Making The Grade Is Pure Eighties Cheese From Beginning To End. It Is Far From A Great Movie, But It Is A Fun Time Capsule Of The Decade. Sometimes A Film Is Worth Watching Simply Because It Perfectly Captured An Era, And This Is One Of Them.
Making The Grade Is Pure Eighties Cheese From Beginning To End. It Is Far From A Great Movie, But It Is A Fun Time Capsule Of The Decade. Sometimes A Film Is Worth Watching Simply Because It Perfectly Captured An Era, And This Is One Of Them.
Most of the movies I write about are films I genuinely love. Making the Grade is a little different. I would never put it on a list of the greatest comedies ever made, and I am not going to pretend it is some forgotten masterpiece. What I will say is that if you enjoy eighties movies, this is one you should know simply because it captures the style, humor, and culture of that decade perfectly.
Released in 1984, Making the Grade was directed by Dorian Walker and follows Palmer Woodrow, a wealthy teenager who gets himself expelled from prep school. In order to keep his wealthy family’s inheritance, he hires Eddie Keaton, a smart kid from the streets, to attend school while pretending to be him. Naturally, things become more complicated as Eddie starts fitting into Palmer’s world better than Palmer ever did.
Judd Nelson stars as Eddie Keaton, and this was one of the earliest films of his career before he exploded into stardom with The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire. Dana Olsen plays Palmer Woodrow, while Jonna Lee plays Tracey Hoover. Looking back now, it is interesting to see several actors before they became much more recognizable faces.
One of my favorite pieces of trivia about the movie is the appearance of a very young Andrew Dice Clay. At the time he was practically unknown and had not yet become one of the biggest stand up comedians in America. He plays a loan shark named Dice, and although it is only a supporting role, you can already see flashes of the loud, cocky personality that would later make him famous. If you are an Andrew Dice Clay fan, it is worth watching just to catch one of his earliest movie appearances.
The plot is exactly the kind of setup that worked so well in eighties comedies. You have mistaken identities, prep school rivalries, romance, rich kids, and plenty of situations that could only happen in a movie. It is over the top and unrealistic, but that is exactly what makes it entertaining.
The real star of the movie, though, is the decade itself. The fashion, hairstyles, music, cars, and overall attitude make this feel like a perfect snapshot of 1984. If someone asked me to recommend a movie that captures the feel of the mid eighties, Making the Grade would definitely be on that list.
No, this is not one of the greatest comedies ever made. There are better written films, stronger performances, and much bigger classics from the same era. But I also think people sometimes judge movies too harshly. Not every film has to be a masterpiece to be enjoyable.
For me, Making the Grade is worth watching because it represents a specific moment in movie history. It reminds me of the kind of comedies Hollywood made during the eighties, when filmmakers were willing to embrace ridiculous ideas and simply have fun. There is something charming about that approach that you do not see nearly as often today.
I usually write about movies that I absolutely love. This one is different. I would not call Making the Grade a hidden masterpiece, but I would absolutely call it a movie you should see at least once if you are a fan of eighties cinema. Sometimes experiencing a film because it represents its era is reason enough, and this movie earns its place for exactly that reason.