Line #33 Film/BackToSchool


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/back_to_school_3909.jpg]]
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3	Thornton Melon's got it good: he has an extremely successful line of "Tall & Fat" men's clothing stores that he built up from a small New York clothier shop, and a beloved son who's off making grades, making friends and earning victories for his diving team at college. Thornton's also married to a shrewish, unfaithful wife who- ''[[RecordNeedleScratch Whirrp!]]'' wait, nevermind that last part.
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5	Newly separated from his shrewish, unfaithful wife, Thornton decides to head off to the university to visit his son, Jason (Creator/KeithGordon). Once he gets there, Jason has to spill the beans on how college life is working out: he lied about the grades, he has no friends on the diving team because he's being bullied by (who else) Creator/WilliamZabka, and he's about to drop out. Thornton can't quite convince him not to, seeing how ''he'' never went to school and things turned out fine.
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7	With that, Thornton decides -what the hell- he's enrolling too! He gets in good with the Dean by [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney addressing all of his concerns with a big, fat donation]], and before long becomes the #1 party animal on campus. Just a few things stand to ruin Thornton's fun, though: a stuffy economics professor who doesn't appreciate Thornton buying his way through school, and a son who's beginning to develop the same gripe. Fortunately, Thornton also falls for a beautiful and very intelligent Poetry professor who sees that he can excel in his studies if he makes a real effort at it, but ''will'' he?
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9	While perhaps not as well-known as ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}'', ''Back to School'' is one of Creator/RodneyDangerfield's funniest films and is definitely worth checking out for any fan of 80s comedy or the man himself. The other most notable thing about this film is that Creator/DerekSavage (yes, ''that'' Derek Savage) appears as an extra.
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11	----
12	!!This film includes examples of:
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14	* AMinorKidroduction: A young Thornton in 1940 comes home from school to show his dad his lousy report card, setting up both Thorn's poor academic track record and his rather fraught relationship with higher learning (he succeeded in spite of being poorly educated, but comes to realize that his father was warning him how disappointed ''he'll'' feel to see his son make the same mistake).[[note]]Jason Hervey's performance, wisely, goes for an evocation over a direct imitation, though he does get the signature Rodney collar-tug in at one point.[[/note]]
15	* ActorAllusion: One of the last shots in the opening montage is of Creator/RodneyDangerfield golfing. This was taken directly from ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}''. In fact, Thornton Melon is a variation of Al Czervik himself.
16	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Jason generally disapproves of his father's antics, but even he is cracking up at Thornton's secretary taking notes next to him.
17	* AndThenISaid: "And she said, 'Let's do it! The room's already paid for!'"
18	* AntiRoleModel: Thornton's decidedly anti-inspirational graduation speech.
19	--> '''Thornton:''' And so, to all you graduates, as you go out into the world my advice to you is... don't go! It's rough out there! Move back with your parents. Let ''them'' worry about it!
20	* ArcWords: "Without an education, a man's got nothing."
21	* ArtisticLicense: Shining a light in a student diver's face would get you immediately expelled and arrested. It's lethally dangerous.
22	** The college is shown as having only one fraternity. All US universities have several.
23	* ArtisticLicenseEconomics: Generally entry-level economics classes tend to treat econ as a pure social science and don't work towards the practical implications for business so cleanly as portrayed in this film.
24	* AsHimself: Creator/KurtVonnegut and Music/OingoBoingo.
25	* BackToSchool: Thornton goes back to college as a successful, middle-aged man to lead his son by example.
26	* BlatantLies:
27	** "Is the work you turned in your own?" "I can't lie to ya, Music/DeanMartin. ''{{beat}}'' ''...Yes it is''."
28	** Thornton walks in on a woman taking a shower and claims that he didn't see anything. He then peeks back, staring bug-eyed at her.
29	--->'''Thornton:''' You're ''perfect''!
30	** At the dorm party, Diane walks in on him cavorting with several young women in a hot tub. Thorn's immediate cover? "''Say hello to my nieces!''" Points for quick thinking, but Diane obviously isn't fooled by his excuse.
31	* {{Bowdlerise}}:
32	** As usual, the TV cut includes some of the harsher language dubbed over. One example:
33	--> '''Thornton:''' All right, I'll say it: 'Cause Truman was too much of a stupid[[labelnote:Note]](pussy)[[/labelnote]] wimp to let [=MacArthur=] go in there and blow out those Commie pipsqueaks![[labelnote:Note]](bastards!)[[/labelnote]]
34	** Also occurs in the climactic quiz scene, after Thornton recites a Dylan Thomas poem:
35	--> '''Diane:''' Thornton, what does that poem mean to you?\
36	'''Thornton:''' It means... I don't take nothin'[[labelnote:Note]](shit)[[/labelnote]] from no one.
