SNMR 5.21: "Back to School"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Back to School" (1986, PG-13, 97 minutes), starring Rodney Dangerfield, Keith Gordon, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Robert Downey Jr., and Terry Farrell. The film was directed by Alan Metter.

PLOT SUMMARY: Thornton Melon (Dangerfield), owner of a chain of Tall and Fat clothing stores, decides on a spur of the moment decision to visit his son Jason (Gordon) at college. When Melon learns that Jason wants to drop out he decides to go to college too, becoming the oldest freshman ever. That's where the fun starts.

MY OPINION: This is a really fun movie. It pretty much is a 97 minute stand up routine for Rodney Dangerfield. There are a lot of jokes and one-liners. The cast is almost unheard of but very good, including Robert Downey, JR., Terry Farrell (who is most notable for her character Dax on Star Trek: DS9), cameos by Kurt Vonnegut, Sam Kinison, the movie debut of incredibly funny Boston area comic Steve Sweeney and Oingo Boingo - one of my favorite 1980's bands.

English actor Paxton Whitehead is absolutely brilliant as the incredibly stuffy business professor Dr. Philip Barbay.

The direction is crisp and you can tell that the cast had a good time making this movie, though at 97 minutes run time, I think this movie was too short.

The DVD edition I watched has some worthwhile extras but with such a funny movie as this, I would have liked to see some outtakes and bloopers.

**** out of *****