Middle-aged Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is the poster boy for self-made millionaires. He’s taken his immigrant father’s humble tailor shop and turned it into a national chain of Tall & Fat Shops.
He went on from there to diversify until now he owns Melon Enterprises, a worldwide corporation.
Thornton Melon is far from being a stupid man and in fact is quite intelligent and street smart, despite his boorish, rude and crude manner.
His one great regret is that he never got a proper education, so he is determined that his beloved son Jason (Keith Gordon) will get one at the prestigious Grand Lakes University.
When Melon unexpectedly visits Jason at university, both their lives take a new course. Enrolling as a “freshman”, Melon Sr proves a most immature student but makes a big splash with lecturer Diane Turner (Sally Kellerman).
Co-written by Harold Ramis of Ghost Busters(1984) and Groundhog Day(1993) fame, this ham-fisted comedy has echoes of the 1960 Bing Crosby picture High Time, in which a wealthy middle-aged man returns to college to prove there’s life in the old dog yet.
Keith Gordon and Robert Downey Jr try hard as Dangerfield’s weedy son and his radical pal, but the standouts are English teacher Sally Kellerman and coach M Emmett Walsh.
Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Cohen) died at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, in October 2004 as a result of complications from heart surgery on 24 August. He was 82.
Thornton Melon
Rodney Dangerfield Jason Melon
Keith Gordon Diane Turner
Sally Kellerman Lou
Burt Young Derek
Robert Downey Jr Philip Barbay
Paxton Whitehead Valerie Desmond
Terry Farrell Vanessa
Adrienne Barbeau Dean Martin
Ned Beatty Coach Turnbull
M Emmet Walsh Chas
William Zabka Dr Barazini
Severn Darden Professor Terguson
Sam Kinison Marge
Edie McClurg Giorgio
Robert Picardo Kurt Vonnegut Jr
Kurt Vonnegut Jr
Director
Alan Metter
Video
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