37	* BritishStuffiness: The only member of staff who turns his nose to Thornton's antics is the snooty British professor who teaches economics, rightfully finding Thornton's method of getting into college to be a slap in the face to the hard working students who got in properly and thinking of Thornton himself to be crude and boorish.
38	* ButLiquorIsQuicker:
39	** "Say when!" "Right after this drink!"
40	** "If we finish this bottle of wine, you won't have to beg."
41	* ButNotTooForeign: Nothing is really made of it, but the flashback at the beginning reveals that Thornton's given surname was ''Meloni'' and he came from an Italian background, but he changed it somewhere along the way.
42	* TheCameo: Creator/KurtVonnegut appears as himself to write [[https://tutoriage.com/chicago-formatting-guide chicago style format]] essay on Kurt Vonnegut. [[spoiler:It gets Thornton an F.]]
43	* CoolCar: Thornton's Lincoln limo, complete with a TV!
44	** Philip's vintage 1945 MG convertible counts too. It's on the poster!
45	* CoolTeacher: Diane, especially in comparison to Phillip. As just one example, she joined the students at the mid-term party.
46	* CoverVersion: "Twist and Shout" plays in the film, and it's sung by someone other than Music/TheBeatles (while they didn't create the song, their rendition was arguably the most famous). Rodney Dangerfield, who sang part of the song in the movie, also performed an entire cover version of it for a music video with scenes from the movie.
47	* DagwoodSandwich: In one memorable scene, Thornton [[https://youtu.be/UCi91CU4AUk makes himself an enormous sandwich]] out of various Hors D'oeuvres, consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of Italian bread and a big dish each of Cocktail Meatballs, Spanakopita and Devilled Eggs. He even has someone nearby help him cut it afterward!
48	-->'''Thornton:''' (''[[BigEater as he walks off with the resulting sandwich]]'') Comin' out. Comin' through, hot stuff!
49	* DeadpanSnarker: Watching Creator/RodneyDangerfield and Creator/RobertDowneyJr on the same screen is like watching Master and Protege.
50	* DeanBitterman: The Dean of the University, "Dean Martin" is an aversion of this trope, as he's an ineffectual money grubber who allows Thornton to bribe his way through school. Phillip makes a good stand-in, though.
51	* DeathOfTheAuthor: An InUniverse reference when Diane and Creator/KurtVonnegut disagree on the meaning of Vonnegut's work.
52	* DivorceAssetsConflict: When Vanessa tells Thornton she wants a divorce, he gleefully serves her the papers right out of his coat pocket. She sneers at him that it won't be that easy and that it'll cost him, intending to take a good chunk of his fortune. This is averted when Thornton proceeds to pull out a series of Polaroids displaying her rampant infidelity which renders her unable to collect even a penny of his wealth. Knowing that she's been beat, she angrily storms off.
53	* TheDragon: Thornton's best friend/chauffeur/bodyguard Lou is an easygoing version of this. He's a genuinely nice guy but can kick serious ass when Thornton needs asses kicked.
54	* EpicFail: Thornton hadn't done his homework, leading to this exchange in class the next day:
55	--> '''Diane:''' Mr. Melon, how would you characterize ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby''?\
56	(...)\
57	'''Thornton:''' Well ''The Great Gatsby'', he was... great! ''(class laughs)''\
58	'''Diane:''' ...See me after class.
59	* FanserviceExtra:
60	** When Rodney accidentally walks in on actress [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0403179/ Leslie Huntly]] in the middle of her ShowerScene. Dangerfield and [="Coed #1"=] have a brief ShowerOfAwkward played purely for {{Fanservice}}.
61	--->'''Thornton:''' Take it easy, honey! I didn't see a thing!" ''(throws open shower curtain and stares bug-eyed at her)'' You're ''perfect!''
62	** There's also Bubbles, which Thornton says is the only thing missing from the hot tub.
