Fresh
A bit bland compared to Reiner's Steve Martin comedies, but engagingly played.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Summer School
At Ocean Front High, what do they call a guy who cuts classes, hates homework, and lives for summer vacations? Teacher.
1987 · 1h 37m · PG-13
Comedy
Directed by
Carl Reiner
Overview
A high-school gym teacher has big plans for the summer, but is forced to cancel them to teach a "bonehead" English class for misfit goof-off students. Fortunately, his unconventional brand of teaching fun field trips begins to connect with them, and even inspires ardor in some.
Director and cast
- Carl Reiner Director
- Mark Harmon as Mr. Freddy Shoop
- Kirstie Alley as Ms. Robin Elizabeth Bishop
- Courtney Thorne-Smith as Pam House
- Shawnee Smith as Rhonda Altobello
- Dean Cameron as Francis 'Chainsaw' Gremp
- Robin Thomas as Vice Principal Phil Gills
- Gary Riley as Dave Frazier
- Kelly Jo Minter as Denise Green (as Kelly Minter)
- Ken Olandt as Larry Kazamias
- Richard Steven Horvitz as Alan Eakian
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
58%
Tomatometer
Rotten
Mr. Harmon has an easygoing attractiveness, but neither he nor anyone else seems comfortable with the film's antic pace. And for all its busyness, this comedy has no real focus, ricocheting from character to character with wearying abandon.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Rotten
Here are some of Summer School's favorite things: idiocy, illiteracy, irresponsibility, drunkenness, dumbness and debauchery. Piqued?
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Fresh
The moral is a sweet one: If you try, you never fail. The world is graded on a curve.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Rotten
A comedy so listless, leisurely and unspirited that it was an act of the will for me to care about it, even while I was watching it.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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