Back to School

1986
PG-13
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

37K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:37

To help his discouraged son get through college, a funloving and obnoxious rich businessman decides to enter the school as a student himself.To help his discouraged son get through college, a funloving and obnoxious rich businessman decides to enter the school as a student himself.To help his discouraged son get through college, a funloving and obnoxious rich businessman decides to enter the school as a student himself.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

37K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,273

1,015

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations

Trivia
Like his character, in his youth, Rodney Dangerfield was an acrobatic high diver in real life.

Goofs
During the final dive sequence, Chas already has made one dive, but when he is about to make his second dive and gets cramps, his hair is perfectly dry and combed.

Quotes
Professor Terguson: You remember that thing we had about 30 years ago called the Korean conflict? And how we failed to achieve victory? How come we didn't cross the 38th parallel and push those rice-eaters back to the Great Wall of China?
Professor Terguson: [rips a desk apart] Then take the fucking wall apart
[shouts]
Professor Terguson: brick by brick and nuke them back into the fucking stone age forever? Tell me why! How come? Say it! Say it!
Thornton Melon: [incensed] All right. I'll say it. 'Cause Truman was too much of a *pussy wimp* to let MacArthur go in there
[shouts]
Thornton Melon: and blow out those Commie bastards!
Professor Terguson: Good answer. Good answer. I like the way you think. I'm gonna be watching you.
Thornton Melon: [chuckling to his classmates] Good teacher. He really seems to care. About what I have no idea.

Crazy credits
The end credits begin with the message: "For Estelle. Thanks so much." This is a dedication to Estelle Endler, Rodney Dangerfield's manager and one of the executive producers of the film, who died during production.

Alternate versions
Three scenes are cut from the Comedy Central airing - the "twist and shout" scene in the bar, the "phone conversation with Kurt Vonnegut after getting an F grade" scene, and one of the dives in the final competition.

Connections
Featured in At the Movies: Ferris Bueller's Day Off/Back to School/The Manhattan Project (1986)

Soundtracks
Back to School
Written by Richard Wolf and Mark Leonard
Produced by Gary Skardina and Linda Goldner Perry
Performed by Jude Cole

User reviews118

Review

Featured review

7/10

Prime Rodney Dangerfield With Strong Supporting Cast

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.