Back to School (La Grande Classe)
By Renee Schonfeld,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Bawdy French reunion tale has language, sex, drugs.
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Back to School (La Grande Classe)
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What's the Story?
Pierre-Yves (Ludovik) and Jonathan (Jerome Niel) haven't even finished celebrating the success of their digital strategy business when they discover that their middle school is having a reunion in BACK TO SCHOOL (aka LA GRANDE CLASSE). Always the victims of class bully Lopez and his gang of misanthropes, the two men eagerly return to their hometown to lord it over those who plagued them, and taunt their classmates with their achievements. Old scores will be settled; long-remembered affairs of the heart may be renewed. Of course, nothing goes as planned. A key mistaken identity, run-ins with old rivals who are eager to pick up where they left off, and a series of scary confrontations make them wish they'd never come back.
Is It Any Good?
In this alternately farcical and insightful movie, Chess Club Nerds meet the Cool Knuckleheads again -- and sadly all of them have lived up to the expectations that defined them when they were kids. Back to School, a hybrid of raucous, intoxicated/stoned behavior and sexual jokes combined with an astute look at "grown-ups" who've aged 20 years without maturing, is a reminder of adolescence at its worst. However, by the story's end some of the characters have at least a modicum of awareness. Netflix offers a "dubbed" English translation of the movie, as well as the preferred subtitled version.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the drinking and drug use in Back to School. Is it glamorized? Are there consequences for the behavior?
The danger of pigeon-holing young kids in school is explored in the movie. How did "labeling" impact the adult lives of Herve and the other Dragons? Pierre Yves and Jonathan?
A character in the movie states: "Jealousy is the burden of smart kids." What does that mean? Describe any examples of this concept you may have witnessed or been a part of.
Were you surprised by the final shot in the movie? How did it deepen the film's messages?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 30, 2019
- Cast: Ludovik , Jerome Niel , Nicolas Berno
- Directors: Remy Four , Julien War
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship , High School
- Run time: 83 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 2, 2023
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