SUMMER SCHOOL

US, 1987, 92 minutes, Colour.
Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley.
Directed by Carl Reiner.

Summer School is a comedy by Carl Reiner, director of so many of Steve Martin's comedies. It is a slight comedy, a farcical To Sir With Love. Television star Mark Harmon portrays a gym teacher asked to take remedial English during the summer holidays. He has an oddball group of unwilling students. Kirstie Alley is the attractive history teacher in the next room.

Needless to say the film shows the antics of the group - one is pregnant, one is dyslexic, one is Italian, two are absorbed by movies and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one is a male stripper at night., etc. Needless to say, they band together to support the teacher and do well in the final exams. Spasmodic humour.

1. Enjoyable American comedy? California? Types? Education? The tradition of To Sir With Love,?

2. California locations, the sea and the sunshine, the summer holidays? The schoolrooms? The use of special effects - especially horror after The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? The musical score, songs? The party, the night club, etc? The final song?

3. The title, the focus, the summer, education, teachers and students?

4. Freddie Shoop: gym teacher, about to go on holidays, his girlfriend going without him? Gil and his pressure to do the job? Unwilling? The meeting with the group, their taunting him? His lackadaisical attitude? The meeting with Robyn, attractive, clashes with her? The classes, the swearing, the chaos? Their going on the field trip and enjoying it? The attacks by Gil? The pressure of the parents? His getting to know each of the students, their troubles, the contract, giving them their wishes? The party and the uproar at home? The driving lessons? Pam moving in? Robyn's reaction? Her helping him with the students? Discovering their backgrounds? Prepared to go to jail for the two with the alcohol? The build-up to the climax, the principal letting him stay, the doing of the exams? The relative success of their studies? Teaching winning out in the end?

5. Robyn as attractive heroine? Good teacher? Relationship with Gil? Disgusted with him at the end? Fencing with Shoop?

6. Gill and his antagonism, wanting to get rid of Gil, the principal, ridiculing him? The new teacher - and the horror make-up performance? His keeping his cool? His not winning in the end? The principal and his listening to the parents, stances?

7. The group of students: Denise, her dyslexia, getting her driving licence, being able to read and improving in the exam? Pam and her absentmindedness, going surfing, her crush on Shoop, moving in and looking after him, growing up? Doing well? Larry and his always being asleep, the discovery that he was the stripper? David and Francis and their nicknames, out of control, the parody of the movies, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the act with the rabbits, the showing of the film, frightening the teacher with the make-up? Screening the Massacre? Their change, Francis' nightmare and the happy household? His father being proud of him? Jerome and his going to the bathroom, reappearing and doing the best? Rhonda and the baby, the football jock and his care for her, helping her with the birth? His father being proud of him? Anna-Maria? and her coming from Europe, into the spirit of things? Allen and his being clever, his grandmother, his being made the fool?

8. The various set pieces: classroom, the outing, the screening, the beach, the party?

9. The reality and unreality of this portrait of California? Students? Summer holiday? Willingness to learn?