How I Got Into College (1989)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Savage Steve Holland

Writer (WGA):

Terrel Seltzer (written by)

Release Date:

19 May 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

The simple story of two young Michigan high school students, Jessica, Class President, Local Smart Girl...

Plot Keywords:

College | Beautiful Woman | College Entrance | Reference To Ed Mcmahon

Cast

Anthony Edwards	...	Kip Hammett
Corey Parker	...	Marlon Browne
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Jessica Kailo
Finn Carter	...	Nina Sachie
Charles Rocket	...	Leo Whitman
Christopher Rydell	...	Oliver
Gary Owens	...	Sports Announcer (voice)
Brian Doyle-Murray	...	Coach Evans
Tichina Arnold	...	Vera Cook
Bill Raymond	...	Flutter
Philip Baker Hall	...	Dean Patterson
Nicolas Coster	...	Dr. Phillip Jellinak, Sr.
Micole Mercurio	...	Betty Kailo
Robert Ridgely	...	George Kailo
Richard Jenkins	...	Bill Browne
Bill Henderson	...	Detroit High School Coach
Helen Lloyd Breed	...	Chancellor Joanna Holbrook
Nora Dunn	...	Francine Bauer, SAT Coach
Phil Hartman	...	Bennedict, SAT Coach
Bob Eubanks	...	Himself
Susan Krebs	...	Mrs. Wyler, Guidance Councilor
O-Lan Jones	...	Sally O'Connor
Maya Lebenzon	...	Amy, Jessica's Friend #1
Annie Oringer	...	Kelly, Jessica's Friend #2
Dee Booher	...	Female Wrestler (as Queen Kong)
Diane Franklin	...	Sharon Browne
Bruce Wagner	...	A
Tom Kenny	...	B
Taylor Negron	...	Mailman
Fran Bennett	...	Mrs. Cook
Duane Davis	...	Ronny Rawlson
Adam Silbar	...	Phillip Jellinak, Jr.
Marlene Warfield	...	Librarian
Edward Mehler	...	Astonished Boy
Daniel William Carter	...	Egghead
Marisa DeSimone	...	Egghead
Gregg Binkley	...	Egghead
Larry Spinak	...	Startled Boy
Willie Smith	...	Willie Browne
Phill Lewis	...	Earnest Boy
Stella Hall	...	Woman with Lasso
Morris Wilkes Jr.	...	Smart Aleck
Leon Fan	...	Asian Student
Emily Munson	...	Laurie Thomas, Twin #1
Sara Munson	...	Terry Thomas, Twin #2
Richard Steven Horvitz	...	Young Energizer
Vernetta R. Jenkins	...	Cassandra
James McIntire	...	Army Recruiter
Jim Painter	...	Lone Star State Recruiter
Tara Vessels	...	Waitress
Ashleigh Harris	...	Kiddie Koral Girl #1
Juliet Sorcey	...	Kiddie Koral Girl #2
David McCoy	...	McDonald's Employee
Hope Marie Carlton	...	Game Show Hostess
Rebecca Ferratti	...	Game Show Hostess
Lisa Fuller	...	Game Show Hostess
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Curtis Armstrong	...	Arcadia Bible Academy Recruiter (uncredited)
Arthur Lamont Berger	...	Princeton Graduate (uncredited)
Aaron Michael Lacey	...	High School Senior (uncredited)
Dan Schneider	...	Pessimistic Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Savage Steve Holland

Writing credits (WGA)
Terrel Seltzer		(written by)

Produced by
Elizabeth Cantillon	....	co-producer
James Herbert	....	associate producer
Michael Shamberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Joseph Vitarelli

Cinematography by
Robert Elswit

Film Editing by
Kaja Fehr
Sonya Sones Tramer

Production Design by
Ida Random

Art Direction by
Richard Reynolds

Set Decoration by
Kathe Klopp
Richard Reynolds		(chief decorator)

Costume Design by
Taryn De Chellis

Makeup Department
Ken Chase	....	makeup artist
Michael Mills	....	assistant makeup artist
Susan Zietlow-Maust	....	hair stylist (as Susan Maust)

Production Management
James Herbert	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Fonteyn	....	second assistant director
Nina Halvorsson	....	second second assistant director (as Nina Halvorsen)
David Newman	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Paul Ahrens	....	assistant property master
Robert A. Blackburn	....	construction foreman (as Bob Blackburn)
William 'W' Gilpin	....	construction coordinator: Los Angeles re-shoot
James Hegedus	....	illustrator
Mike Holowach	....	property master (as Michael Holowoch)
Douglas E. Maxwell	....	lead person (as Doug Maxwell)
Randy Ortega	....	paint foreman

