The ’80s were an iconic era for comedy movies, from Stripes and Caddyshack to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Coming to America. The era was dominated by larger-than-life personalities and chief among them was the legendary Rodney Dangerfield.
Did we love him in Caddyshack and Easy Money? Absolutely. But if we’re talking about beloved Dangerfield roles, 1986’s Back to School is what sticks out like a sore thumb (or a giant stogie). The movie, which debuted 40 years ago today on June 13, 1986, earned itself one of the top spots on IMDB’s round up of the funniest movies of the ’80s decade.
1986’s ‘Back to School’ with Rodney Dangerfied
The 1986 comedy Back to School stars legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield as Thornton Melon, a brash and wildly successful businessman who realizes his son, Jason, is struggling both academically and socially at university. In a misguided yet well-intentioned attempt to support him, Thornton decides to enroll in the college himself.
What follows is a classic fish-out-of-water story where Thornton applies his signature “no respect” attitude and extravagant wealth to campus life, hiring experts to complete his assignments while partying harder than the undergraduates. Most importantly, the flick gave us plenty of Dangerfield’s famous, hilarious one-liners. (Bring us a pitcher of beer every seven minutes until somebody passes out. And then bring one every ten minutes.)
Fan and Critical Reception of ‘Back to School’
When Back to School rolled into theaters, it won over comedy fans at the box office and conquered the normally harsh critical establishment. The beloved film currently holds a spectacular 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that its legacy as a top-tier crowd-pleaser stands completely untarnished by time. Among its biggest champions was legendary film critic Roger Ebert, who handed the comedy a glowing three out of four stars.
In his review, Ebert deeply praised the film’s unexpected depth, noting that beneath Dangerfield’s loud, studied obnoxiousness was a rare, compelling sense of “pathos.” Ebert brilliantly compared Dangerfield to early talkie icons like Groucho Marx and W. C. Fields, writing that Dangerfield projected a certain fascinating mystery, acting as a man who “laughs that he may not cry.”
Rather than forcing him to play a standard “nice guy,” the film seamlessly folded Dangerfield’s real-world complexities right into Thornton Melon’s larger-than-life persona, creating a multi-layered masterpiece that critics simply couldn’t ignore.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Jun 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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