(Credit IMDb) To achieve his dream of attending Harvard, a pampered teen poses as a young black man to receive a full scholarship.
Yes, C. Thomas Howell was actually fairly relevant at one point. He's still a solid actor, but he's stuck in a hell called the Straight to DVD world. The storyline is so ludicrous and contrived, that it becomes enjoyable. Let me make this perfectly clear. Make sure you kick your brain to the curb. That is a necessity in order for you to enjoy this movie. I managed to put my brain to sleep, and I had fun. You would never, EVER see a movie like this made today. A man posing as a black person is extremely offensive. But this was the 80's, and things weren't so prohibited then. In all honesty, I wish they did make stuff like this today. As a reviewer pointed out, if this was a black man portraying a white man, nobody would have carped about it as much. It never takes itself very seriously, until the finale when it goes the typical "Pay for your mistake, learn from it, and get the girl" route, but as clichéd as it is, I had a huge smile on my face. Thomas Howell is solid as the lead. His commitment is commendable, and I have to give him credit for taking on such a wacky part. Rae Dawn Chong is as cute as a button. Her overly serious character is a bit annoying at first, but once she opens up, she is fun, and has good chemistry with Howell. James Earl Jones is fantastic as a professor, and steals many scenes. Leslie Nielsen has a bit part, which is fairly unmemorable, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Pre- Seinfeld fame, obviously) is in this as well. If you decide to watch this, and plan on picking it apart, I really question your sanity. Why watch something like this, knowing how goofy it is? It's a fairly fun movie, filled with glorious 80's cheese. I liked it
6.4/10
Yes, C. Thomas Howell was actually fairly relevant at one point. He's still a solid actor, but he's stuck in a hell called the Straight to DVD world. The storyline is so ludicrous and contrived, that it becomes enjoyable. Let me make this perfectly clear. Make sure you kick your brain to the curb. That is a necessity in order for you to enjoy this movie. I managed to put my brain to sleep, and I had fun. You would never, EVER see a movie like this made today. A man posing as a black person is extremely offensive. But this was the 80's, and things weren't so prohibited then. In all honesty, I wish they did make stuff like this today. As a reviewer pointed out, if this was a black man portraying a white man, nobody would have carped about it as much. It never takes itself very seriously, until the finale when it goes the typical "Pay for your mistake, learn from it, and get the girl" route, but as clichéd as it is, I had a huge smile on my face. Thomas Howell is solid as the lead. His commitment is commendable, and I have to give him credit for taking on such a wacky part. Rae Dawn Chong is as cute as a button. Her overly serious character is a bit annoying at first, but once she opens up, she is fun, and has good chemistry with Howell. James Earl Jones is fantastic as a professor, and steals many scenes. Leslie Nielsen has a bit part, which is fairly unmemorable, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Pre- Seinfeld fame, obviously) is in this as well. If you decide to watch this, and plan on picking it apart, I really question your sanity. Why watch something like this, knowing how goofy it is? It's a fairly fun movie, filled with glorious 80's cheese. I liked it
6.4/10