Back to School

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Back to School

PG-13

1986

1h 36m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

72 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is concerned that his son Jason (Keith Gordon) is unsure whether to go to college, so the uneducated self-made millionaire encourages him by signing up as a student as well. As Jason tries to establish himself among his peers and make the diving team, Thornton falls for a pretty professor (Sally Kellerman) and gets others do his schoolwork for him. When the suspicious dean (Paxton Whitehead) finds out, Thornton needs to show he can get by on his own.

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Critics Consensus

Back to School gives Rodney Dangerfield plenty of room to riff -- and supports the freewheeling funnyman with enough of a story to keep things interesting between punchlines.

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

Feb 27, 2025

...after a while, you begin to look a little closer, and you realize that, amazingly, [Rodney Dangerfield is] giving a performance.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

Feb 27, 2025

It's just as well that [Rodney Dangerfield] has so much charm and guile, because everything but his performance is pretty ghastly.

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Harper Barnes

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Feb 27, 2025

You would think, out of seven people, including Harold Ramis of "Ghostbusters" and Rodney Dangerfield, someone could have written a few funny lines. Wrong.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 12, 2026

"Back to School" is a much funnier movie than this quirky, bug-eyed comedian's earlier "Easy Money," making for easy summer watching and very little cringing even for Dangerfield non-fans.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 6, 2025

3.5/4

One of the brightest (and least pretentious) comedies of the past half-century, this box office hit is the sort of film that's easy to watch repeatedly over the years.

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Eleanor O'Sullivan

Asbury Park Press (NJ)

Feb 27, 2025

"Back to School" is loaded with bawdy, crude and hilarious one-liners, double entendres and sight gags that are sure to offend the uptight. But if you stay away because you hear it's raunchy, you'll miss a good and surprisingly sweet movie.

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Michael P

@MikeP29 Sep 29, 2026

Absolutely love this movie It's not perfect and the story is a little weak in terms of characters but, frankly, I'm not watching it for that. I'm watching to laugh my ass off, cry with laughter and just feel lighter for 90min. This movie excels in that department

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Sarah J

@RT66179084 Sep 23, 2026

Dude just wanted to have a chance to finally live life on his own, but his father comes back and gets all the attention stolen from him. But without his father, we wouldn't have seen Oingo Boingo in a resolution greater than 144p

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 12, 2026

Back to School = a *3.5* star Movie!

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Elliott L.

@GreenBeans Mar 17, 2026

I mean this is gold. Top tier, if you are in high school and don’t want to go to college watch this and it will change your mind. Would give 10 stars if i could. Triple Lindy!!

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Erin M

@Mightymotes Nov 22, 2025

This was such a hilarious feel good movie! The insight by the college professor love interest of Rodney Dangerfield is so relevant in this current age!!! Men have become too in touch with their feelings and have lost their masculinity…the very thing that makes them desirable to women! This movie is a breath of fresh air and nostalgia for the past when men and women were true to their identities, and had thicker skin and were crazy about one another for their complimentary differences!!

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Michael M.

@mlm5l Nov 12, 2025

Anything with Rodney is worth watching. Not His best but still good. The kid who plays his son has to be one of the worst actors ever.

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Alan Metter

Director

Rodney Dangerfield

Thornton Melon

Sally Kellerman

Dr. Diane Turner

Keith Gordon

Jason Melon

Burt Young

Lou

Robert Downey Jr.

Derek Lutz

Back to School: Official Clip - Springsteen in the Parking Lot

2:13

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Back to School: Official Clip - The Triple Lindy

2:08

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Back to School: Official Clip - Are You Fat?

2:04

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Back to School: Official Clip - I Don't Take S*** From No One

2:10

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Back to School: Official Clip - Academic Fraud

1:33

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Back to School: Official Clip - Thornton Donates A Building

2:16

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Back to School: Official Clip - Thornton Talks Business

3:03

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Back to School: Official Clip - Professor Terguson Loses It

2:35

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Back to School: Official Clip - I'm Kurt Vonnegut

1:34

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Back to School: Official Clip - Marge Takes Notes

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Synopsis

Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is concerned that his son Jason (Keith Gordon) is unsure whether to go to college, so the uneducated self-made millionaire encourages him by signing up as a student as well. As Jason tries to establish himself among his peers and make the diving team, Thornton falls for a pretty professor (Sally Kellerman) and gets others do his schoolwork for him. When the suspicious dean (Paxton Whitehead) finds out, Thornton needs to show he can get by on his own.

Director: Alan Metter
Producer: Chuck Russell
Screenwriter: Steven Kampmann, William Porter, PJ Torokvei, Harold Ramis
Production Co: Orion Pictures, Paper Clip Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 1986, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $89.2M
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Surround

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