Summer School (1987) - February 8, 2022

[The Great Owl]

Freddy Shoop, a laid-back gym teacher played by Mark Harmon, is accustomed to doing the minimum amount of work necessary to coast through his job so that he can enjoy his summers off. After he is forced to cancel his vacation plans in order to teach remedial English to a group of underachievers during summer school, however, he finds a newfound sense of purpose as his students relate to his lackadaisical demeanor.

When I first saw the 1987 comedy, Summer School, directed by Carl Reiner (The Jerk), during one of its countless airings on cable television shortly after its release, I instantly loved it, despite its dismissal by critics as forgettable throwaway fare, but I figured it as a one-and-done endeavor that would soon fade from memory. Over the subsequent decades, though, this lowbrow endeavor proved itself to be timeless in my eyes as a film that I had to watch with undivided attention each time I stumbled across it while channel surfing.

I love how Summer School plows forward with reckless abandon and hilarity while somehow accidentally becoming a meaningful movie that inspires us to care about each character, taking the time between its hijinks to address serious issues like teen pregnancy, learning disabilities, and alcoholism. While Shoop guides the kids from one misadventure to another, he turns them into better people while learning a thing or two himself.

During my first viewing of this film as a teenager, I naturally felt a kinship with the two devout fans of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, played by Dean Cameron (Ski School) and Gary Riley (Stand by Me), although, in reality, I was more of a blend between the geeky misfit played by Richard Steven Horvitz and the good-natured athlete played by Patrick Labyorteaux. Kelly Jo Minter (The Lost Boys) is brilliant as a bad driver whose wittiness is a facade to conceal her dyslexia. Shawnee Smith, who stars as the pregnant student, was a favorite of mine back then, due to her appearances in The Blob, Who's Harry Crumb?, and Stephen King's The Stand. Courtney Thorne-Smith (Melrose Place) would move on to iconic television roles after starring as the wayward surfer girl here. Fabiana Udenio, as an Italian exchange student, provides some of the biggest laughs because of her reactions to Cameron's and Riley's horror-obsessed duo. Of course, I was always just as sleepy as the nocturnal teen played by Ken Olandt, although I did not have a cool job like he did. Duane Davis (Beetlejuice) makes a memorable and funny mark as a mostly absent student.

Harmon, a former football star who was appearing in Coors beer commercials at the time, was the best possible choice for our bewildered lead, because he is so convincing as a happy-go-lucky jock. Robin Thomas shows superb comedic timing as the vice principal who is out to get Shoop, while Kirstie Alley excels as a love interest. Finally, I cannot leave out one of my favorite dogs in cinema.

The music score by Danny Elfman is icing on the cake.


This Shout Factory Blu-ray looks just fine to me. I'm loving the special features now.