The story:
Thornton Melon is a successful businessman who runs a chain of Tall & Fat stores. However, his latest marriage has hit the skids, and his son has started college, but isn't doing so great after all.
Thornton's solution? Go back to school, and get that education that he never finished, and get to be around his son a little more.
And naturally, fill a script with as much of Dangefield's charm and one-liners as possible.
The movie succeeds.
And not just as a Rodney Dangerfield stand-up routine. The rest of the cast is fairly fleshed out and they have repercussions for Thornton.
While Thornton's money gets him into college, it will take some brains to be able to stay there.
I would guess that looking at his filmography, this is the movie that helped begin Robert Downey Jr.'s rise to stardom. He had a few other bit parts before this, plus a year on Saturday Night Live.
But this film opened him up to a larger role on the silver screen, and he stole the spotlight as often as he could playing the role of "best friend".
Which would explain why he will be back on the countdown again, and Keith Gordon won't be.
Who's Keith Gordon? you ask.
Exactly!
No comments:
Post a Comment