63	* TheFilmOfTheBook: Discussed when Diane has a tutoring session with Thornton:
64	--> '''Diane:''' Surely a man of your age and experience must have read some of the things on my list. What about ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''?\
65	'''Thornton:''' I saw the movie. Creator/OrsonWelles. Great actor, big actor. He was a Tall and Fat customer for years.\
66	'''Diane:''' How about ''Theatre/CatOnAHotTinRoof''?\
67	'''Thornton:''' I saw the movie. Creator/BurlIves. Great actor, extra stout. He was a customer, too.\
68	'''Diane:''' ''Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire''.\
69	'''Thornton:''' Great movie. Creator/MarlonBrando. He wasn't that big then, but he ballooned up nicely. I'd say, pound for pound, our finest American actor.\
70	'''Diane:''' Don't you ever read?\
71	'''Thornton:''' Who has time? I see the movie. I'm in and out in two hours.\
72	'''Diane:''' Oh, Thornton, don't you see? The reason you want to read these works is so you can experience them for yourself, so you can share the thoughts and feelings of the writer, without the interference of your actor and director and professor's point of view getting in the way. To truly share and understand the common feelings of all mankind, the feelings of being alive.
73	* GoodParents: Thornton's father in 1940 is none too happy about Thornton's bad grades, but rather than use corporal punishment as was standard at the time, he instead gives Thornton a pep-talk about how important having an education is. However, it does take Thornton 46 years to get the hint.
74	* HeadTiltinglyKinky:
75	-->'''Phillip:''' What did he want?
76	-->'''Diane:''' Oh! What do ALL men want?
77	-->'''Phillip:''' He wants you to dress up as Franchise/WonderWoman, tie him up with a golden lariat and force him to tell the truth?
78	**
79	--->'''Thornton:''' Here's you and Giorgio in the guest room. A little classy, isn't it? Here's you and Giorgio in the rumpus room. Another classy one, huh? Ooh, this one, I can't figure out. There's you, there's Giorgio... [[NoodleImplements What's with the midget over here?]]
80	* HeterosexualLifePartners: Thornton and Lou. They've been friends since childhood, always have each other's back, and nothing comes between them.
81	* HonestAdvisor: Lou is this to Thornton. He doesn't mince words about his dislike for Thornton's new wife, or if he "looks fat" in his new commercial.
82	* InformedFlaw: It's never made clear why Jason did so poorly in the swim tryouts the prior semester given how impeccable his diving is during the movie. Maybe it was just nerves.
83	* InsultBackfire: Chas tries to get a burn in on Jason by calling him a NouveauRiche [[UnusualEuphemism fleeb]] who'll turn out just like his father. Jason doesn't miss a beat with his retort:
84	-->"God, I hope so... because I happen to ''love'' the guy."
85	* ItsAllAboutMe: Thorn humorously remarks that his ex Vanessa was so self-absorbed that she would scream ''her own'' name during sex.
86	* JerkassHasAPoint: Professor Phillip may be a snobbish, stuck up jerk but he's not wrong to point out that Thornton bribed his way into the college.
87	* KarmaHoudini: Chas is never punished for his douchebaggery.
88	* LargeHam: In true Rodney Dangerfield fashion Thornton is this to a T.
89	* NaturalizedName: Thornton's birth name was the Italian "Meloni." He changed it to "Melon."
90	* NouveauRiche: The SelfMadeMan Thornton blows through money being a party animal on campus and frequently shows that he's willing to simply buy whatever he desires rather than earn it.
91	* ObviousStuntDouble: Rodney Dangerfield starts a dive on top of a high board, but when the camera cuts to the stunt man actually doing the dive, his toupee flops up to reveal it's not Rodney.
92	* OhCrap: The jocks threatening Thornton have this reaction when Lou crushes a metal napkin dispenser with one hand.
93	* PintSizedPowerhouse: Lou is not a particularly tall man; Burt Young is 5'8. He's still capable of delivering a hefty beatdown.
94	* PlagiarismInFiction: Thornton Melon turns in an essay about a book by Kurt Vonnegut, written by Kurt Vonnegut himself, which he passes off as his own. The English professor gives him an F, telling him that whoever wrote the essay "doesn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut." Later on, Thornton gets called in by the dean of the college, with accusations that Thornton has committed academic fraud by turning in homework done by someone else.
95	* PrecisionFStrike: Thornton tells Kurt Vonnegut on the phone to go fuck himself after the plagiarized essay on Kurt's own book gets Thornton a failing grade and he responds by putting a stop payment on a check he wrote to Kurt (Vonnegut evidently said it to him first).
96	* ProductPlacement: Due to Rodney Dangerfield's contractual obligations with the Miller Brewing Company and his appearances in Miller Lite beer commercials at the time, only Miller beer was allowed to be shown in certain scenes (when Dangerfield goes to get a beer out of the refrigerator during the party at his house and during the large party at the college when the police arrive with extra beer).
