5 Movies About Adults Going Back to School from the 80s and 90s

Many of my adult friends and colleagues are returning to school this Fall. Some are getting their first degree, others their second bachelors, still other their masters. Meanwhile, I’m here blogging on my goofy retro website about films that are over three decades old. It seems quite accepted and common nowadays for adults of various ages to go back to school in some capacity, which is awesome. However, in the 80s, 90s and even into the 2000s, grownups returning to school was considered comedic. Hollywood made a number of comedies about the subject. In honor of everyone, both young and old, returning to their studies, here are five of those boffo films from the 80s and 90s about adults going back to school, along with three interesting facts about each you might not have known.

“Back to School” (1986)

The title of the 1986 film, “Back to School”, gets right to the point. The film stars the great Rodney Dangerfield as wealthy business tycoon Thornton Melon who bribes his way into joining his son as a student in college to convince him that earning a degree is important. Because he’s rich, and because he’s Rodney Dangerfield, Thornton becomes the big man on campus, throwing the best parties and hiring academics to do his assignments. However, nemesis Dr. Phillip Barbay goes after Thornton for academic plagiarism. Thornton, with the help of his friends, must prove to the school and his son that he is capable of higher education on his own.

Music Lovers’ Facts: The band Oingo Boingo performed "Dead Man's Party" at Thornon’s dorm party. This was the last of three films where Oingo Boingo music played at a party. The first was the song, “Better Luck Next Time” in 1982’s “The Last American Virgin”. The second was 1984’s “Bachelor Party”. The band’s front man Danny Elfman also composed the original music score for “Back to School” and has a significant career in movie score composition, most noted for his partnership with Tim Burton. Elfman’s most recent score was composed for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”.

Beer Lovers’ Facts: As a college movie, there are quite a few scenes with beer. When you watch this film again, take a closer look and you’ll notice that all of the beer used is Miller Lite. This is because Rodney Dangerfield was the longtime spokesman for Miller Lite and contractually obligated to show up on screen with only Miller Lite beer. So, the film got product placement by default, and the college kids could enjoy their underage drinking with beer that both tastes great and was less filling.

Trekkie Facts: Two future Starfleet officers have roles in this film. Robert Picardo played Gorgio, the object of affection for Thornton’s adulterous wife. He does quite the Latin accent. Terry Farrell plays Valerie Desmond, the campus dream girl. Both would don science blue uniforms and join the main casts of Star Trek television series in the 90s. Ferrel would play Jadzia Dax in “Deep Space Nine” (93 - 99) and Picardo portrayed The Doctor in “Voyager” (95 - 01). They would both appear in the DS9 episode “Doctor Bashir, I Presume” in 1997.

Check out our review of “Easy Money”.

“Hiding Out” (1987)

“Hiding Out” stars Jon Cryer as Andrew Morenski, a stockbroker who’s involved with some shady business with the mob. As such, he and his colleagues are key witnesses against them. Although under FBI protection, mob hitmen subdue Andrew’s bodyguards and he flees, hitchhiking to Topsail, Delaware to meet his Aunt Lucy, a school nurse at the local high school. Along the way, he shaves clean and dons a punk hair style (looking very similar to his character Lenny from “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” released the same year). Upon arriving at the high school, Andrew is mistaken for a student and accidentally enrolled. Seeing this fortuitous blunder as the perfect cover to hide out, adult Andrew Morenski must adjust to life as an 80s teenager.

Family Facts: Aunt Lucy was played by Gretchen Cryer, Jon Cryer’s real-life mother. Gretchen is an accomplished lyricist, playwright and actress. She’s best known for writing and acting in Boadway musicals. She’s most recently involved with bringing the arts to underprivileged schools (see video below).

Location Facts: There really is a Topsail High School, although it is not in Delaware. The school is actually located near Wilmington, North Carolina where filming took place. Many of the props were barrowed from the real Topsail High. Incidentally, Wilmington, NC has a larger population at ~116K than Wilmington, Delaware at ~71K. Both the northern and southern Wilmingtons were named after Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, who seemed to have quite a few powerful colonial friends back in the day.

Busy Facts: 1987 was a busy year for Jon Cryer, the longest in his filmography. Jon starred in the title role in “Morgan Stewart's Coming Home”. He played goofball, henchman nephew Lenny in the travesty that was “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace”. He portrayed Grant in the film “Dudes”, finishing off a productive 1987 with “Hiding Out”. It looks like he may have taken a break because his next film role would be in 1989’s “Penn & Teller Get Killed”.

“Necessary Roughness” (1991)

The Texas State University Fightin' Armadillos get busted for corruption and sanctioned by the NCAA. To save their program, they must choose players from a restricted pool of regular students. Only 17 are eligible including a 34-year- “old” quarterback Paul Blake (Scott Bakula) who hasn’t played since high school, beautiful female placekicker Lucy Draper (Kathy Ireland) and teaching assistant Andre Krimm (Sinbad). With little resources and no scholarships, the rough and ready motley crew must play ironman football against some of the best teams in the nation. Will their grit, resolve and determination save the day?

Nonfictional Facts: At the time this movie was made in 1991, Texas State University was considered fictional because there was no such place. However, in 2003, Southwest Texas State University became Texas State University. Although, the real TSU has the Bobcats as a mascot, not the Armadillos. Interestingly, the fictional Armadillos opened their season against an opponent called the Bobcats.

