Class

Summary

“Do you ever wonder if your parents still do it?”

Over the last few months, you may have noticed that I have been reviewing some catalog MGM titles for the site. MGM has recently made the surprising decision of releasing some of their catalog titles onto Blu-ray, many of which were released at some point on the defunct Olive Films label or Twilight Time label in the past. These have been no-frills releases which typically just feature the film itself without any special features. Most of the time, the master used is also older, and the film is typically housed on a 25-GB disc, but these releases have allowed film collectors to snatch up copies of numerous titles that had become fairly pricey after they went out of print. In the case of Class, Olive Films had previously released the film on Blu-ray in 2016. MGM releasing Class on Blu-ray right now makes good sense considering that Andrew McCarthy has just experienced some success with his documentary film Brats focusing on his experience in the Brat Pack. Class is a light comedy-drama from director Lewis John Carlino. John Carlino was probably better known as a writer than a director because he only directed two other films (The Great Santini, and The Sailor who Fell From Grace with the Sea.) Despite having seen a lot of the movies from that era, Class was new to me. I was more than happy to check it out.

Academic teenager Jonathan (Andrew McCarthy) gets dropped off at a bus station by his very proud working class parents. Jonathon arrives at his prep school, which he has received a scholarship to attend, carrying a large suitcase behind him. He meets his roommate Skip (Rob Lowe,) who is wearing a bathrobe. They exchange pleantries, and Jonathan is shocked when Skip calmly disrobes and is wearing women’s underwear. Skip explains that it is a tradition for seniors and gives Jonathan some panties to go put on so they can head outside. Skip locks Jonathan outside in just the bra and panties, which gets a big laugh from the kids on campus. This is a betrayal, but just a joke. Jonathan returns the joke with another prank. This makes them friends, but also puts them on the radar of the Dean. They grow close enough that they confide in each other, and Jonathan lets Skip know that he cheated on the SAT. This can never get out, because this is Jonathan’s big chance at getting a scholarship to an Ivy League school. One night, on Skip’s advice, and on his $100, Jonathan goes to Chicago to try to find a woman for the night. He has a wild night, but he accidentally beds his roommate’s mother, Ellen (Jacqueline Bisset.)

Class is a slight but enjoyable comedy-drama. It has a good cast with Andrew McCarthy, Rob Lowe, Jacqueline Bisset in lead roles along with a lot of up and coming talents such as John Cusack, Virginia Madsen, and Alan Ruck all feature in small roles. Cliff Robertson is reliably good as Ellen’s husband. The direction of the picture by Lewis John Carlino is also pretty solid. The cinematography by Ric Waite is understated but effective. There are a few issues that keep the film from fully reaching its potential. First off, one of the most beautiful women of that era was given one of the worst hair jobs imaginable. I mean… big curly hair for Jacqueline Bisset? This was a sin. All one needs to do is compare stills from this film with her look in Under the Volcano to realize what a terrible decision was made here. That is a minor gripe with the film. The bigger issues are in the script by Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt that seems to soft pedal a good premise. For example, why did the screenwriters make the character of Jonathan poor? He never does a single action that is below middle class for the entire duration of the film, so this seems like a choice that could have been discarded. With a title of a film like Class, an audience member would imagine class issues would really matter in the film. That is not the case. Jonathan is constantly doing expensive things and there is no real divide portrayed between himself and Skip in any meaningful way. The whole film is similarly well-intentioned and underwritten. The film is an enjoyable diversion, but it rings just a little bit hollow and uneven. I enjoyed watching Class, but can also understand why it is not celebrated in the same way as a John Hughes film.

Video

MGM has presented Class in 1080p using an MPEG-4 AVC encode in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The master used is not a new master, and is more than likely the same master provided to Olive Films for their 2016 Blu-ray. While the master is not new, I thought the picture looked pretty decent overall. Fine detail is pretty good and cinematographer Ric Waite has a pretty good eye. There are some occasional compression issues that crop up, which is not totally surprising on a 25GB disc. I think that fans of the picture will still be pretty happy with this release even if there is room for improvement.

Audio

MGM’s DTS-HD MA 2.0 track presents the film pretty well. As a stereo track, the immersion only goes so far, but I had no issue hearing the dialogue or admiring the score by Elmer Bernstein. This track represents the original sound design capably.

Supplements:

• There are no supplements.

Overall Scores:

Video – 3.5/5 

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – 0/5

Overall – 3.5/5

Class is a comedy-drama from 1983 that features a solid cast and good direction, but the script itself can not quite live up to the premise where a blue collar prep school kid dates his white collar prep school roommate’s mother. The film is not bad by any means, it is just a little bit hollow and undercooked. MGM has given fans of the film another chance to own the picture, which was originally given a Blu-ray release by Olive Films in 2016. The transfer of the film comes from an older master, but it still looks pretty good. As a time capsule, the film is definitely enjoyable, but it is not one of the better comedies or dramas of that era.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.