{ "id": "ep7082e1cv", "slug": "college-road-trip", "title": "College Road Trip", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance", "label": "Comedy and romantic films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008", "label": "Comedies of 2007 to 2008", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008.yr-2008", "label": "Released in 2008", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008.yr-2008" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020: Comedies of 2007 to 2008", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance", "label": "Comedy and romantic films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008", "label": "Comedies of 2007 to 2008", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008" } ] } ], "excerpt": "College Road Trip is a 2008 American family comedy directed by Roger Kumble, starring Martin Lawrence as an overprotective police chief driving his daughter to a college interview.", "snippet": "College Road Trip is a 2008 American family comedy directed by Roger Kumble, starring Martin Lawrence as an overprotective police chief driving his daughter to a college interview.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.comedy-romance.comedies-of-2007-to-2008.yr-2008", "markdown": "# College Road Trip\n\n**College Road Trip** is a 2008 American family comedy film directed by Roger Kumble, in which an overprotective Chicago police chief drives his teenage daughter on a college-visit road trip from their home to a [Georgetown University](https://www.edgepedia.org/georgetown-university) interview in Washington, D.C. It was produced by [Walt Disney Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/walt-disney-pictures) and Gunn Films, released in theaters on March 7, 2008, and runs 83 minutes with a G rating.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/college-road-trip-film/) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/64611-COLLEGE-ROAD-TRIP)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | March 7, 2008, wide theatrical release by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/64611-COLLEGE-ROAD-TRIP) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/college_road_trip) |\n| Director / producer | Roger Kumble; produced by Andrew Gunn[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/64611-COLLEGE-ROAD-TRIP) |\n| Writers | Emi Mochizuki, Carrie Evans, Cinco Paul, and Ken Daurio[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/64611-COLLEGE-ROAD-TRIP) |\n| Stars | Martin Lawrence as James Porter, Raven-Symoné as Melanie, Donny Osmond as Doug[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/college-road-trip-film/) |\n| Rating / runtime | G (MPAA); 83 minutes[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/64611-COLLEGE-ROAD-TRIP) |\n| Box office | $45,610,425 domestic; $51,549,674 worldwide; $13,601,419 opening weekend[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0997047/) |\n| Critical reception | 13% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (72 reviews); Metascore 36 on Metacritic (20 reviews)[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/college_road_trip) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/college-road-trip/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nMelanie Porter ([Raven-Symoné](https://www.edgepedia.org/raven-symone)) is a 17-year-old high school student planning a girls-only road trip to visit prospective universities. Her father, James Porter ([Martin Lawrence](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-lawrence)), the police chief of the town the family calls home, insists on escorting her instead. James wants Melanie to attend nearby Northwestern, while she wants to go to Georgetown; when she is called for an interview in Washington, D.C., he agrees to drive her, with a plan to promote Northwestern along the way.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/college-road-trip-film/) • [6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/2008/03/07/college-flunks-out/3a2bd551-2863-4963-af8c-81c1aafd2dc5/) • [7](https://search.worldcat.org/title/College-road-trip/oclc/224550823)\n\nThe trip goes wrong in a series of comic mishaps. The Porters repeatedly cross paths with Doug Greenhut ([Donny Osmond](https://www.edgepedia.org/donny-osmond)), a cheerfully overprotective father traveling with his own college-bound daughter; their car breaks down; Melanie's little brother Trey and the family's pet pig are discovered stowed away in the vehicle; and James is caught spying on his daughter at a sorority house. Despite the chaos, James comes to accept that his daughter has grown up.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/college_road_trip) • [1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/college-road-trip-film/)\n\n## Cast and production\n\nThe cast is led by Martin Lawrence as James Porter and Raven-Symoné as Melanie, with Kym E. Whitley as Michelle, Eshaya Draper as Trey, Lucas Grabeel as Scooter, Brenda Song as Nancy, Arnetia Walker as Grandma Porter, Margo Harshman as Katie, Donny Osmond as Doug Greenhut, and [Molly Ephraim](https://www.edgepedia.org/molly-ephraim) as Wendy. [Will Sasso](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-sasso) appears as Deputy O'Mally.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/college-road-trip-film/) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/64611-COLLEGE-ROAD-TRIP)\n\nBehind the camera, Theo Van de Sande served as cinematographer, Roger Bondelli as editor, Ben Barraud as production designer, and Edward Shearmur composed the music. The film was shot in Super 35 with a 2.35:1 scope aspect ratio.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/64611-COLLEGE-ROAD-TRIP) • [1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/college-road-trip-film/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/college_road_trip)\n\n**Filming locations.