Back to School

Back to School
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Alan Metter
Screenplay by	Steven Kampmann Will Porter Peter Torokvei Harold Ramis
Story by	Rodney Dangerfield Greg Fields Dennis Snee
Produced by	Chuck Russell
Starring	Rodney Dangerfield Sally Kellerman Burt Young Keith Gordon Adrienne Barbeau Robert Downey Jr. Sam Kinison Ned Beatty
Cinematography	Thomas E. Ackerman
Edited by	David Rawlins
Music by	Danny Elfman
Production company	Paper Clip Productions
Distributed by	Orion Pictures
Release date	June 13, 1986 (1986-06-13)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$11 million[1]
Box office	$91.3 million[2]

Back to School is a 1986 American comedy film starring Rodney Dangerfield, Keith Gordon, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Terry Farrell, William Zabka, Ned Beatty, Sam Kinison, Paxton Whitehead, Robert Downey Jr., M. Emmet Walsh, and Adrienne Barbeau. It was directed by Alan Metter. The plot centers on a wealthy but uneducated father (Dangerfield) who goes to college to show solidarity with his discouraged son Jason (Gordon) and learns that he cannot buy an education or happiness.

Kurt Vonnegut has a cameo as himself, as does the band Oingo Boingo, whose frontman Danny Elfman composed the score for the film. The University of Wisconsin–Madison was used as a backdrop for the movie, although it was called "Grand Lakes University". The diving scenes were filmed at the since-demolished Industry Hills Aquatic Club in the City of Industry, California.

Before the end credits, the message "For ESTELLE Thanks For So Much" is shown in dedication to Estelle Endler, one of the executive producers of the film, who died during production. She was Dangerfield's long-time manager, who helped him get into films such as Caddyshack.^[3]