Back To School Is One Of Rodney Dangerfield’s Funniest Movies. It Is Silly, Corny, And Completely Over The Top In All The Right Ways. If You Want A Comedy That Simply Makes You Laugh, This One Still Delivers.

Back To School Is One Of Rodney Dangerfield’s Funniest Movies. It Is Silly, Corny, And Completely Over The Top In All The Right Ways. If You Want A Comedy That Simply Makes You Laugh, This One Still Delivers.

Some comedies try to be clever, while others just want to entertain you for a couple of hours. Back to School, released in 1986, falls squarely into that second category. It is not trying to reinvent comedy or win awards. It simply wants to make you laugh, and it succeeds far more often than it misses.

The film was directed by Alan Metter, who understood exactly what made Rodney Dangerfield such a unique comedian. Instead of holding him back, Metter lets Dangerfield be himself, firing off one hilarious one liner after another while still giving the movie enough heart to keep the story moving.

Rodney Dangerfield stars as Thornton Melon, a wealthy self made businessman who decides to enroll in college after learning that his son wants to quit school. Thornton believes he can help by setting an example, but once he arrives on campus he completely turns college life upside down. Rodney’s timing is absolutely perfect, and this is easily one of the best performances of his career.

The supporting cast is excellent. Keith Gordon plays Thornton’s son Jason, Sally Kellerman is terrific as Professor Diane Turner, and Ned Beatty is wonderfully smug as the villainous Dean Martin. A young Robert Downey Jr. also appears in one of his early film roles, and it is fun looking back and seeing a future superstar before he became Iron Man. Sam Kinison nearly steals the movie with his unforgettable appearance as the loud and completely unhinged history professor.

The plot is simple but effective. Thornton throws himself into college life with unlimited money, unlimited confidence, and absolutely no intention of doing things the normal way. Whether he is hiring tutors, throwing outrageous parties, or frustrating the faculty at every turn, chaos follows him everywhere he goes.

Yes, parts of the movie are definitely corny. Some of the jokes are pure eighties comedy, and a few scenes are completely ridiculous. But honestly, that is part of its charm. The movie knows exactly what it is and never apologizes for it.

Rodney Dangerfield is the reason this film works so well. His rapid fire one liners, sarcastic delivery, and ability to make fun of himself made him one of the greatest stand up comedians of all time. Back to School captures that style perfectly and lets him do what he did better than almost anyone.

The movie also features one of my favorite comedy cameos ever when author Kurt Vonnegut is brought in to judge a paper that Thornton secretly had written for him. The joke is simple, but it is one of those moments that comedy fans never forget.

Another thing I enjoy is how the movie celebrates common sense over academic arrogance. Thornton may not have a college education, but he understands business, people, and life. The film has fun poking at the idea that intelligence only comes from a classroom, and I think that message still works today.

The soundtrack, the campus setting, and the overall atmosphere make this a great snapshot of mid eighties comedy. It reminds me of a time when Hollywood regularly made fun, character driven comedies that audiences could simply sit back and enjoy without overthinking everything.

For me, Back to School is one of Rodney Dangerfield’s signature films. Is it perfect? Not even close. Is it a little corny? Absolutely. But it is also one of those laugh out loud comedies that never seems to get old, and Rodney’s performance alone makes it worth revisiting.

Nearly forty years after its release, Back to School remains one of the funniest comedies of the eighties. It has a fantastic cast, memorable one liners, and one of the greatest stand up comics ever leading the way. If you have not watched it in years, do yourself a favor and give it another look. I think you will be surprised by just how many laughs it still delivers.