Prep school with the usual rich kids and some of their childish antics both mark another coming of age movie.Both Rob Lowe and a long-haired Andrew McCarthy are in the same room at school and become fast friends. It appears that each enjoys playing tricks on the other. Go know that when Lowe wants McCarthy to have an experience with the woman, that woman, Jacqueline Bisset, turns out to be Lowe's mother. You can imagine what occurs what Lowe finds this out.Cliff Robertson stars as Lowe's capitalist father. Is it any wonder that he has driven wife Bisset into the state of mind that she currently has?A tribute to the prep school years without the Mrs. Robinson connection.

What's with all the people calling this a modernized version of the Graduate? It does have similarities, but this also has its own mind as well. One thing that immediately caught my attention before deciding to watch this film was the amazing 80's cast. Many people in this movie had yet to experience their stardom at this juncture. Rob Lowe was just starting out, so was John Cusack, Alan Ruck, Andrew McCarthy, Virginia Madsen, among a couple others. It was neat to see them so young and inexperienced. I personally think this is a great film about the pressures of temptation, and the difficulty of high school. The two major story lines are Rob Lowe (Skip) and Andrew McCarthy's (Jonathan) friendship, and the love storyline between McCarthy & Jacqueline Bissett (Ellen) Yes. It does resemble Hoffman & Bancroft from the graduate a little bit, but I still thought it was pretty well done. The love scenes are fairly steamy, and McCarthy & Bissett were both professional, and didn't seem to be awkward as far as I'm concerned. Some of the pranks you'll see in this film are quite taboo at this day and age. Rob Lowe pulling a prank on Andrew McCarthy, involving Women's underwear comes to mind, as is a suicide gag that was done here in the beginning. It pushed the envelope a little bit, and honestly? I dug it quite a bit. Andrew McCarthy is solid for the most part. His character does some selfish things at times, and he's especially unsympathetic at the end with how he acts towards Rob Lowe. But he was likable 85% of the time. I've always felt McCarthy was a bit underrated. Rob Lowe is good as well. He can play a charismatic jock in his sleep, and he does it well again here. His character evolves slowly throughout the film and I ended up liking him a lot. Jacqueline Bissett is very sexy, and plays her role to perfection. I definitely felt for her at times. John Cusack shows off that dorkyish charm that he is well known for. The end fight sequence between Lowe & McCarthy is well staged, but a bit OTT. As I aforementioned previously, I was on Lowe's side, and McCarthy was a bit of a dick. Overall this is a very good coming of age film. I don't pay attention to picky critics. I focus on what I enjoy. It made me realize why I enjoy the 80's so much. 7.8/10

A film that seems too unsure how to set things in motion, as one minute we have a bratty, low brow teen comedy (like something out of 'Porky's') with surprisingly amusing gags and fooling about, but then it heads into something serious and in-depth (well it tries) mature handling on the material of forbidden love (similar to that of 'The Graduate') and the value of friendship. The two never quite balances out, which leaves it like your watching two different movies unsuccessfully spliced together. It's hard to pin point what it really wants to be, as by the end it finishes pretty much the same way it began.Jonathan the new senior student to a prep high school finds himself the butt-of-jokes with his dorm and room-mate Skip, but he gets his own back where respect is built. After being banned from a dance and the nearest girl's school, Skip gets Jonathan that night to go to a Chicago bar to hopefully pick-up and get laid. He meets the older Ellen and a steamy affair between them begins, but he keeps it secret about his true age. But she soon finds out about it, but the main twist of fate occurs when he realises who she really is.What goes on to be the film's main curiosity drive however would be that of the sensational cast involved (minor parts too), as there's some fresh faces who make their debuts and good performances by all. Andrew McCarthy (in his first role) is sensitively engaging, and truly one performance that you feel every embarrassing and awkward encounter along with him. Rob Lowe constantly chimes with suave personality and charm as the rich-kid room-mate. An enticing Jacqueline Bisset courageously pulls off her role as the Ellen and Cliff Robertson is solid as Skip's father Mr. Burroughs. Along for the ride are the agreeable John Cusack (debut performance), Alan Ruck and Virginia Madsen in a short, but downright memorable turn. The outstanding rapport between everyone clicks.Writers Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt do sketch out some effective moments (mainly the humour with some worthy pieces), among the not so. When it does go serious some situations are hard to grasp and take seriously even if it's done in the right temperament. What goes from quick-witted lines and crass visual gags then opens up to the awkward embarrassments' of sexuality for a novice. As what seems like a boy's wet dream (getting in on with an experienced lady to only brag about it) eventuates to more and feelings start to grow. However everything comes crashing down, after a disastrous chain of events that could see him lose a friend, destroy a dysfunctional family already on the rocks and be kicked out of school. But at the end we come to realise that these depressing occurrences have made those fragile people in the spotlight go onto examine their own lives. As the two boys come to blows, they go onto see the funny side to it all. Lewis John Carlino (his third and last directed film to date) has been comfortable penning the material over his career, does quite a resourceful job in the director's chair. He adequately keeps things moving and never gets to forceful in the execution of the material.'Class' is a fair achievement that's brought together by a committed cast.

I love the Brat Pack so any of the movies that they are in are a go for me, no matter how little ratings it got. I am drawn to it. There are so many favorites in this movie-Virginia Madsen, which I remember from Fire with Fire, another 80's flick, Alan Ruck, from Ferris Bueller, John Cusack, Andrew McCarthy, and Rob Lowe. All cool. I graduated 1988 so these are my kind of films!I love the way McCarthy gets back at Lowe. God that is so funny! Watch it if you get the chance!