Reading the reviews for this film, which range from very positive to strongly negative, I was intrigued to see what the disagreement was all about. After seeing it (and it wasn't easy, as it was a bit of a drive to the nearest theater showing it), I totally understand what it was that divided the critics.
For the haters, it seems they assumed a movie with the word 'orgy' in the title (for some reason they ignored the 'good old-fashioned' which made it clearly intentionally silly) would have to be a dumb, sex-filled romp. When it turned out to be a really smart and sweet exploration of friendship through the device of group sex, with minimal raunch, there seems to have been confusion and even anger.
For those who didn't find the movie funny, I have no idea what movie they saw. The screening I went to was packed with laughs, but the movie actually goes a lot further than just hitting the comedy (which it does brilliantly). It's a generational movie about adults who grew up in the shadow of AIDS, ergo a sex comedy about people who are afraid of sex. The more we get to know the group of friends, the more we care about them and their journeys, in addition to the comedy of a group of neurotic New Yorkers trying to pull together a night of reckless sexual abandon. It works on multiple levels and is far smarter than you might expect it to be (which is what a lot of the positive reviews have pointed out).
I'd compare this movie more to The Big Chill than one of the American Pies, and the cast is one of the strongest ensemble comedy casts to come along since Dazed and Confused. It's a movie people are going to be watching and talking about for years to come, so check it out now while it's still in theaters because seeing it with an audience really adds to the experience.
