I.

Introduction

Carl Reiner directed a film which entitled Summer School. This movie is about
the notorious students who need to attend a summer school due to their failing grades
in English subject and their teacher was just forced to teach the said students. It’s so
happened that he’s a gym teacher and he doesn’t know how to teach in a pure lecture
class. Having a happy-go-lucky teacher and ill-famed students in a class will surely
takes you to roller coaster feelings that made the movie concept unique, original and not
only an adaptation.

II. Characters

 Mr. Freddy Shoop

A gym teacher who forced to teach the English remedial class on summer
school. He is responsible for the unexpected change that happened to his
students.

 Francis ‘’Chainsaw’’ Gremp

One of the summer school students who has an unfavorable attitude. He

doesn’t want to be addressed by his real name, he prefer to be called
‘’Chainsaw’’ since he is an avid fan of ‘"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
which placed some fun to the movie.

 Dave Frazier

Bestfriend of Chainsaw who is also a horror-film-obsessed. Dave is also a

student of Mr. Shoop.

 Pam House

Student in an English remedial class who’s always lack of concentration.

 Kevin Winchester

He is also a student of Mr. Shoop who is so eager to be a good football

player.
 Alan Eakian

A nerd student in an English remedial summer class.

 Rhonda Altobello

She is a pregnant student of Mr. Shoop.

 Denise Green

A war-freak student in an English remedial summer class.

 Larry Kazamias

A ‘nocturnal’ student of Mr. Shoop who has a job during night time that
made him sleeping during class.

 Ms. Robin Bishop

A teacher in summer school who is teaching beside Mr. Shoop’s room.

She also helped Mr. Shoop to teach properly that made them in love to
each other.

 Phil Gills

The Vice Principal of the school that Mr. Shoop is teaching who forced him
to do a remedial class and who also wants Mr. Shoop to get fired. He has
a love interest to Ms. Bishop.

 Anna-Maria Mazarelli

She is an Italian exchange student who will join the class of Mr. Shoop
that will make Dave and Chainsaw enchanting.

 Kelban

The principal of the school where Mr. Shoop is teaching and who will
decide if Mr. Shoop will be fired or not.
III. Setting

Since the movie is about a summer class, it is then happened during summer
where everyone wants to have a summer vacation but all of them were stuck in their
remedial class. Though they spent their time for some fieldtrips in zoo, beach, and
theme park, the school was always the place where they stayed, given that this movie is
about a summer school it’s just appropriate that this film will be taken mostly in school
which they done.

IV. Summary

The movie starts at school where everyone is so excited for their last day and for
the upcoming summer vacation. While they are packing up their old things and getting
ready for their vacation, a security guard is giving a paper for some students which
brought them in one room. As all of them were counting down, especially the gym class
of Mr. Freddy Shoop who is already dressed Hawaiian attire, the Vice Principal Phil Gill
told the students who received a paper from the guard that all of them got a failing
grade in English subject and they are required to attend the summer class. The original
English teacher won the lottery and immediately quits teaching. Gill run to the teachers
at the parking area where all of them left except Mr. Shoop and his girlfriend who are
very ready in their summer vacation in Hawaii. Gill rapidly ask and blackmail Mr. Shoop
to teach English remedial class on summer. Mr. Shoop sadly said to his young girlfriend
that he needs to take that offer so her girlfriend continues to travel in Hawaii without
him.

The summer school starts, while Mr. Shoop is preparing for his class, Ms. Robin
Bishop, a Psychology teacher, came to him and asking for thumbtacks, since then Mr.
Shoop is asking her for a date but Ms. Bishop don’t allow him. On the first day of
summer class Mr. Shoop experienced how notorious the class is, the students doesn’t
have any respect to him. While calling their names and reading their background one
student goes to the lavatory and they leave one by one. Nothing happens in their class
since Mr. Shoop is not doing any effort to teach until all of them realized that they need
to do something fun so they decided to have a fieldtrip. They went to theme park, zoo,
and beach, unfortunately, Alan Eakian, the nerd student got sick and his ticket from the
zoo was caught by her mother so she complained to the school. Gill scolded Shoop
about what happened and he frightened him that he’ll be fired if one of his students fails.
 On the next day, Shoop is on a decent attire that he had not wearing before so
his students were all amazed and begun to tease him. He spoke seriously and he told
them what Gill told to him and he’s asking them to help him. The entire class made a
deal that they’re going to study well if Shoop will grant each wishes. And because
Shoop doesn’t know how to teach English, he asks help from Ms. Bishop that made him
so good.

Francis ‘Chainsaw’ Gremp and Dave Frazier who are so addicted to horror
movies especially "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" wished that Shoop must throw a
fireworks party in his house which Anna-Maria Mazarelli, an exchange student from
Italy, must be invited and a film showing for the 1974 movie. Denise Green, a war-freak
student wished to learn on how to drive safely. Kevin Winchester who really loves to
play football asks Shoop to teach him on how to be a great player. Rhonda Altobello, a
pregnant student who ask Shoop to be her coach. Larry Kazamias, the student who is
always sleeping wants bed in class. And Pam House, the student who’s lacking of
concentration asks Shoop if she can move in his house. All of them granted their deal
especially Shoop who brought to jail, burned his sofa, and his gold fish died just
because of them. All of the student’s effort was not enough to pass their exam so Shoop
ask more effort from them but they’re asking again for some benefits. Shoop got pissed
off and walked out from the room.

