Back to School

Rodney Dangerfield's best film and finest hour (or 2)... He plays a crass self-made millionaire whose son is away at college. After divorcing the second wife--a shrew (Adrienne Barbeau)--he drops in on the kid (Keith Gordon) to discover the kid is not if a fraternity or on the diving team. The kid wants to drop out so Rodney decides to go BACK TO SCHOOL to encourage the kid. Great premise.

Of course Rodney becomes a free-spending, beer-swilling college frosh to the delight of the student body and school administration. Rodney spews and almost unending barrage of jokes and one-liners and is hysterically funny. But beyond the crass character, this is one time when Dangerfield also shows some acting chops and some sweetness to his character. And it works! Top supporting cast helps out a lot too. Sally Kellerman is the English prof. Paxton Whitehead is the snotty business teacher. Robert Downey is the bizarro roomie. Ned Beatty plays Dean Martin. William Zabka is the obnoxious rival. Terry Farrell is the too-tall girl friend. Burt Young plays Lou the bodyguard. Edie McClurg is the secretary. Sam Kinison is the shell-shocked history prof. Severn Darden is the lab guy. M. Emmett Walsh is the diving coach. Jason Hervey is Dangerfield as a kid. And Danny Elfman appears as his Oingo Boingo self and scored the film.

The diving finale is hysterically funny and the perfect ending for this sweet and funny movie.

This in many ways is the best Dangerfield film. Harold Ramis is genius in working in a lot of Dangerfield quips into the script. The movie flows well, and the supporting cast is appropriate & stronger than any of Rodney's other films.

Sally Kellerman is in her best form since M*A*S*H as the English Professor who is Rodney's love interest. Robert Downey Jr. is cast perfectly as a character who resembles him in real life - a drugged out pacifist who protests campus life & all about it without knowing what message he is really sending. The actors who play straight men for Rodney from Dean Martin to the Business Professor are perfectly cast.

The late Sam Kinneson is perfect in his small role in this as the History Professor. Wish he could have done more work like this. If there any extra scenes of him cut in this film, it would be great if they could be restored.

Harold Ramis, who also did work ranging from GHOSTBUSTERS (trendy) to GROUND HOG DAY (classic), touches show in the script. He works Rodney's character in perfect & the plot shows some of the imagination that makes Bill Murrays classic comedy so great. He allows Rodney to be himself, but frames his character so well that he is a perfect a fit as the clothing store Mellon runs.

Special kudos to Mellon's son, as he plays straight very well to his dad. Weakest of the cast is the girlfriend, but she is not given quite enough script to work with here so she makes do with what she has. At least she does OK with it.

All the characters show a lot of class & this film is a fine comedy from start to finish.

A funny post-Animal House college film with a pretty distinguished cast. In addition to Dangerfield, who is terrific as usual, we also get to see Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Ned Beatty, and an introduction to the brilliance of Robert Downey Jr. who is unforgettable as Derek Lutz. Although the movie is silly, lacking any convincing realism or plot, it is nontheless wonderful fun...especially if you are a Dangerfield fan. His rendition of "Twist and Shout" is a classic. And the scene at registration where his chauffeur Lou, played by the redoubtable Young, is priceless when he holds up a sign by the limo with Bruce Springstein's name on it and all the students rush out to mob the car while Dangerfield, his son, his son's love interest, and Lutz have the pick of classes.

Generally good viewing when you want a brainless, fun night.

Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) enrolls in college to help his son (Keith Gordon), who's having trouble fitting in. Doesn't take long before Thornton is the big man on campus, which doesn't sit well with everybody. Very funny comedy that never gets old. The cast is wonderful. Rodney Dangerfield is hilarious and his one-liners come one after the other. His best starring role, for sure. Sam Kinison is a riot. Loved every scene he was in. A young Robert Downey, Jr. is also lots of fun. Not for those who overthink their movies. This is for people who like to have fun and laugh. They got Kurt Vonnegut to appear in this! How cool is that? An '80s classic you have to see.

I was watching on VH1 I love the 80's and Back to School got a mention, I remember seeing it in my mother's VHS collection and I recently saw Easy Money, it was my first Rodney Dangerfield movie and I absolutely loved it. So I decided to go ahead and give Back to School a chance. I really had a good time watching it, I just miss comedies like this where it was dirty or over the top, it was just plain fun to watch and you have a good time viewing the film. Rodney is such a lovable goof and he always makes it look like he and the cast enjoy making these comedies. The story is so crazy, but so hilarious that it makes you wanna go back to school with Rodney and just have a good time with him and his son.

Thornton Melon's father made one thing clear to him at a young age, no matter how old, young, poor, rich you are, education is one of the most important things in life. Well, Thornton has grown into a successful clothes store owner and is very rich and powerful. But when his son, Jason, is discouraged with college, Thornton goes back to school to help encourage his son to get through it. While for Jason it's all studies and trying to fit in, it's all fun and games for Thornton and he's having the time of his life while being the big man on campus.

Back To School is a great comedy that I highly recommend, it's all in good fun and Rodney is just such a great comedian. I just loved it when he was going to the college to visit his son and he accidentally enters the sorority house and walks in on a girl showering and says "Oh, don't worry, you're perfect", lol, I just couldn't stop laughing. Also I loved Keith Gordon in the film, I can't believe this guy didn't make it big in acting, but he just does such a terrific job keeping up with Rodney. Back to School is a fun film and I'm sure you'll have a good time watching it.

7/10