Main Cast: John Neville, Jon Lovitz, Tia Carrere, Louise Fletcher, Mekhi Phifer, Malinda Williams
Release Year: 1996
Country: US
Run Time: 85 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
In this comic send-up of dramas set in urban schools (such as Lean on Me and Dangerous Minds), Jon Lovitz plays Richard Clark, a teacher who is persuaded to give up his position at Wellington Academy, an upscale private school (where the receptionist cheerfully answers calls with the question "Are you white?"), to take over a class at Marion Barry High School in Inner City, U.S.A. Marion Barry High is a far cry from the ivory-tower atmosphere of Wellington; the statue in the courtyard holds a crack pipe, the Michigan Militia sets up a booth for career day, and there's so much violence on campus that the school has its own graveyard; however, Clark is determined to reach his thick-headed charges, and he hopes to also make an impression on Victoria Chappell (Tia Carrere), a beautiful woman also on the teaching staff. Clark does battle with Evelyn Doyle (Louise Fletcher), the school's militaristic principal, in an effort to raise standards for the school's star straight-C students, and he finds that he's getting through to one of the school's toughest students, Grig (Mekhi Phifer). Screenwriters Pat Proft and David Zucker helped create The Naked Gun and its follow-ups. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Guillermo Diaz - Paco; Lexie Bigham - Two Bags; Eric Allan Kramer - Hulk; John Neville - Thaddeus; Natasha Gregson Wagner - Julie; Charlotte Zucker - Woman smoking pipe; Gil Espinoza - Alonzo; Brian Hooks - Anferny
Credit
Tom Targownik - Art Director, Jeff Wright - Associate Producer, Bill Johnson - Associate Producer, Elisabeth Leustig - Casting, Patricia Whitcher - Co-producer, Mona May - Costume Designer, Eric Heffron - First Assistant Director, Hart Bochner - Director, Dennis Washington - Second Unit Director, James R. Symons - Editor, Sasha Harari - Executive Producer, Ira Newborn - Songwriter, Vernon Layton - Camera Operator, Dennis Washington - Production Designer, Robert LoCash - Producer, Gil Netter - Producer, David Zucker - Producer, Kathryn Peters - Set Designer, Hank Garfield - Sound/Sound Designer, James M. Halty - Stunts, Charlie Picerni - Stunts, Robert LoCash - Screenwriter, Pat Proft - Screenwriter, David Zucker - Screenwriter, Timothy R. Sexton - Executive Music Producer, Ted Chu - First Assistant Camera, Michael J. Moore - Second Second Assistant Director
Although the Jon Lovitz movie High School High was a juvenile, predictable low-brow parody of Dangerous Minds and other inner-city dramas, the soundtrack to the film is considerably sharper and more attractive. Assembled (and marketed) with the knowledge that the film would likely alienate its target audience of hip-hop and urban R&B fans, the soundtrack is a stellar sampler of mid-'90s musical styles, featuring everything from hardcore rap to smooth new jack balladry and alternative rap. Over the course of its 20 tracks (the sheer number of songs makes the album a worthwhile purchase), Faith Evans, the Braxtons, Quad City DJs, D'Angelo, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Jodeci, Scarface & Facemob, Lil' Kim, the Braids (who cover Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"), Spice 1 with E-40 & the Click, and the Roots all deliver excellent cuts; there are also two Wu-Tang Clan cuts, including the first solo track from RZA (the song-as-commercial "Wu-Wear: The Garment Renaissance") and Inspectah Deck & U-God's collaboration with Street. Though its momentum sags in a couple of places, High School High remains a thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly eclectic listen, and is easily one of the finest soundtracks of 1996. It's certainly more fun than the film it supports. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Barry White (?), Scarface (Performer), Scarface (?), Tony Black (Engineer), Corn Bred (Mixing Assistant), Love Unlimited Orchestra (?), Jodeci (Performer), Jodeci (?), Grand Puba (Producer), Grand Puba (Performer), Grand Puba (Compilation Producer), Spice 1 (Performer), Spice 1 (Vocal Arrangement), Kamal (Arranger), Kamal (Keyboards), B-Legit (Vocal Arrangement), E-40 (Vocal Arrangement), Suga T (Vocal Arrangement), Artifacts (Performer), Artifacts (?), Changing Faces (Performer), Changing Faces (?), A Tribe Called Quest (Performer), A Tribe Called Quest (?), Joel Campbell (Keyboards), Sean "Puffy" Combs (Producer), Martin Czembor (Engineer), D'Angelo (Performer), D'Angelo (?), De La Soul (Arranger), De La Soul (Producer), De La Soul (Performer), De La Soul (?), Mike Dean (Producer), Mike Dean (Compilation Producer), Denis Degher (Assistant Engineer), Patrick Derivaz (Engineer), Jermaine Dupri (Producer), Jermaine Dupri (Mixing), John Frye (Engineer), John Frye (Mixing), KRS-One (Arranger), KRS-One (Producer), KRS-One (Performer), Brian Bonehead Kinkead (Engineer), Brian Bonehead Kinkead (Second Engineer), Ren Klyce (Programming), Large Professor (Producer), Large Professor (Performer), Large Professor (?), Tim Latham (Mixing), Andrea Martin (Producer), Andrea Martin (Vocal Arrangement), Tony Maserati (Engineer), Kedar Massenburg (Executive Producer), Kedar Massenburg (Assistant Producer), Steve Neat (Engineer), Steve Neat (Assistant Engineer), Axel Niehaus (Engineer), Phil Painson (Engineer), Bob Power (Arranger), Bob Power (Producer), Bob Power (Engineer), Bob Power (Mixing), Bob Powers (Arranger), Bob Powers (Producer), Bob Powers (Engineer), Bob Powers (Mixing), RZA (Producer), RZA (Engineer), RZA (Mixing), Rakim (?), Rob (Engineer), Rob (Assistant Producer), Jamey Staub (Mixing), Phil Tan (Engineer), Phil Tan (Mixing), Richard Travali (Mixing), Eric Valentine (Arranger), Eric Valentine (Programming), Eric Valentine (Producer), Eric Valentine (Engineer), Kenyatta Kelo Williams (Mixing), Method Man (Performer), Bass Mechanics (Producer), Faith Evans (Performer), Faith Evans (?), Ken Ifill (Engineer), Ken Ifill (Assistant Engineer), Ken Ifill (Mixing), Carl-So-Lowe (Producer), Carl-So-Lowe (Compilation Producer), Brad Jordan (Producer), Nasheim Myrick (Producer), Richard Nichols (Mixing), The Roots (Vocals), The Roots (Performer), K-Def (Scratching), K-Def (Producer), K-Def (Engineer), K-Def (Mixing), Sadat X (Producer), Sadat X (Performer), Sadat X (Compilation Producer), Quad City DJ's (Performer), Quad City DJ's (?), Facemob (Performer), Facemob (?), The Braxtons (Performer), The Braxtons (?), Dalvin DeGrate (Vocals (Background)), Dalvin DeGrate (Producer), Michael Gilbert (Mixing), Storm (Assistant Engineer), Real Live (Performer), Real Live (?), Pete Rock (Programming), Pete Rock (Vocals), Pete Rock (Producer), Pete Rock (Performer), Lil' Kim (Performer), Lil' Kim (?), Erykah Badu (Performer), Erykah Badu (?), Tom Coyne (Mastering), The Braids (Performer), The Braids (?), D-Shot (Vocal Arrangement), Malik B. (Drums), Malik B. (Vocals), Commissioner Gordon (Engineer), Marcus Gore (Vocals (Background)), Joel "JoJo" Hailey (Vocals (Background)), Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (Vocals (Background)), Stevie J. (Producer), Kamal on the Keys (Arranger), Kamal on the Keys (Vocals), Kamal on the Keys (Fender Rhodes), Ed Rasso (Mixing), Ed