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Back to School (1986)

Directed by Alan Metter · Cinematography by Thomas E. Ackerman

PG-1396 min135 frames

Comedy

He enrolled in college for the pursuit of finer things...like co-eds, shapely professors, fun and rock and roll.

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Stills, screencaps & shots from Back to School

16 of 135 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

Back to School (1986) movie still: wide — A tall concrete diving tower stands against an clear, open blue sky. A solitary man in swimming trunks…Back to School (1986) movie still: closeup — A domestic interior with a soft-focus background featuring a doorway and wall art. A middle-aged man…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — A crowded 1980s nightclub interior with dim lighting and vibrant neon accents. Multiple people dance…Back to School (1986) movie still: wide — An outdoor swimming pool complex is filled with spectators sitting on concrete stadium bleachers. The…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — A sunny outdoor pool deck with swimmers blurred in the background. Two middle-aged men converse while…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — An indoor room contains a massage table under an architectural slatted skylight. A man in a blue sweater…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — A classroom features a black chalkboard covered in handwritten cost analysis notes. A middle-aged man in…Back to School (1986) movie still: wide — A wood-paneled room features wall-to-wall bookshelves filled with books and a dark leather sofa. Three men…Back to School (1986) movie still: wide — A college lecture hall features rows of mustard-colored cushioned seats in a tiered arrangement. A group…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — Three men in formal attire sit at a red table before a swimming pool. The men hold up white scorecards…Back to School (1986) movie still: wide — A spacious wood-paneled hall features tall windows on one side and a long table. A man sits alone on a…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — A plain classroom features a black chalkboard, a wooden lectern, and rows of seats. A middle-aged man…Back to School (1986) movie still: wide — An outdoor aquatic facility features a large competition pool and a tall diving platform. A crowd of…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — A group of men stand under a brick-pillared outdoor shelter in matching red athletic wear. The men are…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — A dark blue Lincoln Town Car travels along a street with blurred green foliage nearby. A man in a suit…Back to School (1986) movie still: medium — A wood-paneled room features athletic pennants and a lit decorative beer sign on walls. Three men stand…
Back to School (1986) — © Orion Pictures, Paper Clip Productions

Back to School — official trailer

What is Back to School about?

Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon decides to get a better education and enrolls at his son Jason's college. While Jason tries to fit in with his fellow students, Thornton struggles to gain his son's respect, giving way to hilarious antics.

Back to School is a 1986 American comedy film starring Rodney Dangerfield, Keith Gordon, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Terry Farrell, William Zabka, Ned Beatty, Sam Kinison, Paxton Whitehead, Robert Downey Jr., M. Emmet Walsh, and Adrienne Barbeau. It was directed by Alan Metter. The plot centers on a wealthy but uneducated father (Dangerfield) who goes to college to show solidarity with his discouraged son Jason (Gordon) and learns that he cannot buy an education or happiness.

Second paragraph from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where can you watch Back to School?

US availability for Back to School (1986). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in Back to School?

Who made Back to School?

What does the cinematography of Back to School look like?

Sampled across 135 frames, the coverage of Back to School leans on medium shots (53% of the sample) and wide compositions (23%). Cinematographer Thomas E. Ackerman keeps 59% of it in soft, naturalistic light. This is largely a daylight film — 65% of the frames play in daylight. Focus stays shallow in 63% of the frames, isolating subjects from their surroundings. The production design places the film in the 1980s.

What is the color palette of Back to School?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of Back to School (1986) are #332f2c, #f7f6f6, #d2d0cb, #0c0c0b, #504e4a, #8e908d — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #332f2c
  • #f7f6f6
  • #d2d0cb
  • #0c0c0b
  • #504e4a
  • #8e908d

See the full Back to School colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

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