Making the Grade

1984 "If you can't make it...fake it!"
5.6| 1h45m| R| en
Details

Lazy preppie Palmer Woodrow hires street-smart Eddie Keaton to go to school for him while he lives it up in Europe. Eddie falls in love with preppie gal Tracey, upsetting Biff, the Hoover Academy bully. When his bookie from the old neighborhood, Dice, comes to collect on Eddie's gambling debts and Palmer returns early from Europe, the scheme slowly starts to unravel. Soon, Eddie can't even tell whose side he's really on.

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Reviews

Steineded How sad is this?
Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
policy134 This is quite boring. When I first saw the trailer, I thought that this was in the same style as Animal House. True, there are some raunchy jokes but the plot shifts to a lesson on morals midway through and the laughs peter out. There are basically none in the second half.It's also funny to think about that this and The Breakfast Club is basically Judd Nelson's filmography. Maybe a few still remember his performance in New Jack City but up until Suddenly Susan what did he do that really sticks in your memory? Like all teen comedies, there has to be a slob. We get two here, one Palmer Woodrow and the Coach. Palmer Woodrow got on my nerves but luckily he is off screen for most of the second act. The Coach is great and Walter Olkewicz really was an interesting actor way back when. He did everything (Twin Peaks, The Client and comedies such as this).Gordon Jump basically repeated the character he got famous for on WKRP but he did it like it was all new to him. May he rest.Finally, the plot. Do you even care. Switched identities were hot at this point but for the life of me, I can't think of any movie that did it better than Trading Places. Oh, and Andrew Clay is in the movie too.
thedrumm This is one fantastic movie. It is still funny 20 plus years later. It is a shame they never made Tourista, the sequel to Making the Grade. Sure it is a 80s movie with all of the usual 80s fare, but it is worth watching. There are funny things in the background throughout the movie as well as great lines that you barely hear.For any comedy to be great, it needs at least one character that stands out. Judd Nelson was not character. He was overshadowed by the real Palmer Woodrow III, Dana Olsen. This as well as the money problems at the corporate level are probably why Tourista wasn't made. With the additions of Gordon Jump from WKRP in Cincinnati and Andrew Dice Clay, this movie will make you laugh. The Dice man actually does a good job in this movie. I know, I was shocked as well. In realistic terms, it isn't the greatest comedy of all time. However, it is a personal favorite, and you should enjoy it too.It is now on DVD, so get out there and watch it. See it soon!
gavin_imdb You have to take this movie for what it is and when it was released. The characters are likable and the dialogue doesn't try too hard to be funny; it just is.Granted, some of the appeal may be nostalgic at this point; it's hard to imagine how this looks to a first-time viewer today. OK, some parts are bound to be ridiculous; there is a break-dancing scene and accompanying music that are hopelessly dated... then again break-dancing does appear to be making a comeback.I'm not a huge Andrew Dice Clay fan, but this movie is where the "Diceman" character originated.The actor who plays Palmer Woodrow wrote the movie The Burbs, as it turns out.
iLoveLamp62 One of the best 80s teen movie made! almost the best but nothing compares to The Breakfast Club. Judd Nelson gives a great performance, he's cute and very funny, as always! I totally recommend renting out this movie! Hell go by it, it's really worth it! this movie deserves a 10 out of 10 as most of Judd Nelson movies do.