Since Shoop resigned, Gill asks another teacher for the class. But the students
imitate the movie "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and they acted as if it is true that
they’re being murdered. By seeing that, the new teacher quits already and the students
ask Gill that they want Shoop or they will do the same thing. Each and everyone go to
Shoop and ask him to be their teacher again, since then, all of them with the help of Ms.
Robin study hard and prepare for their upcoming exam. Unfortunately all of them failed
according to Gill. When the principal arrived, Gill told him about the mistakes of Shoop
including getting to jail and he’s asking him to sign a paper about firing Shoop in is job.
But Principal Keblan listens first to the students together by their parents before signing
the paper. Each parent speak how their children changed for good since Shoop handles
them and they all wishes that Shoop will stay in their school. Gill disagree and show
their test papers that he said contains a failing score, Shoop took them and he
discovered that some of them did not failed the exam and actually, a lot of them passed,
and all of them improved their scores which makes them all happy so the principal
decides not to fire Shoop. And the movie ends at the seashore where Shoop and Robin
are kissing.
V. Commentaries

‘’ Chainsaw: Reality is so unreal.

Dave: But it is a nice change.
Chainsaw: True. Two thumbs up.’’

These lines describes the message that the film wants to show and my attention
really caught and made me believe that the scripts was so effective because it was all
perfectly fit to the character, to the setting, and helps to the deliver clearly the message
or the goal of the film. Each character has their unique roles in the film, all of them were
efficient because they portrayed their roles naturally which brought me to feel that it’s
really happening in real life. The production of this picture was not that expensive which
I think is just right because the characters doesn’t need to wear expensive costumes,
and the setting were just in school since the movie is about the summer school which I
deem is not a big problem though there’s a scenes when they went to fieldtrips, getting
a driving license, and having a fireworks party, I consider that was the hardest,
expensive or the scenes that brought them to a big preparation which I believe made
them successful. They’re wearing an ordinary civilian attire that is appropriate for
summer school but I don’t think that a teacher will enter the school by just wearing a
shorts, Shoop can wear anything but in his role he must in decent attire, he can wear
pants if he doesn’t want to look so formal. But aside from that, everything for me is
perfect. Watching a 1987 movie will made me think boring if we are in year 2010 and
that was now, but when I watched this “Summer School” I had fun and made me
realized so many things. This movie is really cool and all the hardships that I
encountered for searching this film are worthy.

VI. Personal Learnings

‘’ Chainsaw: Reality is so unreal.

Dave: But it is a nice change.
Chainsaw: True. Two thumbs up.’’
 I really love these lines because I can easily relate it in my life. It’s telling us that
no matter how miserable your life is, there’s always a chance for you to be happy.
Because everything in the world changes so if you feel that you’re a failure now don’t
stop doing an effort because maybe tomorrow everything is not just alright but also
great. This is one of the few things I learned from the movie, everybody deserves a
second chance and everyone can change for the better. As a student, I’m not one of the
lucky and brightest ones who didn’t experience having failing grade. Though I just failed
one subject it changed my entire life, I was forced to transfer school, leave my friends,
and the most depressing thing is that my three years studying in college were just
wasted. I’m so disappointed for what happened to me and I don’t want to start again
because I’m afraid that I’ll just fail again. By watching this film, I realized that nothing is
impossible, all I just need is to believe in my self and strive again for my dreams. I know
that someday, all the failures that I had faced will surely become my greatest downfall
which I’m going to be proud of when I’m already a successful lady.

VII. Conclusion

Everything in the film is great. The characters are consistent in delivering their
lines. There are a lot of dialogues that caught my attention and really affected me. And
lead me to the conclusion that this film shows a teacher-student relationship, how to
treat each other and what can they give and get from each other. The story is one you
have seen many times before, a teacher having problems about his students, the
parents complaining at school for the bad things that are happening to their children,
and the students that most of the times being lost for who they are but then doing their
part and spinning some dramatics into the mix. The movie was motivating, it made me
aware of what could be if nothing changes and we continue to do what has always been
done. The scenarios that illustrated in here could happen or are already happening in
our own lives that we must put in consideration. Making changes is for us to decide.

VIII. Recommendation

I recommended this to my siblings who are also a students and I know that this
will help them on how to act in their school, how to treat their teachers, and will set as a
guide in the decisions that they are going to make. This film must be seen not only by
the students, but also the teachers and parents who are responsible in guiding and
teaching the teenagers the right and proper attitude.

Republic of the Philippines

Central Luzon Doctor’s Hospital - Educational Institution

Basic Education Department – Secondary

San Pablo, Tarlac City

A MOVIE REVIEW
In partial fulfillment of the requirements in Humanities

Submitted by:

Ramos, Lady Mae Bernadette Q.

III-B

Submitted to:
 Mr. Christopher Ronn Pagco
World Literature and Civilization Teacher