** The production was primarily filmed in [Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/connecticut), using private academies, prep schools, and colleges in that state to stand in for Northwestern, the University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown University.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/college-road-trip-film/)\n\n## Box office\n\nThe film opened in 2,706 theaters on March 7, 2008, grossing $13,601,419 on its opening weekend, about 29.8 percent of its eventual domestic total. It earned $45,610,425 in the United States and $5,939,249 internationally, for a worldwide total of $51,549,674; the domestic market accounted for 88.5 percent of the gross.[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0997047/) • [8](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/College-Road-Trip) The Numbers reports a slightly different international and worldwide figure, $5,263,498 and $50,873,923 respectively, and estimates domestic DVD sales of $18,297,027 after the July 15, 2008 home video release by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.[8](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/College-Road-Trip)\n\n## Reception\n\nCritics received the film poorly. Rotten Tomatoes recorded a 13 percent Tomatometer from 72 reviews, with a critics consensus calling it \"filled with shrill gags and middling slapstick\" and \"woefully short on comic imagination,\" while audiences gave it a 50 percent Popcornmeter score from more than 100,000 ratings.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/college_road_trip) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 36, labeled generally unfavorable, based on 20 critic reviews, against a user score of 5.7.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/college-road-trip/)\n\nReviewers singled out the leads and the tone. The Washington Post's John Anderson called it \"the rare G-rated movie\" but wrote that it \"ran out of ideas just after they came up with the title.\"[6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/2008/03/07/college-flunks-out/3a2bd551-2863-4963-af8c-81c1aafd2dc5/) The San Francisco Chronicle's Walter Addiego described it as Disney's attempt to place Martin Lawrence, usually associated with a more robust brand of comedy, in a family-friendly G-rated picture, and judged the result mixed at best, noting a pro-education theme struggling to emerge from the humor.[9](https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Review-College-Road-Trip-too-dumbed-down-3223535.php) The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw called it a sentimental family comedy and noted Donny Osmond's cameo as another overprotective dad.[10](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/22/family) The film received one Teen Choice Award nomination.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/college-road-trip/)\n\n## Availability\n\nThe film streams on Disney+ and can be rented or purchased digitally on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home; it is also sold on DVD and Blu-ray.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/college_road_trip) • [11](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/college-road-trip) Disney's 2008 annual report listed it among the studio's releases of that year with strong multicultural casts, alongside *Step Up 2: The Streets* and *[The Game Plan](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-game-plan-film)*.[12](https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/WDC-AR-2008.pdf)\n\n## References\n\n1. [College Road Trip (film), D23](https://d23.com/a-to-z/college-road-trip-film/)\n2. [College Road Trip (2008), AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/64611-COLLEGE-ROAD-TRIP)\n3. [College Road Trip, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/college_road_trip)\n4. [College Road Trip (2008), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0997047/)\n5. [College Road Trip Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/college-road-trip/)\n6. ['College' Flunks Out, The Washington Post (March 6, 2008)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/2008/03/07/college-flunks-out/3a2bd551-2863-4963-af8c-81c1aafd2dc5/)\n7. [College road trip, WorldCat](https://search.worldcat.org/title/College-road-trip/oclc/224550823)\n8. [College Road Trip (2008), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/College-Road-Trip)\n9. [Review: 'College Road Trip' too dumbed down, SFGate (March 7, 2008)](https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Review-College-Road-Trip-too-dumbed-down-3223535.php)\n10. [College Road Trip review, The Guardian (August 21, 2008)](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/22/family)\n11. [College Road Trip streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/college-road-trip)\n12. [The Walt Disney Company 2008 Annual Report](https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/WDC-AR-2008.pdf)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of 2007 to 2008 › Released in 2008*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/college-road-trip", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/college-road-trip.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"College Road Trip\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/college-road-trip. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[College Road Trip](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-road-trip)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/college-road-trip](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-road-trip). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"College Road Trip\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/college-road-trip. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "College Road Trip is a 2008 American family comedy directed by Roger Kumble, starring Martin Lawrence as an overprotective police chief driving his daughter to a college interview." }