, both physical and emotional, of the preteen campers, teenage counselors and adult camp directors on last day of summer camp at Camp Firewood on August 18th, 1981. It stars Creator/JaneaneGarofalo, [[Series/{{Frasier}} David Hyde Pierce]], Michael Showalter, Marguerite Moreau, Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon, [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit Christopher Meloni]], Elizabeth Banks, Michael Ian Black, Creator/BradleyCooper, Creator/AmyPoehler, Zak Orth, A.D. Miles and members of Creator/{{MTV}}'s sketch comedy group ''Series/TheState''. It was written by Wain and Showalter.

* NotableOriginalMusic: "Show me the fever/Into the fire/Takin' it higher and higher!"

* HypocriticalHumor: [=McKinley=] fears being harassed by J.J. and Gary in the school canteen [[spoiler: after his wedding with Ben]], but has no qualms about bullying Steve in the talent show.

A prequel series focusing on the first day of summer, ''Series/WetHotAmericanSummerFirstDayOfCamp'', premiered on July 31st, 2015 through Netflix. A sequel series, ''[[Series/WetHotAmericanSummerTenYearsLater Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later]]'' was released on August 4th, 2017 also through Netflix. The original adult cast reprised their roles 14 years after the film's release, meaning RuleOfFunny is in full effect. There is also a licensed tabletop role playing game.

* AnythingThatMoves: Abby. She makes out with ''at least'' 4 people in less than a day, including a 10-year-old camper and [[LesYay Lindsay]].
** The series makes her entire character even more disturbing by revealing that [[spoiler: she's actually a 12 year old who just ''looks'' like an adult woman, meaning the aforementioned make out session with a 10 year old is arguably the ''least'' questionable thing she does. To make matters worse, in the same series, Lindsay is revealed to actually be 24 years old, meaning what originally appeared to be two hot teenagers making out was actually full on pedophilia.]]
* BlackComedy: Frequently, and at the expense of children. ("It's your job to make sure kids don't drown!")
** To be more specific, at least two children die over the course of the movie, two more are left in the woods to die after witnessing the aforementioned deaths, and several more probable deaths are referred to offhand, including the "lepers" in the page quote and children whom Beth "forgot to mention" were trapped in the ropes course... yesterday.

* ButNotTooGay: Defied and inverted. None of the straight couples go farther onscreen than making out, while [[spoiler: [=McKinley=] and Ben]] get a pretty hardcore sex scene.
** Played straight at the wedding--they get a blink-and-you-miss-it kiss, then move into a hug instead. At ''their own wedding''.

* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Takes great pleasure playing with this trope. 95% of the film takes place over the course of a single day(August 18th, 1981, with the opening and ending scenes taking place on the previous night and next morning respectively), even showing regular updates about the time of day, but an absurdly large quantity of events are packed into that day, stretching the timeline almost beyond belief.
** Best exemplified by their trip into town, which starts of innocently enough with them smoking weed, [[spoiler:then quickly devolves into them snatching old ladies' purses to feed their new heroin and cocaine addictions.]] When they return, J.J. says they've only been gone for ''an hour''.

* [[TVGenius Hollywood Genius]]: Deliberately/satirically, with David Hyde Pierce's Henry.