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Back to School

Back to School

Comedy · 1986

Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon decides to get a better education and enrolls at his son Jason's college. While Jason tries to fit in with his fellow students, Thornton struggles to gain his son's respect, giving way to hilarious antics.

Movie details

Back to School

“He enrolled in college for the pursuit of finer things...like co-eds, shapely professors, fun and rock and roll.”

1986 Comedy 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon decides to get a better education and enrolls at his son Jason's college. While Jason tries to fit in with his fellow students, Thornton struggles to gain his son's respect, giving way to hilarious antics.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Back to School?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Alan Metter

Written by

William Porter · Dennis Snee · Rodney Dangerfield · Greg Fields

Rodney Dangerfield

Rodney Dangerfield

Thornton Melon

Sally Kellerman

Sally Kellerman

Diane

Burt Young

Burt Young

Lou

Keith Gordon

Keith Gordon

Jason Melon

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.

Derek

William Zabka

William Zabka

Chas

Paxton Whitehead

Paxton Whitehead

Phillip Barbay

Court is in session

Put Back to School on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“It owes the canon nothing.”

The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.

The prosecution The Big-Idea Head

“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”

It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.