Note: The movie will be released March 22nd by Olive Films (www.olivefilms.com).
Here’s another effort that passed me by during its original release. Making the Grade was clearly an attempt by Cannon Films to create a rowdy comedy in the vein of National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) and Caddyshack (1980). Like most knock-offs, it isn’t nearly as effective, although it does earn random laughs here and there and is an amusing time capsule of its era.
Perhaps the movie’s biggest coup was in landing future star Judd Nelson. This was only the second credit for the actor and his first in a lead role. He plays Eddie Keaton, a ruffian who lives in a vintage car, permanently parked in an alley. As the credits roll, he dances out of his vehicle and down the street to start his day. It’s pretty hilarious. Obviously, we’re supposed to think of the character as cool guy “living on the edge,” (as the theme music reminds us) but the sequence itself is preposterous. Anyway, we soon learn that our hero owes several thousand dollars to a loanshark named ‘Dice’ (Andrew Dice Clay). What Eddie spent it on and why Dice’s thugs can’t seem to find Eddie’s stationary home is anyone’s guess.
Regardless, our hero runs into rich and obnoxious prep school student Palmer Woodrow (Dana Olsen), who’d rather tour Europe than attend class. Palmer agrees to pay Eddie $10,000 to go to class and earn the degree for him. Of course, the protagonist can’t help but standout in a group of rich kids. This means making enemies of egotistical bully Bif (Scott McInnis) and falling for the oaf’s girlfriend/horseback riding enthusiast, Tracey (Jonna Lee). Tracey explains that she just want to meet an honest and genuine guy. I should mention that she falls head over heels for Eddie after witnessing him break-dance at a school mixer (that’s all it takes to be genuine, I suppose).
Along the way, Eddie befriends his schoolmates. His free-spirited manner creates chaos, resulting in numerous parties and pranks. All of this is met with chagrin by the dean, Mr. Harriman (Gordon Jump). Truthfully, it’s a scattershot affair. While much of it is amusing, it is enjoyable in more of a strange, dated sort of way. There are a few politically incorrect jabs. The story itself isn’t anything original. There isn’t much in the way of tension and we’re never really concerned about the main character getting caught. As far as drama, the romance is particularly silly and preposterous; the goofy stares of love, brief conflicts and heartfelt talks between Eddie and Tracey will likely induce snickering from viewers.
Still, there are a few laughs that are genuine and intentional. He only appears briefly, but Woodrow is entertainingly obnoxious, particularly when brushing his teeth with beer or taking wild swings on the golf course. A chase that follows on the links earns a couple of chuckles too, with characters stopping the pursuit to allow golfers to play through. A couple of the party scenes are appropriately raucous. One brief moment involves a dejected loner scampering off of the dance floor after a slow song starts up. Another features an entertainingly bizarre dance from the ‘Dice’ character.
The blu-ray boasts a strong image that is much better than anticipated. In fact, it probably looks better than it ever did on the big screen. It’s a generally sharp looking transfer, highlighting the Memphis locations as well as the garishly bright 80s fashions. The characters walk around in loud, neon greens and yellows, with vibrant reds popping out of the screen.
Regardless of whether it works in the way intended or doesn’t, it’s always engaging on some level. It’s also interesting that so many of the cast members went on to bigger things. Judd Nelson would become a star the following year for his work in The Breakfast Club (1985) and would appear in titles like St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), Blue City (1986) and the recent hit series, Empire. Andrew Dice Clay recently co-starred in the Woody Allen film Blue Jasmine (2013). Dan Schneider, who plays an awkward kid named Blimp, would go on to co-star in the hit TV series Head of the Class (1986-91) and is now a busy writer in Hollywood. Dana Olson wrote features like The ‘Burbs (1989) and George of the Jungle (1997); he and Schneider are co-creators and writers of the current Nickelodeon series, Henry Danger.
In true Golan-Globus tradition, the end credits boast of a upcoming sequel featuring the two lead characters called Tourista. Ultimately, Cannon didn’t make enough money off of Making the Grade to see the follow-up to fruition. In the end, this movie isn’t a comedy classic, but Brat Pack fans or viewers looking for an 80s nostalgia trip might want to at least check it out.