97	* PunnyName: The Dean's last name is Martin; Thornton cracks up every time he hears it.
98	* RealityIsUnrealistic: See the entry in YourCostumeNeedsWork.
99	* RibbonCuttingCeremony: Thornton Melon has a ground-breaking ceremony for the new school building that the university would open up in exchange for giving him admission to take courses. At the ceremony, Thornton flings some dirt and it lands on the head of a member of the university's faculty, particularly the one who criticized Thornton buying his way into the university.
100	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Thornton gets into school by buying the campus a new building, and his attitude towards his academic workload is to just hire someone else to do it.
101	* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Jason doesn't subscribe to his dad's approach to higher learning, and becomes very upset when Thorn gets his underlings to do ''his'' homework, too:
102	-->'''Jason:''' "I wanna write that paper, I'm ''gonna'' write that paper, because that's why I'm taking astronomy: to ''learn'' something! But you're not gonna learn a goddamn thing if you've got everybody doing your work for you!"
103	* SelfDeprecation: Mostly averted, believe it or not. Rodney Dangerfield actually avoids using his signature shtick throughout the movie.
104	** There is one notable instance of it, though:
105	---> Thorn: "The shape I'm in, you could donate my body to science fiction."
106	* SelfMadeMan: Melon, the son of a poor Italian tailor, created a successful clothing line.
107	* ShellShockedVeteran: History teacher Prof. Turguson, played by Creator/SamKinison. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfi4s8cjLFI Watch as he informs his students]] on the reason for ending UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. Then gets Thornton to state what he thinks is the reason the US pulled out from UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar.
108	* ShoutOut: The opening montage shows Rodney playing golf in his [[{{Film/Caddyshack}} Al Czervik]] getup.
109	** At the end of his phone call to Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Thornton says "Next time, I'll call Robert Ludlum!" The best-selling spy novelist was Rodney's neighbor and a close friend in real life.
110	* ShowerOfAwkward: Thornton unknowingly walks into a female sorority house when he's looking for Jason's dorm room and accidentally walks in on a student showering. He quickly shuts the curtain on her, claiming he didn't see anything, but briefly opens it back up and says, "You're ''perfect''."
111	* SlobsVsSnobs: A rare occasion when the slob is wealthier than the snobs: Thornton is a NouveauRiche SelfMadeMan whose irreverent personality runs against the snobby culture of academia.
112	* SoapBoxSadie: Subverted by Derek. The few times he starts ranting on social issues it becomes clear a few words in that he's just bullshitting for laughs.
113	* StealthPun: "Why don't you call me some time when you have no class?"
114	* TechnicianVersusPerformer: This is the core of the conflict between Thornton and Professor Phillip, as it reflects on academic teaching vs. [[TaughtByExperience real world experience]]. As a professor, Phillip's class is based mainly on theoretical principles of business. Thornton, [[SelfMadeMan a self-made retailer]], explains the more creative business practices and the shady backroom deals that happen in the real world.
115	* TinyGuyHugeGirl: Jason is quite a few inches shorter than his squeeze, Valerie.
116	* UnclePennybags: Thorn is a fine example. Even though he's buying his way through school, he's really cool about it. At one point, he gives a campus officer a couple of thousand bucks to help put his kids through school; when the officer tells him he doesn't have children, Thorn shrugs and gives him more money to get himself some kids.
117	* VillainsNeverLie: Chas tells Jason that his dad bribed the coach to get him on the diving team, and Jason believes it immediately. To Jason, it sounds enough like something his dad might do, but you'd think hearing it from the one guy in school that you ''know'' hates your guts might send up a red flag or two.
118	* VomitDiscretionShot: The drunk student.
119	* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Thornton has very little formal education, just a lifetime of business experience at his "Tall & Fat" stores. When Diane names some literature she hopes he has read, he can only relate it all to movies made from that literature starring portly actors. In his defense, most of what she names qualifies as MainstreamObscurity, and the fact that he has seen these films (they themselves probably qualify just as much as the books) is impressive in and of itself
120	* YourCostumeNeedsWork: Thornton commissions Creator/KurtVonnegut to write an interpretation of ''Literature/SlaughterhouseFive'' for a literature class. When Dangerfield turns it in [[UsefulNotes/{{Plagiarism}} as his own work]], the professor gives it an F, saying "I don't know who wrote this essay, but he obviously doesn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut."
121	** RealLifeWritesThePlot: Based on a real instance where Vonnegut helped his nephew on an essay which earned the kid a D.
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Context Film / BackToSchool