How I got into College

How I got into College

Yeah even cover sucks.

Let me say this first, this film was possibly the most painful movie watching experience since Gigli. Yes that was a Gigli reference; hopefully I’m not the only one that was tricked into seeing one of the worst movies in the twenty first century.

The film was directed by Steven Holland the same guy who directed Better Off Dead, a movie I couldn’t recommend more over this movie. Of all the teenage movies of the 80s I dare you to find a worse one. Interestingly enough I decided to see how much this trophy was selling for at Amazon which was just under five dollars, so it’s safe to say that this movie is in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart.

The story follows the life of two particular individuals, one the helpless romantic who decides that since he is madly in love with an uninteresting girl that he should do the only rational thing and try to follow her to college. The movie has a constant theme that teenagers are stuck in a world far too complex, confusing and demanding. Our star Marlon is so dull and vague it makes me wonder what the script writer was thinking. He does exactly as he is told and can barely speak for his self. He can’t pick a college, and when asked what activities he’s involved with he replies with a original “I don’t know, I played some ping-pong.” He has almost no relationship with his father and step mom. The movie never expands on the story and doesn’t tell us where his real mom is. It shows his parents focusing on their new child, but Marlon is unaffected. The movie pokes fun at the college entrance process, especially the SAT exam. The questions on the test are made into real live fantasy situations, as Marlon’s way of coping with his failure to be able to come up with an answer. Jessica, Marlon’s love interest, is supposed to be the attractive unattainable girl that Marlon is unable to speak too. Rather she ends up kissing Marlon without much effort on Marlon’s part. She is supposed to be an individual but every thing about her screams average. She's also is supposed to be the intelligent, good grade girl, as all her friends are making bad grades and are crying while taking the SAT. They are both worried about getting into their number one choice Ramsey. Ramsey is another part of the movie’s story. The combination of all these traits just don't work for this character. It shows the college’s struggle to attract great kids, not just focusing on the numbers and grades. The climax of the movie is the letter opening of both Marlon and Jessica to see if they have been accepted.

This movie could have been great, the teenage struggle to get into choice schools is one that affects most of the youths today. The film attempted to have a wacky, semi zany and almost hallucinogenic sense of humor, but in my honest opinion it failed in every aspect. Everything about this movie is 80s, the clothes, the music, the actors, and setting. Unfortunately none of this helps the movie, it only adds to the fact that the failure that is this movie is old enough to be an excuse. Stay away from this movie, if you want 80s teens there are many other choices.