Poster Facts: If the movie poster looks familiar to you it should. The producers of “Necessary Roughness” modeled the poster after the one used for 1989’s “Major League” because that film was so successful. Now that you see them side-by-side though, “modelled” is putting it nicely. Let’s face it, the poster is a plagiarized rip off.

Colors Facts: The Armadillos’ green and white school colors are the same as those of the University of North Texas “Mean Green”. Most of the film was shot at UNT. I am familiar with UNT because their FBS program paid a half million dollars for my alma mater’s underfunded FCS football team to travel to Denton, Texas and beat the living crap out of them. In October of 2015, the Portland State Vikings spanked the University of North Texas 66 - 7. The 59-point spread is the biggest gap between an FBS and FCS team in college football history. The trouncing was so embarrassing that UNT fired its head coach immediately after the game.

Am I using this post for an excuse for some school pride? You’re damn right I am!

Incidentally, Portland State’s colors are also green and white.

“Billy Madison” (1995)

Adam Sandler plays grown man-child Billy Madison, slacker and heir to his father’s hotel empire. He spends all day lazing about and performing juvenile pranks with his vagabond pals. When Billy ruins an important dinner, embarrassing the party with his abominable behavior, Billy’s retiring father makes the decision that the company will be run by Eric, the company’s current vice president and Billy’s arch nemesis. Billy pleads with his father to think again, siting how well he did in school. His father reveals that he bribed school officials every grade since kindergarten for a passing grade. The two then strike a deal: If Billy Medison returns to school, passes each grade K - 12 in two weeks each, he will run the company.

Disliked Facts: Billy’s father Brian Madison (Darren McGavin) is accompanied by an associate, good natured Carl Alphonse, who worked his way up in the company from the very bottom and advocates for Billy. He’s played by actor Larry Hankin who reportedly disliked the movie as the puerile humor didn’t jive with him. He also didn’t like Adam Sandler, finding him immature. I wonder if Larry Hankin really knew what he was signing up for when he took this job.

Love and Hate Facts: It’s said that the children on the set really liked Adam Sandler, often playing with him. This makes sense as they were probably at about the same maturity level. However, during the dodgeball scene, Sandler did not hold back, nailing the children with the ball as hard as he could. The quick cuts observed in the scene are because the editor had to make them to avoid showing the children crying. Dang bro!

Bridgette Wilson Appreciation Facts: Bridgette Wilson-Sampras is beautiful, smart, talented and a fellow native Oregonian, so she gets her own fact post here. As a teen, Bridgette showed she had both beauty and brains. She was Miss Teen USA 1990 and won first prize in her high school’s science fair. Her project had something to do with the vitamin content of peppers at various cooking methods (nerd alert). Her first big film role was as Jack Slater's daughter Whitney in 1993’s “Last Action Hero” where, as a student athlete, she performed all of her own stunts. 1995 was a busy year for her. In addition to playing the love interest in “Billy Madison”, she also starred in “Higher Learning”, “Mortal Kombat” and “Nixon”. Bridgette married tennis pro Pete Sampras in 2000 and they’ve been married since with two children. She retired from acting in 2008 but emerged a few years ago to voice Sonya Blade the Mortal Kombat 11 video game.

Oh, and she’s left-handed.

“Never Been Kissed” (1999)

Speaking of beautiful and talented, Drew Barrymore plays Josie Geller in “Never Been Kissed”, a diffident editor in her mid-20s, who’s assigned to go undercover in a high school to report on the lives of teens. She gets the typical 90s “nerd turned hottie” makeover from her comedic brother Rob (David Arquette), but quickly reverts to the geeky persona that made high school so hard the first time. So difficult and humiliating, in fact, that Josie has never been in a serious relationship. Soon, Josie begins to fall for sophisticated English teacher Sam Coulson (Michael Vartan). As the deadline for the story looms, Josie must choose between love and career.

Flower Facts: This was the first film for Drew Barrymore’s own production company called Flower Films. Starting the company with Nancy Juvonen, other films produced were “Donnie Darko” and the “Charlie’s Angels” film franchise. Television shows include the popular “Santa Clarita Diet” and her own “The Drew Barrymore Show”.

Franco Facts: Everyone knows Oscar nominee James Franco now, but they didn’t in 1999. “Never Been Kissed” was Franco’s debut film. He had a fairly minor role as Jason, a member of the group of “cool kids”. The gang torments geeks, including Josie Gellar. Did you know that James attended UCLA and even interned at Lockheed Marting before dropping out as a freshman to pursue acting? It seems he’s the 0.0001% of the people that actually worked out for.

Fight Facts: The “Never Been Kissed” DVD menu intro is used at the start of the “Fight Club” Blu-ray menu opening. It’s meant to fake people out, thinking initially they got the wrong disk my mistake. It also alludes to Fight Club’s disdain for Hollywood culture, unrealistic romantic expectations, and consumerism. So, in essence, “Never Been Kissed” and “Fight Club” are 1999’s antitheses of each other.

If you’re heading back to school, I hope you get a chance to watch at least one of these films before you do. Are there any movies about adults returning to school that I missed? Let me know in the comments below. Also, consider signing up for The 80s and 90s Magazine newsletter for more content straight to your inbox. With that, I leave you with this quote:

“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.”

— B. B. King