Absolutely Fantastic

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

"High School USA" could have been a really good flick given the array of stars and up and coming talent, but that was not the case. Instead, it has a flawed script, awful direction, and a lame plot. This could have been a real classic but it ended up being a waste of time. Sad snap shot of the 80s!

This film is a blast. Because of such a stellar cast, it's far better than you'd expect nonsense like this to be. Michael J. Fox is charming and likable. And Crispin Glover (in ultimate nerd mode) has several memorable one liners. And to this day I'll never forget the character of Bandini. As he's shuffling along complaining about how his toes hurt. And Fox points out that he has his shoes on the wrong feet. To which Bandini replies, "No I don't. These are my feet." Classic!Don't miss Anthony Edwards doing his best Eddie Haskell impersonation - to Ken Osmond, the original Eddie Haskell himself.The cheap DVD is not the best quality. But hey, it should last forever. And it's pretty inexpensive at the moment. Definitely check it out!

what makes this movie so cool is the 2 generations of teen stars. the students are played by the teen stars of the day like Michael j fox, Nancy mckeon and Anthony Edwards, but cast of teachers and parents include Dwayne Hickman, bob Denver and tony Dow. it's a silly teen romp of cliques and car races, but it's funny and stars everyone. many people went on to be huge stars, so seeing them all here together is so much fun. i first saw this movie at my grandma's house when it ran on cable, and i loved it. i bought it on DVD the first day it came out! stealing the show of course are crispin glover and Michael zorek as girl crazy nerds Archie and chuckie. it's worth the movie just for them. and to watch the freaks triumph, of course.

Come back with us now to the 1980s. While movie companies were cashing in on teen success, NBC decided to take advantage on the teen movie trend by making their own. High School U.S.A. was the beginning. It was originally a TV pilot, but you could hardly tell it was. Still, this movie featured teen stars of the time who went on to big things that included:Michael J Fox (Family Ties), Nancy McKeon (The Facts of Life), Todd Bridges & the late Dana Plato (Diff'rent Strokes), Lauri Hendler (Gimme a Break), Crystal Bernard & Cathy Silvers (Happy Days), Anthony Edwards (who went to big things), David Packer (V), Crispin Glover (Back to the Future), and the late Tom Villard (who did many supporting & guest roles in movies and TV).The setting is Excelsior Union High School in Missouri. JJ Manners (Fox) is sort is the somewhat leader of a group of uncool kids. He is likable, but the prep & jocks (led by Beau Middleton, played by Edwards) can't stand him or his kind. It gets even worse when JJ falls in love with Beth Franklin (McKeon), who was a zero but became part of the A-crowd when she started to date Beau. There are many subplots as well, which as just as funny. A host of 50s & 60s TV stars show up. It is pretty interesting seeing teen stars from one generation meet up with another. Do I think it would've worked as a TV series? Probably not. Some of the stars were involved in other TV shows and projects. It would've been impossible top bring all the cast members back. Still, it stands on its own well as a TV movie. It was probably best it ended that way as well.It's worth a look for fans of the 80s and even fans of 50s and 60s.Pat