Deborah Thalberg | 80's Movie Guide

Taglines: The good news is, Jonathan's having his first affair. The bad news is, she's his roommate's mother! Class movie storyline. Jonathan, a naive country boy, gets a scholarship to a classy prep school, where he rooms with suave, rich and handsome Skip. Skip decides it is his duty to see that Jonathan loses his virginity, so he sends Jonathan to Chicago, where Jonathan meets Ellen, a beautiful older woman, and they be- gin an affair which ends abruptly when Ellen discovers Jonathan is 17. During Christmas break, Jonathan visits Skip's house and discovers that Ellen is Skip's mother. Ellen tells Jonathan to leave when he rejects her advances, but then begins calling him and begging to see him. Finally, Jonathan agrees to meet her and plans to end the affair, but Ellen seduces him--and that's when Skip, who followed Jonathan, discovers them. Class is a 1983 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Lewis John Carlino, starring Jacqueline Bisset, Rob Lowe and Cliff Robertson, and is also the film debut of Andrew McCarthy, John Cusack, Virginia Madsen, Lolita Davidovich, Casey Siemaszko, and Alan Ruck. About the Story When Jonathan Ogner (Andrew McCarthy) first shows up to prep school, he is laughed at for wearing his school uniform. He then goes up to his dorm and meets his new roommate (Rob Lowe), who introduces himself as Squire Franklin Burroughs IV but tells Jonathan to call him "Skip." Skip then takes off his trench coat and is shown to be wearing a red bra and girls' underwear. He explains to the shocked Jonathan that it isn't what it looks like and that it's a tradition for the seniors to parade around campus wearing only girls' underwear. When Jonathan doesn't have any, Skip gives him a set that he had in his dresser. Skip and Jonathan travel out of the dorm together until they get to the final door where Skip stays behind and locks the door. The other students begin to laugh and mock Jonathan for wearing girls' underwear. Mortified, Jonathan attempts to flee the scene. After discovering that Skip has locked all the doors, Jonathan climbs a trellis that leads into his dorm where he finds Skip lying on the floor laughing hysterically. Skip tries to tell Jonathan that it was all just a practical joke and to just laugh it off, but Jonathan is too embarrassed to see the humor. Later, during lunch time in the cafetaria, the other students again begin to taunt Jonathan as he tries to eat his meal. When Skip invites Jonathan over to his table to sit with him and his friends, Jonathan turns to reveal that he is crying from shame. Skip is now deeply remorseful for having played such a prank on Jonathan as he sees Jonathan flee the cafeteria. When Skip returns to their room to apologize to Jonathan he finds Jonathan hanging with a rope around his neck in an apparent suicide. Skip goes to get help, but when he returns to the room where Jonathan hanged himself, Skip and the gathering crowd find not Jonathan but a mannequin with a picture of the Dean's face attached to its head. The crowd begins to laugh hysterically at Skip as the Dean says he wants to see both Skip and Jonathan in his office. As the crowd disperses, Skip hears laughter coming from the closet. Upon opening the closet door Skip finds Jonathan very much alive and laughing at Skip telling Skip that it was just a joke. Skip grudgingly accepts the prank reversal and the two become fast friends. After becoming friends the two share secrets and Jonathan admits to Skip that he cheated on the SAT exam. Class (1983) Directed by: Lewis John Carlino Starring: Rob Lowe, Jacqueline Bisset, Andrew McCarthy, Cliff Robertson, Stuart Margolin, John Cusack, Alan Ruck, Virginia Madsen, Deborah Thalberg, Anna Maria Horsford Screenplay by: Jim Kouf, David Greenwalt Cinematography by: Ric Waite Film Editing by: Dennis Dolan, Stuart H. Pappé Set Decoration by: William B. Fosser Art Direction by: Jack Poplin Music by: Elmer Bernstein Distributed by: Orion Pictures Release Date: July 6, 1983