Back to School

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Back to School

PG-13

Released Jun 13, 1986

1h 36m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is concerned that his son Jason (Keith Gordon) is unsure whether to go to college, so the uneducated self-made millionaire encourages him by signing up as a student as well. As Jason tries to establish himself among his peers and make the diving team, Thornton falls for a pretty professor (Sally Kellerman) and gets others do his schoolwork for him. When the suspicious dean (Paxton Whitehead) finds out, Thornton needs to show he can get by on his own.

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Critics Consensus

Back to School gives Rodney Dangerfield plenty of room to riff -- and supports the freewheeling funnyman with enough of a story to keep things interesting between punchlines.

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Rita Kempley

Washington Post

Like Groucho before him, Dangerfield is at his best playing against straight society, humbling the smug with his audacious wit.

Aug 25, 2023

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

The vibes, here, are all wrong, and Dangerfield's unique timing is disrupted in most scenes.

Aug 1, 2013

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

I mean no disrespect to Rodney Dangerfield in suggesting that Back to School is a comedy that belongs back on the drawing board.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 1, 2013

Full Review

Dan Webster

Spokesman-Review (Washington)

In Rodney Dangerfield's patented act, he plays the perpetual chump lamenting the fact that he gets no respect. The same hardly can be said of his movie career, especially following the success of this feature which, for the most part, is hilarious.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 27, 2024

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...a funny movie in 1986, and it’s still funny now; the suggestion that money can’t buy everything seems richer with the passing years...

Rated: 435

Jan 23, 2024

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a seemingly foolproof premise that's employed to watchable (if far from spellbinding) effect...

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 3, 2021

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S R

Hilarious movie from one of the greatest stand up comedians in history!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/29/23

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Jason W

Rodney Dangerfield, Sam Kinison , an early Robert Downey Jr. hurt what more could you want. A perfectly fine popcorn comedies from the 80s.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

Whats Good G

Back to School Rodney Dangerfield is a comedy great who is known to spit as many clever barbs against others as he does to himself. Who is a more perfect guy to take intellectuals in their ivory tower down a peg? The overall storyline is touching, it reminds us how important parental influence can be, and how sometimes your children can switch the roles on you when you need it. Other than that, if you're a fan of Rodney's one-liner-machine-gunnery, imagine if you got to experience it at a college-party, or at Economics class where he tells an obnoxious professor(Dr. Barbay) a thing or two about business! Anyone who snubs this film for lack of story complexity and consummate acting is probably as fun at a party as Dr. Barbay!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Unmissable, Dangerfield is great.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

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Audience Member

One of the classics. Rodney Dangerfield and Burt Young are so good from start to finish.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

Pretty weird movie but still contains a few laughs from Dangerfield. 3.5/5

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

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Alan Metter

Director

Rodney Dangerfield

Thornton Melon

Sally Kellerman

Dr. Diane Turner

Keith Gordon

Jason Melon

Burt Young

Lou

Robert Downey Jr.

Derek Lutz

Back to School: Official Clip - Springsteen in the Parking Lot

2:13

Back to School: Official Clip - The Triple Lindy

2:08

Back to School: Official Clip - Are You Fat?

2:04

Back to School: Official Clip - I Don't Take S*** From No One

2:10

Back to School: Official Clip - Academic Fraud

1:33

Back to School: Official Clip - Thornton Donates A Building

2:16

Back to School: Official Clip - Thornton Talks Business

3:03

Back to School: Official Clip - Professor Terguson Loses It

2:35

Back to School: Official Clip - I'm Kurt Vonnegut

1:34

Back to School: Official Clip - Marge Takes Notes

1:42

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Synopsis

Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is concerned that his son Jason (Keith Gordon) is unsure whether to go to college, so the uneducated self-made millionaire encourages him by signing up as a student as well. As Jason tries to establish himself among his peers and make the diving team, Thornton falls for a pretty professor (Sally Kellerman) and gets others do his schoolwork for him. When the suspicious dean (Paxton Whitehead) finds out, Thornton needs to show he can get by on his own.

Director: Alan Metter
Producer: Chuck Russell
Screenwriter: Steven Kampmann, William Porter, PJ Torokvei, Harold Ramis
Production Co: Paper Clip Productions, Orion Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 1986, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $89.2M
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Surround

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