Rasso (Mixing Assistant), Tewlow (Programming), Tewlow (Producer), Tewlow (?), Tewlow (Associate Producer), Tewlow (Mixing), AllStar (Producer), AllStar (Mixing), Carlos "6 July" Broady (Producer), Brother Question (Drums), Brother Question (Vocals), Brother Question (Sedohr), Stephen George Hammond (Assistant Engineer), Bill Importico (Assistant Engineer), Bill Importico (Mixing Assistant), Tim Mandelbaum (Executive Producer), Tim Mandelbaum (Associate Producer), Jolene Cherry (Executive Producer), Grand Negaz (Producer), Hans Gutknecht (Engineer), Hans Gutknecht (Mixing), Hans Gutknecht (Mixing Assistant), Danny Madorsky (Mixing), Danny Madorsky (Mixing Assistant), Charles McCrorey (Mixing), Charles McCrorey (Mixing Assistant), Mark Pitts (Associate Producer), Baby Paul (Producer), Baby Paul (Mixing), The Ummah (Arranger), The Ummah (Producer), Sean Coffey (Assistant Engineer), Carlton Lynn (Assistant Engineer), Carlton Lynn (Mixing), Carlton Lynn (Mixing Assistant), Ivan Matias (Producer), Ivan Matias (Vocal Arrangement), Rob Tewlow (Programming), Rob Tewlow (Producer), Rob Tewlow (Associate Producer), Rob Tewlow (Mixing), Andy Blakelock (Engineer), Andy Blakelock (Mixing), Greg Gasperino (Assistant Engineer), Greg Gasperino (Mixing Assistant), Black Thought (Vocals), Tim Donovan (Engineer), Tim Sexton (Executive Producer), Craig Kallman (Executive Producer), Studio Ton (Producer), Studio Ton (Engineer), Studio Ton (Mixing), Dante Ross (Programming), Dante Ross (Producer), Dante Ross (Mixing), Dante Ross (Compilation Producer), Stephan Jenkins (Arranger), Stephan Jenkins (Programming), Stephan Jenkins (Producer), Stephan Jenkins (Engineer), Stephan Jenkins (Mixing), Lane Craven (Mixing), Jack Hersca (Engineer), Bart Cennamo (Engineer), Bart Cennamo (Assistant Engineer), Angelo Quaglia (Engineer), Suzanne Lewinter (Soundtrack Coordination), Patricia Mansbach (Soundtrack Coordination), Jay Ski (Producer), Michael Selverne (Associate Producer), Daniel Woerup (Assistant Engineer), Inspectah Deck (?), U-God (?), Bryant Reid (Executive Producer), Thrill da Playa (Producer), Leslie Reed (Soundtrack Coordination), Bree Delano (Associate Producer), DJ Dom (Producer), Leonard Hubbard (Mixing), Charles Martin Inouye (Editing), K-Del (Scratching), K-Del (Producer), K-Del (Engineer), K-Del (Mixing), Cappadonna (Performer), ?uestlove (Mixing), The Click (?), Reem ? (Engineer), Reem ? (Assistant Producer), Hub (Bass), Hub (Drums), Street (?)
The plot focuses on Jon Lovitz's character, Richard Clark, attempting to improve the school he is teaching at, which is extreme to the point that there are reserved parking spaces for SWAT team and National Guard members. He is assisted by his co-worker turned girlfriend, Victoria Chapell (Tia Carrere). Together they turn the school around in the ghetto to become a fine establishment suitable for education. In the end of the film, Doyle, the principal, is exposed as a drug dealer and is arrested, The main six kids throughout the movie graduate and Clark is now principal, either married or engaged to Victoria. (They are shown wearing wedding bands but it is never disclosed about their status).
Lexie Bigham died in a road accident shortly after completing this movie. Trey Parker turned down the chance to direct this movie. The school in the movie is named Marion Barry High, a reference to the then Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry. In some countries, like Portugal, the translated title is a pun to the also translated title of Dangerous Minds. Adult actress Jeannie Pepper appears in the film as Mrs. McReynolds. She is credited as Joan Rudelstein.
