Summer School
A film that will forever be thought of as one of the best (and most unpretentious) comedies of the 80s is also a fascinating glimpse at what could have been if Mark Harmon (best known for his ultra-serious TV roles like NCIS) had pursued a more comedic path in his career when it comes to his choice of roles. As Freddy Shoop, slacker gym teacher corralled into teaching remedial English to a class of misfits, Harmon scores major points for making his character into a lovable lazy bum, especially the way his âbig kidâ attitude allows his students to relate to him better than they would your average teacher. With random comments and perfect laid-back outlook, Harmon would surely have been a big deal if he had channeled this persona into other comedy roles. As the teacher next store whom he falls for, Kirstie Alley also modestly underplays her part to a tee, with the film doing a fine job of establishing their friendship first and their romance second, and Robin Thomas as the uptight assistant principal out to get Shoop gets some good bits of his own, especially his bemused attitude during the legendary âClassroom Massacreâ sequence. As for the kids themselves, the actors are a mixed bag, with a few future semi-big names in the mix. As Chainsaw and Dave, Dean Cameron and Gary Riley became minor cult favorites in their own right, with their unabashed love of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and their Siskel and Ebert-style of critiquing movies and life; Courtney Thorne-Smith (with her beautiful blue eyes) is sweet as the laid-back surfer stoner chick who develops a serious crush on Shoop; JAG star Patrick Labyorteaux as the resident jock has a particularly hilarious bit at the end with his dad; Softcore porn star Ken Olandt plays the kid whoâs always sleeping in class with an outrageous secret; Shawnee âSawâ Smith makes her pregnant girl actually pretty sexy and accessible; and Fabiana âAlotta Faginaâ Udenio plays the gorgeous Italian exchange student that drives Chainsaw and Dave insane with lust. The only real kinks are Kelly Jo Minter playing your cookie-cutter black girl with attitude (and who is dyslexic), and voiceover star Richard Steven Horwitz, whose creepy nerd Eakian seems a bit overplayed. The filmâs gimmick of having Shoop grant his students âwishesâ in order to get them to study and make an effort may seem politically incorrect to the hardcore teaching types viewing the film, but it adds to the basis of the story that through this process, Shoop makes a positive difference in the kidâs lives even if not all of them manage to pass the big test at the end. In the end, a true feel-good comedy that is one of the best when it comes to just being able to make the viewer laugh and little moreâŚ
9/10