Ernest Goes to School (1994)

The sixth Ernest movie – a straight-to-video affair – was the only one not directed by advertising man John Cherry and was shot back-to-back with Ernest Rides Again during the summer of 1993.

The concept of the amiable idiot Ernest P Worrell returning to high school should have been fertile ground for humour, but the movie – written by Coke Sams and Bruce Arnston – is almost intentionally unfunny.

Rubbery-faced dimwit Ernest has to return to the school where he works as a janitor (Chickasaw Falls High School) because of a new requirement that all staff must be high school graduates. Ernest is too slow to make the grade, but fortunately, mad science teacher siblings Bobby (Bill Byrge) and Gerta (Linda Kash) have developed a machine – the Sub-Atomic Brain Accelerator –  which makes people temporarily smarter.

Subplots involve the school football team and the marching band. Unspecific bad guys want to close the school, but it can stay open if the football team wins and the band plays well. Ernest is a drum major in the band (“The Muskrats”) and his new superbrain somehow allows him to teach his fellow musicians to play better.

He also has a hand in improving the football team, but this sequence is too ridiculous to even mention . . .

As always, most of the humour involves Ernest getting hurt in some way and everyone else laughing at him.

For dedicated Ernest fans only . . .

Ernest P Worrell
Jim Varney
Gerta
Linda Kash
Bobby
Bill Byrge
Donald
Jason Michas
Maisy
Sarah Chalk
Rodney
Gabe Khouth
Miss Flugal
Corrine Koslo
Brad
Russell Porter
Russell
Will Sasso
Coach Decker
Duncan Fraser
Principal Procter
French Tickner
Axwell
Kevin McNulty
Coach Carson
Ron Robinson
Ms Nichols
Judith Maxie
Miss Cosgrove
Fran Gebhard
Frog Kid
Clint Bailie
Mr Peyton
William Samples
Miss Boyd
Betty Linde
Squint Westwood
David Keith
Chick Hansen
Bruce Arntson

Director
Coke Sams