Sound Department
Petur Hliddal	....	sound mixer
Tom Mar	....	cable person
James M. McCann	....	boom operator
Dennis C. Salcedo	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis R. Cooper	....	special effects
Greg C. Jensen	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Randy Lamb	....	stunts
Pistol Pete Marquez	....	stunts
Mike Washlake	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Perry Adleman	....	second assistant camera
Larry J. Aube	....	key grip (as Larry Aube)
David Barrow	....	grip
Bill Bumby	....	dolly grip
David Canestro	....	best boy grip
John T. Connor	....	camera operator: second unit (as John Connor)
John Donnolly	....	grip
Jimmy Godber	....	lamp operator (as Jim Godber)
David A. Harp	....	second assistant camera (as David Harp)
Len Hekel	....	still photographer
Paul Maibaum	....	camera operator
Kim Marks	....	camera operator
Joe Muttillo	....	grip
Angelo Pacifici	....	camera operator
Keith Pallant	....	lamp operator
Jack S. Schlosser	....	gaffer (as Jack Schlosser)
Steve Tate	....	Steadicam operator (as Stephen Tate)
Mike Thomas	....	first assistant camera
Edward R. Thompson Jr.	....	best boy electric (as Edward Thompson)
Frank D. Tobin	....	lamp operator (as Frank Tobin)

Casting Department
Danielle Eskinazi	....	casting associate
Pat Golden	....	additional casting: Chicago
Franklyn Warren	....	extras casting (as Franklin Warren)
Ronnie Yeskel	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pamela Berggren	....	set costumer
Phyllis Corcoran-Woods	....	costume supervisor
Dennis Fill	....	costume supervisor (as Dennis M. Fill)
Maurice Palinski	....	set costumer (as F. Maurice Palinski)

Editorial Department
John Currin	....	assistant editor
Julie Monroe	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jorge Del Barrio	....	orchestrator (as George Del Barrio)
Mark Green	....	music editor

Transportation Department
William Ballard	....	transportation captain (as Bill Ballard)
Skip Wilson	....	transportation coordinator (as Frederick 'Skip' Wilson)

Other crew
Faye Brenner	....	script girl
David Brooks	....	production accountant
Kimberly Felix	....	production assistant
Jacqueline George	....	production coordinator
Shelley Kirkwood	....	unit publicist
Taman McCall	....	location manager
Kathryn Mindala	....	assistant accountant (as Kathy Mindala)
Heidi O'Hara	....	assistant: Mr. Holland
Harlie Random	....	production assistant
Leslie A. Reynolds	....	production secretary
Pedro J. Rosaly	....	accounting assistant
Tony Schwartz	....	production assistant
Jack E. Herman	....	extras set coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Other Companies

• Alderman and Andreas Casting  additional casting
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Otto Nemenz International  camera equipment provided by
• The Sound Choice  sound editing
• VCE  titles and opticals

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The marching band that chases Marlon through the college fair is the Matador Marching Band of California State University, Northridge.

Goofs:

Continuity: Jessica thinks she's blown the interview and rips open her shirt, she then runs out of the office holding her shirt closed with Marlon only a few seconds behind her. However when Marlon catches up to her, the shirt is perfectly buttoned up even though she didn't have any time to button up.

Quotes:

Francine Bauer, SAT Coach: [about the SAT test] Guessing cannot hurt you. You have the B&B guarantee on that. Just close your eyes and point.

Movie Connections:

References "Wheel of Fortune" (1975)

Soundtrack:

What I Like About You

Oh those darn college applications!

This is an amusing story that highlights that blasted college admissions process. The story follows several soon-to-be high school graduate's plans for the future. For Marlo (Parker), it's going to whatever school his dream girl Jessica (Flynn Boyle) is going to. For Oliver, it's giving into the white line fever and experiencing life Jack Kerouac style with the possibility of meeting "renegade game show hostesses" on the side. But, for most of the students in the movie, it is all about getting into college. We see the whole bit of it, taking the SATs, college recruitment day, college prep programs, and the dreaded admissions interview.

It's quite an amusing exageration of the whole process, and probably more likely so for kids actually going through the college application process. Although, the movie, at least for me, is sometimes funny and sometime not so funny, on the multiple occassions that I have seen it. I like the idea of the living SAT's with the fate of word problem person A and B resting on Marlo's selection of answers. I like the running gag about admitting a pig among the admissions officers. Despite the fact that the actors are too old to play teenagers (except Oliver and Wanda), it is a nice little movie about kids stuck in a nerve wracking situation hoping to just make it through things.