Film

Summer School

Name: Summer School
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1987
Cast: Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Robin Thomas, Patrick Labyorteaux, Courtney Thorne-Smith

Comedy
Light-hearted

A 1987 comedy about a gym teacher stuck teaching summer school English to delinquents and dreamers. It's loose, silly, and deeply comfortable in its own skin—the kind of film where plot barely matters compared to watching likeable people bumble toward connection. Affectionate rather than sharp, it rewards those who loved the amiable chaos of films like Stripes or Police Academy.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like broad, good-natured 1980s teen comedies where the fun comes from goofy misfits and a teacher who is more kid than adult, and you don't mind the plot being a clothesline for gags.

Skip it if you want sharp writing or a story that keeps its feet on the ground; this one leans on slapstick, predictable set pieces and a fairly thin sense of consequence.

What it asks of you: Ninety-seven minutes of easy, episodic comedy with little to track beyond the next bit, so you can drift in and out without losing the thread.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Police Academy1984

The DNA is identical: misfit ensemble, authority figure learning to love chaos, jokes that land on volume and goodwill rather than wit. It's got the same generous spirit and commitment to letting every character matter.

But The sequels wore this premise thin, and knowing that history can make the original feel less fresh than it actually is.

Stripes1981

Bill Murray and Harold Ramis mastered the art of the likeable slacker comedy here. Same ethos as Summer School: take misfits seriously enough to let them grow, laugh at the absurdity without cruelty.

But It's dated in ways that might grate—the gender politics haven't aged well, and some pacing drags in the middle.

My Science Project1985

Another '80s ensemble comedy about teenagers defying authority through good vibes and accidents. Shares Summer School's warmth and belief that regular kids can be interesting without needing to be Cool.

But The sci-fi plot is genuinely silly even by '80s standards, and feels tacked on rather than earned.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Summer School

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Breakfast Club1985

Both films believe their misfits deserve dignity and growth. The Breakfast Club proves that when you remove the jokes and just sit with the characters, there's genuine ache there.

Where Summer School's DNA comes from—but turned serious. Same structure (authority, delinquents, learning to see each other), but John Hughes excavates the pain underneath the comedy. If you loved the heart in Summer School, this shows where that came from.

But It's earnest in a way that can feel heavy-handed now, and there's a stretch in the middle where the tone almost collapses.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High1982

An earlier blueprint for the ensemble high-school comedy. It's smarter and sharper than Summer School, but has that same generosity toward its characters—they're real people, not just sketches.

But It's considerably grittier, and spends time on the heartbreaks between the laughs. Tonal whiplash if you want pure fun.

Porky's1981

A messy, joyful ensemble comedy that gets compared to Police Academy. Good-hearted pranks, genuine friendships under the gross-out humor, no one gets left behind in the narrative.

But The sexual humour leans crude even for its era, and the film's pretty comfortable with how much it objectifies its female characters.

Bachelor Party1984

Tom Hanks leading a group of friends through escalating chaos with genuine warmth underneath. Another film that believes its ensemble characters deserve your investment, not just your contempt.

But The party-movie premise means it wallows in '80s excess sometimes, and the pacing gets chaotic in ways that feel more indulgent than funny.

Revenge of the Nerds1984

Takes its misfits seriously in a way that feels almost radical. The film genuinely cares about its characters' dignity and community, which keeps the comedy grounded and human.

But The second half leans too hard on surprisingly dark plot points, and some jokes have aged into uncomfortable territory.

Coming Home1978

If you want to see Mark Harmon in a completely different register—a dramatic lead in a serious film about Vietnam, marriage, and consequence. Proof he can disappear into any role.

But It's heavy, slow, and emotionally devastating in ways Summer School deliberately avoids. Not the same film at all.

Troop Beverly Hills1989

A late-'80s ensemble comedy with the same DNA: authority figure learning to love misfits, found family, everyone gets a moment to shine. Slightly more polished than Summer School but same warmth.

But It's very specifically pitched at children and families in ways that might feel saccharine if you're not in the mood for that.

Heathers1989

Both use high schools and comedy to explore belonging and status. Heathers asks what happens when community turns predatory—Summer School's photo negative.

A high-school ensemble comedy, but turned inside out—dark, vicious, genuinely shocking. Same era, same setting, completely opposite moral universe. Shows what happens when you strip away the goodwill Summer School runs on.

But It's genuinely upsetting and nasty. If you watch this hoping for warmth, you'll feel betrayed. The film means that.

My Bodyguard1980

Where Summer School finds connection through comedy and chaos, My Bodyguard finds it through quiet loyalty. Both believe that misfits deserve witnesses to their lives.

A quieter, more serious film about misfits finding friendship and protection in a harsh institution. No big laughs, but the same emotional architecture—two people no one expects to matter learning they matter deeply.

But It's melancholic and slow. There's no scene where chaos saves the day, just two kids figuring out how to survive together.