Back to School (1986)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $91,258,000 | Details |
| OpusData ID: 4770100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $8,881,035 (9.7% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 10.28 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 1,605 opening theaters/1,751 max. theaters, 11.0 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $278,201,604 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | June 13th, 1986 (Wide) by Orion Pictures |
| Video Release: | June 26th, 2003 by MGM Video |
| MPA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Running Time: | 96 minutes |
| Plot point: | Rags to Riches |
| Social setting: | College |
| Subgenre: | Farcical / Slapstick Comedy |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Paper Clip, Orion Pictures |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1986 | 1 | $8,881,035 | 1,605 | $5,533 | $8,881,035 | 1 | |
| Jun 20, 1986 | 3 | $7,812,806 | -12% | 1,610 | $4,853 | $22,610,024 | 2 |
| Jun 27, 1986 | 2 | $6,839,183 | -12% | 1,751 | $3,906 | $34,046,705 | 3 |
| Jul 4, 1986 | 3 | $5,076,101 | -26% | 1,746 | $2,907 | $43,408,270 | 4 |
| Jul 11, 1986 | 3 | $5,265,743 | +4% | 1,713 | $3,074 | $51,869,162 | 5 |
| Jul 18, 1986 | 4 | $4,251,177 | -19% | 1,647 | $2,581 | $58,771,021 | 6 |
| Jul 25, 1986 | 6 | $3,597,684 | -15% | 1,434 | $2,509 | $64,746,064 | 7 |
| Aug 1, 1986 | 10 | $2,533,257 | -30% | 1,221 | $2,075 | $69,401,592 | 8 |
| Aug 8, 1986 | 12 | $2,054,973 | -19% | 1,089 | $1,887 | $72,958,091 | 9 |
| Aug 15, 1986 | 14 | $1,495,713 | -27% | 910 | $1,644 | $75,711,319 | 10 |
| Aug 22, 1986 | 13 | $1,202,918 | -20% | 779 | $1,544 | $77,905,620 | 11 |
| Sep 5, 1986 | 9 | $1,352,633 | 950 | $1,424 | $82,059,612 | 13 | |
| Sep 12, 1986 | 8 | $1,200,021 | -11% | 968 | $1,240 | $83,692,944 | 14 |
| Sep 19, 1986 | 8 | $1,227,879 | +2% | 963 | $1,275 | $85,321,242 | 15 |
| Sep 26, 1986 | 10 | $923,918 | -25% | 893 | $1,035 | $86,611,121 | 16 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1986 | 1 | $14,797,218 | 1,605 | $9,219 | $14,797,218 | 1 | |
| Jun 20, 1986 | 2 | $12,410,304 | -16% | 1,610 | $7,708 | $27,207,522 | 2 |
| Jun 27, 1986 | 2 | $11,124,647 | -10% | 1,751 | $6,353 | $38,332,169 | 3 |
| Jul 4, 1986 | 3 | $8,271,250 | -26% | 1,746 | $4,737 | $46,603,419 | 4 |
| Jul 11, 1986 | 3 | $7,916,425 | -4% | 1,713 | $4,621 | $54,519,844 | 5 |
| Jul 18, 1986 | 5 | $6,628,536 | -16% | 1,647 | $4,025 | $61,148,380 | 6 |
| Jul 25, 1986 | 6 | $5,719,955 | -14% | 1,434 | $3,989 | $66,868,335 | 7 |
| Aug 1, 1986 | 10 | $4,034,783 | -29% | 1,221 | $3,304 | $70,903,118 | 8 |
| Aug 8, 1986 | 12 | $3,312,488 | -18% | 1,089 | $3,042 | $74,215,606 | 9 |
| Aug 15, 1986 | 12 | $2,487,096 | -25% | 910 | $2,733 | $76,702,702 | 10 |
| Sep 5, 1986 | 9 | $1,785,944 | 950 | $1,880 | $82,492,923 | 13 | |
| Sep 12, 1986 | 8 | $1,600,440 | -10% | 968 | $1,653 | $84,093,363 | 14 |
| Sep 19, 1986 | 7 | $1,593,840 | n/c | 963 | $1,655 | $85,687,203 | 15 |
Leading
| Rodney Dangerfield | Thornton Melon |
Supporting
| Sally Kellerman | Dr. Diane Turner | |
| Burt Young | Lou | |
| Keith Gordon | Jason Melon | |
| Adrienne Barbeau | Vanessa | |
| Robert Downey, Jr. | Derek | |
| Sam Kinison | Prof Terguson | |
| Ned Beatty | Dean Martin | |
| Paxton Whitehead | Philip Barbay | |
| William Zabka | Chas | |
| M. Emmet Walsh | Swim Coach Turnbull | |
| Terry Farrell | Valerie | |
| Severn Darden | Dr. Barazini | |
| Robert Picardo | Giorgio |
Cameo
| Kurt Vonnegut Jr | Himself |
Supporting
| Edie McClurg | Marge Sweetwater | |
| Sarah Abrell | Sorority | |
| Dana Allison | Young woman | |
| Boris Aplon | Tony Meloni | |
| Nora Boland | Agnes | |
| Kimberlin Brown | Girl in the Dorm Halway | |
| Lisa Denton | Lisa | |
| Bob Drew | Contractor | |
| Holly Hayes | Girl in Crowd | |
| Jason Hervey | Younf Thornton | |
| Leslie Huntly | Coed | |
| James Ingersoll | Judge | |
| Michael McGrady | Player | |
| Santos Morales | Bartender | |
| Beth Peters | Mrs. Stuyvesant | |
| Phil Rubenstein | Executive | |
| Timothy Stack | Trendy man | |
| Steve Sweeney | Security Guard | |
| Stacey Toten | Hot Tub Girl | |
| John William Young | Executive | |
| Brad Zutaut | Petey | |
| Josh Saylor | student in Diane's class | |
| William Grauer | Drunken student | |
| Kristen Aldrich | Girl in Diane's class | |
| Beck LeBeau | Hot Tub Girl | |
| Tricia Hill | Lisa's friend | |
| Jill D. Merin | Girl at Dorm Party | |
| John James | Man in Stands | |
| Eric Alver | Student at Frat Party | |
| Theresa Lyons | Cashier | |
| Dallas Winkler | Rodette | |
| Lisa Le Cover | Rodette | |
| Kimberlee Carlson | Rodette |
Production and Technical Credits
| Alan Metter | Director | |
| Rodney Dangerfield | Story Creator | |
| Greg Fields | Story Creator | |
| Dennis Snee | Story Creator | |
| Steven Kampmann | Screenwriter | |
| Will Porter | Screenwriter | |
| Peter Torokvei* | Screenwriter | |
| Harold Ramis | Screenwriter | |
| Chuck Russell | Producer | |
| Estelle Endler | Executive Producer | |
| Michael Endler | Executive Producer | |
| Harold Ramis | Executive Producer | |
| Thomas Ackerman | Cinematographer | |
| David L Snyder | Production Designer | |
| David Rawlins | Editor | |
| Danny Elfman | Composer | |
| Robert P Cohen | Assistant Director | |
| David Rawlins | Second Unit Director | |
| Chuck Russell | Production Manager | |
| Linda Descenna | Set Decorator | |
| Frederick Moore | Second Unit Camera | |
| Durinda Wood | Costume Designer | |
| Ellis Cohen | Costume Supervisor | |
| Bill Nelson | Sound Mixer | |
| Gary Bourgeois | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Neil Brody | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Chris Carpenter | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Fred Judkins | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Tom C McCarthy | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Neil Burrow | Sound Editor | |
| Gordon Davidson | Sound Editor | |
| Mark S Gordon | Sound Editor | |
| James J Klinger | Sound Editor | |
| Jim Matheny | Sound Editor | |
| Don Walden | Sound Editor | |
| Dick Bernstein | Music Editor | |
| Bob Badami | Music Editor | |
| Hallie D'Amore | Make-up and Hair Designer | |
| Donna Barrett Gilbert | Make-up and Hair Designer | |
| Linda Goldner Perry | Music Supervisor | |
| Mark Leonard | Additional Music | |
| Richard Wolf | Additional Music | |
| Bobby Caldwell | Additional Music | |
| Randy Goodrum | Additional Music | |
| Wayne Perkins | Additional Music | |
| Caro Jones | Casting Director | |
| Melissa Skoff | Casting Director | |
| Dick Ziker | Stunt Coordinator | |
| Pete Antico | Stunts | |
| Greg Barnett | Stunts | |
| Todd Bryant | Stunts | |
| Hal Burton | Stunts | |
| Justin DeRosa | Stunts | |
| Tom Elliott | Stunts | |
| Richard Epper | Stunts | |
| Gary Epper | Stunts | |
| Allan Graf | Stunts | |
| Carlos A Herzer | Stunts | |
| Hugh Hooker | Stunts | |
| Hank Hooker | Stunts | |
| Gary Hymes | Stunts | |
| Anderson Martin | Stunts | |
| John C Meier | Stunts | |
| Don Charles McGovern | Stunts | |
| William Oliver | Stunts | |
| Noon Orsatti | Stunts | |
| Manuel Perry | Stunts | |
| Charles Picerni Jr | Stunts | |
| Steve Picerni | Stunts | |
| Carol Rees | Stunts | |
| Cyndi Lee Rice | Stunts | |
| Michael Runyard | Stunts | |
| Spike Silver | Stunts | |
| Dean Wein | Stunts | |
| Scott Wilder | Stunts |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $8,881,035 (9.7% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 10.28 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 1,605 opening theaters/1,751 max. theaters, 11.0 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $278,201,604 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | June 13th, 1986 (Wide) by Orion Pictures |
| Video Release: | June 26th, 2003 by MGM Video |
| MPA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Running Time: | 96 minutes |
| Plot point: | Rags to Riches |
| Social setting: | College |
| Subgenre: | Farcical / Slapstick Comedy |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Paper Clip, Orion Pictures |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1986 | 1 | $8,881,035 | 1,605 | $5,533 | $8,881,035 | 1 | |
| Jun 20, 1986 | 3 | $7,812,806 | -12% | 1,610 | $4,853 | $22,610,024 | 2 |
| Jun 27, 1986 | 2 | $6,839,183 | -12% | 1,751 | $3,906 | $34,046,705 | 3 |
| Jul 4, 1986 | 3 | $5,076,101 | -26% | 1,746 | $2,907 | $43,408,270 | 4 |
| Jul 11, 1986 | 3 | $5,265,743 | +4% | 1,713 | $3,074 | $51,869,162 | 5 |
| Jul 18, 1986 | 4 | $4,251,177 | -19% | 1,647 | $2,581 | $58,771,021 | 6 |
| Jul 25, 1986 | 6 | $3,597,684 | -15% | 1,434 | $2,509 | $64,746,064 | 7 |
| Aug 1, 1986 | 10 | $2,533,257 | -30% | 1,221 | $2,075 | $69,401,592 | 8 |
| Aug 8, 1986 | 12 | $2,054,973 | -19% | 1,089 | $1,887 | $72,958,091 | 9 |
| Aug 15, 1986 | 14 | $1,495,713 | -27% | 910 | $1,644 | $75,711,319 | 10 |
| Aug 22, 1986 | 13 | $1,202,918 | -20% | 779 | $1,544 | $77,905,620 | 11 |
| Sep 5, 1986 | 9 | $1,352,633 | 950 | $1,424 | $82,059,612 | 13 | |
| Sep 12, 1986 | 8 | $1,200,021 | -11% | 968 | $1,240 | $83,692,944 | 14 |
| Sep 19, 1986 | 8 | $1,227,879 | +2% | 963 | $1,275 | $85,321,242 | 15 |
| Sep 26, 1986 | 10 | $923,918 | -25% | 893 | $1,035 | $86,611,121 | 16 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1986 | 1 | $14,797,218 | 1,605 | $9,219 | $14,797,218 | 1 | |
| Jun 20, 1986 | 2 | $12,410,304 | -16% | 1,610 | $7,708 | $27,207,522 | 2 |
| Jun 27, 1986 | 2 | $11,124,647 | -10% | 1,751 | $6,353 | $38,332,169 | 3 |
| Jul 4, 1986 | 3 | $8,271,250 | -26% | 1,746 | $4,737 | $46,603,419 | 4 |
| Jul 11, 1986 | 3 | $7,916,425 | -4% | 1,713 | $4,621 | $54,519,844 | 5 |
| Jul 18, 1986 | 5 | $6,628,536 | -16% | 1,647 | $4,025 | $61,148,380 | 6 |
| Jul 25, 1986 | 6 | $5,719,955 | -14% | 1,434 | $3,989 | $66,868,335 | 7 |
| Aug 1, 1986 | 10 | $4,034,783 | -29% | 1,221 | $3,304 | $70,903,118 | 8 |
| Aug 8, 1986 | 12 | $3,312,488 | -18% | 1,089 | $3,042 | $74,215,606 | 9 |
| Aug 15, 1986 | 12 | $2,487,096 | -25% | 910 | $2,733 | $76,702,702 | 10 |
| Sep 5, 1986 | 9 | $1,785,944 | 950 | $1,880 | $82,492,923 | 13 | |
| Sep 12, 1986 | 8 | $1,600,440 | -10% | 968 | $1,653 | $84,093,363 | 14 |
| Sep 19, 1986 | 7 | $1,593,840 | n/c | 963 | $1,655 | $85,687,203 | 15 |
Leading
| Rodney Dangerfield | Thornton Melon |
Supporting
| Sally Kellerman | Dr. Diane Turner | |
| Burt Young | Lou | |
| Keith Gordon | Jason Melon | |
| Adrienne Barbeau | Vanessa | |
| Robert Downey, Jr. | Derek | |
| Sam Kinison | Prof Terguson | |
| Ned Beatty | Dean Martin | |
| Paxton Whitehead | Philip Barbay | |
| William Zabka | Chas | |
| M. Emmet Walsh | Swim Coach Turnbull | |
| Terry Farrell | Valerie | |
| Severn Darden | Dr. Barazini | |
| Robert Picardo | Giorgio |
Cameo
| Kurt Vonnegut Jr | Himself |
Supporting
| Edie McClurg | Marge Sweetwater | |
| Sarah Abrell | Sorority | |
| Dana Allison | Young woman | |
| Boris Aplon | Tony Meloni | |
| Nora Boland | Agnes | |
| Kimberlin Brown | Girl in the Dorm Halway | |
| Lisa Denton | Lisa | |
