It’s hard to give a film a grade when it is both stupid and funny at the same time. This is the case with “Stealing Harvard.”

The movie is about a promise, stealing to keep that promise and a lot of Tom Green.

John (Jason Lee) is trying to keep a promise he made to his niece, Noreen (Tammy Blanchard) – she was going to go to college.

John made the promise after Noreen failed the school’s Spelling Bee by misspelling her first word: tarp, and John, trying to cheer her up, says if she gets accepted to a college he will pay the tuition.

Years later, Noreen is accepted by Harvard, but needs $30,000 to cover her fees. She turns to her uncle for the money (as promised), and has a videotape of his promise to back up her claim.

John, wondering how he’s going to get $30,000, asks his best friend, Duff (Tom Green) to help him out.

The two decide on illegal means, stealing the money.

The audience may think Lee is the star here, but Green really keeps the spotlight on himself.

There are really two sides to Lee in this movie – genuine Lee and fraudulent Lee.

While he’s in genuine Lee mode, he acts well and is a convincing actor. But as fraudulent Lee it’s as if the crew dragged some random guy off street and told him to act.

Also, there is a scene, played out three different times in the movie, where Tom Green, Jason Lee and Dennis Farina, who plays Lee’s future father-in-law, invade a man’s home and he holds them hostage.

Does he shoot them? No. Instead, he makes them dress up in his wife’s old clothes and “spoons” with them. This joke wasn’t funny the first time and became tiresome when it was used again twice more.

Overall, despite the flaws that could have ruined this movie, Green saves it (barely) and the quirky humor displayed in this movie can generate some real laughs.

Would I give this movie a thumbs down? Yes. But would I recommend it if you’re into low brow comedy that will make you laugh? Yes.

Score C+