Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Classic '80s comedy has lots of profanity, innuendo.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Back to School
What's the Story?
Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is a self-made multimillionaire who owns a chain of "Tall and Fat" stores throughout the country. He goes to visit his son Jason -- whom he believes has joined a fraternity and is on the diving team -- only to find out when he gets there that Jason wants to drop out of school. Determined to prove to his son that "you can be who you want to be," Melon decides to go back to college and earn the degree he never received when he was younger. Melon's antics endear him to most of the students and professors, and he even finds a potential love interest in his English professor (Sally Kellerman). But when he fully embraces the collegiate party lifestyle and delegates the writing of his papers to employees, Melon is threatened with expulsion and must actually get the education he signed on for and prove to everyone that he has what it takes to stay in college.
Is It Any Good?
In many respects, this thoroughly enjoyable comedy is a classic of its genre, the 1980s collegiate party movie. It's replete with blowout parties, bikini-clad women, and the eternal struggle between jock bullies and misfits. But what clearly separates Back to School from so many movies of this type from that time is Rodney Dangerfield, who uses this vehicle to do what he does best: make a constant barrage of jokes, quips, and one-liners. He's basically playing his stand-up comedy persona, and so many of his jokes are truly unforgettable, which makes this such a fun movie to watch, time and time again.
Although the overall story is as dated as Robert Downey Jr.'s "New Wave" haircut -- to say nothing of the sexism, racism, and homophobia that surface on occasion -- when it's funny, Back to School is truly hilarious. Dangerfield's execution of the "Triple Lindy" dive for the college's diving team stands as one of the all-time great comedic moments in cinematic history. Overall, Back to School is still a funny movie that has held up remarkably well.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about '80s movies set in colleges. Why do you think this was such a popular genre during that decade?
What aspects of the movie seem dated to you? Do the dated aspects make this film more or less enjoyable? If you could remake the movie, who would you cast in the roles?
Could the story of the movie alone sustain interest, or is the entertainment value primarily from Rodney Dangerfield's constant quips and one-liners?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 13, 1986
- On DVD or streaming : June 26, 2003
- Cast : Rodney Dangerfield , Sally Kellerman , Robert Downey Jr.
- Director : Alan Metter
- Studio : MGM/UA
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 10, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate