Class (1983)
Prep School Pranks, Forbidden Affairs, and Painful Coming-of-Age
When shy Midwestern student Jonathan Ogner (Andrew McCarthy) transfers to an elite prep school, he catches the eye of his more confident roommate, Skip (Rob Lowe). Skip takes him under his wing teaching Jonathan the ropes socially, pushing him toward older women, and coaxing him into leaving his comfort zone. When Jonathan meets the glamorous Ellen Burroughs (Jacqueline Bisset) in a Chicago lounge, he doesn’t expect a romance but he especially doesn’t expect her to be Skip’s mother. What begins as a daring teenage fling turns into a messy web of jealousy, morality, loyalty, and betrayal, both for the boys and for Ellen, whose own dissatisfaction and emotional baggage complicate everything.
Tense and awkward moments collide with lighter prep-school hijinks: pranks, rivalry, the social hierarchies in dorm life, and the high stakes of reputation and romance. Director Lewis John Carlino alternates between comedic relief and emotional weight, letting scenes of cruel humor and youthful embarrassing moments buffet the audience, while the more serious threads like the fallout of betrayal, loneliness, and growing up lend the story depth. Class isn’t always comfortable, but its flawed characters and uneasy situations make its moments of poignancy more resonant.
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Genre: Coming of Age, Drama, Romance
Format: Lewis John Carlino
Rated: R