| Bob Drew | Contractor | |
| Holly Hayes | Girl in Crowd | |
| Jason Hervey | Younf Thornton | |
| Leslie Huntly | Coed | |
| James Ingersoll | Judge | |
| Michael McGrady | Player | |
| Santos Morales | Bartender | |
| Beth Peters | Mrs. Stuyvesant | |
| Phil Rubenstein | Executive | |
| Timothy Stack | Trendy man | |
| Steve Sweeney | Security Guard | |
| Stacey Toten | Hot Tub Girl | |
| John William Young | Executive | |
| Brad Zutaut | Petey | |
| Josh Saylor | student in Diane's class | |
| William Grauer | Drunken student | |
| Kristen Aldrich | Girl in Diane's class | |
| Beck LeBeau | Hot Tub Girl | |
| Tricia Hill | Lisa's friend | |
| Jill D. Merin | Girl at Dorm Party | |
| John James | Man in Stands | |
| Eric Alver | Student at Frat Party | |
| Theresa Lyons | Cashier | |
| Dallas Winkler | Rodette | |
| Lisa Le Cover | Rodette | |
| Kimberlee Carlson | Rodette |
Production and Technical Credits
| Alan Metter | Director | |
| Rodney Dangerfield | Story Creator | |
| Greg Fields | Story Creator | |
| Dennis Snee | Story Creator | |
| Steven Kampmann | Screenwriter | |
| Will Porter | Screenwriter | |
| Peter Torokvei* | Screenwriter | |
| Harold Ramis | Screenwriter | |
| Chuck Russell | Producer | |
| Estelle Endler | Executive Producer | |
| Michael Endler | Executive Producer | |
| Harold Ramis | Executive Producer | |
| Thomas Ackerman | Cinematographer | |
| David L Snyder | Production Designer | |
| David Rawlins | Editor | |
| Danny Elfman | Composer | |
| Robert P Cohen | Assistant Director | |
| David Rawlins | Second Unit Director | |
| Chuck Russell | Production Manager | |
| Linda Descenna | Set Decorator | |
| Frederick Moore | Second Unit Camera | |
| Durinda Wood | Costume Designer | |
| Ellis Cohen | Costume Supervisor | |
| Bill Nelson | Sound Mixer | |
| Gary Bourgeois | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Neil Brody | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Chris Carpenter | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Fred Judkins | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Tom C McCarthy | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Neil Burrow | Sound Editor | |
| Gordon Davidson | Sound Editor | |
| Mark S Gordon | Sound Editor | |
| James J Klinger | Sound Editor | |
| Jim Matheny | Sound Editor | |
| Don Walden | Sound Editor | |
| Dick Bernstein | Music Editor | |
| Bob Badami | Music Editor | |
| Hallie D'Amore | Make-up and Hair Designer | |
| Donna Barrett Gilbert | Make-up and Hair Designer | |
| Linda Goldner Perry | Music Supervisor | |
| Mark Leonard | Additional Music | |
| Richard Wolf | Additional Music | |
| Bobby Caldwell | Additional Music | |
| Randy Goodrum | Additional Music | |
| Wayne Perkins | Additional Music | |
| Caro Jones | Casting Director | |
| Melissa Skoff | Casting Director | |
| Dick Ziker | Stunt Coordinator | |
| Pete Antico | Stunts | |
| Greg Barnett | Stunts | |
| Todd Bryant | Stunts | |
| Hal Burton | Stunts | |
| Justin DeRosa | Stunts | |
| Tom Elliott | Stunts | |
| Richard Epper | Stunts | |
| Gary Epper | Stunts | |
| Allan Graf | Stunts | |
| Carlos A Herzer | Stunts | |
| Hugh Hooker | Stunts | |
| Hank Hooker | Stunts | |
| Gary Hymes | Stunts | |
| Anderson Martin | Stunts | |
| John C Meier | Stunts | |
| Don Charles McGovern | Stunts | |
| William Oliver | Stunts | |
| Noon Orsatti | Stunts | |
| Manuel Perry | Stunts | |
| Charles Picerni Jr | Stunts | |
| Steve Picerni | Stunts | |
| Carol Rees | Stunts | |
| Cyndi Lee Rice | Stunts | |
| Michael Runyard | Stunts | |
| Spike Silver | Stunts | |
| Dean Wein | Stunts | |
| Scott Wilder | Stunts |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.