Billy Madison
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Billy Madison | |
|---|---|
 Billy Madison poster |
|
| Directed by | Tamra Davis |
| Produced by | Robert Simonds |
| Written by | Tim Herlihy Adam Sandler |
| Starring | Adam Sandler Darren McGavin Bridgette Wilson Bradley Whitford |
| Music by | Randy Edelman Adam Sandler |
| Cinematography | Victor Hammer |
| Editing by | John Gilroy Jeffrey Wolf |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 10 February 1995 |
| Running time | 89 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Billy Madison is a 1995 comedy starring Adam Sandler in the title role about a slacker who must go back to school in order to take over his father's company. The comedy film also features Bradley Whitford, Josh Mostel, Bridgette Wilson, Chris Farley, Norm MacDonald, and Darren McGavin. It was written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy and produced by Universal Pictures.
Despite the film's subpar reception, the film managed to gain a cult like following.
[edit] Plot
Billy Madison, a stereotypical slacker, has spent most of his time reaping the benefits of his father’s wealth. His best friends are Frank and Jack and the three men spend their days getting drunk by Billy's pool and pulling pranks on various townspeople, including 'Old Man' Clemens. After Billy interrupts one of his father’s business dinners with his immature behaviour, his father chooses to hand the ownership of Madison Hotels to Eric Gordon, one of his employees, instead of Billy. When Billy tries to convince his father than he can manage the hotels by pointing out that he graduated from high school, Brian Madison reveals that he bribed Billy's teachers to give him passing grades, even in elementary school, where Billy was unable to spell the word 'rock'. Angered by his father’s decision, Billy makes his father a wager in which he promises to complete all grades from 1st Grade to High school, spending two weeks in each grade. If he succeeds, Mr. Madison agrees to hand over the company to Billy instead of Eric.
Billy starts 1st Grade, where his teacher Ms. Lippy reads the class a book called 'The Puppy Who Lost His Way.' He also makes various paintings and collages and passes the grade when he draws a picture of a blue duck. Billy's father throws a massive party at his mansion to celebrate, and Billy quickly advances through first and second grade, winning a class spelling bee in the process. Meanwhile, Eric has been tracking Billy's progress through a spy who is posing as the janitor. When Billy reaches third grade he is thrilled to discover that his teacher will be the beautiful Veronica Vaughn. However, Billy's attitude in class sees him become unpopular with his teacher, although he becomes friends with several students, including Ernie, a slightly nerdy kid with glasses. While on a field trip in his second week, Billy is able to show Ms. Vaughn his caring side when he rescues Ernie from an embarrassing pants-wetting incident. At the party to celebrate Billy graduating from third grade, Billy almost succeeds in making out with Ms. Vaughn, but is interrupted by Carl Alphonse, who warns Billy that Eric is planning something.
Billy progresses through fourth, fifth and sixth grade with little trouble. By this time is seems that Veronica has become his girlfriend, as he keeps a photograph of her on his desk. He also promises his friends in third grade that he will come and visit them when he reaches high school.
When Billy starts high school, he is shunned as a loser because of his 80's style clothing and attitude. When he tells Veronica that all the kids are mean to him, she reminds him that he probably picked on several kids when he was in high school. Billy proceeds to call several of these people to apologize, including Danny McGrath, a slightly strange man with a 'People To Kill List.' After the call, McGrath crosses Billy's name off the list. Billy continues to move through high school, receiving his customary party each time he finishes a grade. At one of these parties, Eric confronts Billy's elementary school principal, Max Anderson, who used to wrestle under the title 'The Revolting Blob.' Eric reveals that he knows that Anderson is not qualified to be a principal and blackmails him into saying that Billy bribed him several thousand dollars to pass through elementary school. Furious at his son's apparent cheating, Mr. Madison calls the competition off and awards the company to Eric.
Billy proceeds to go back to living as he used to, getting drunk with his friends and slacking off. After a night of binge drinking, Billy is awakened by Veronica, who proceeds to beat him up in an effort to convince him to come back to school and finish the competition. Although he is reluctant at first, Billy in convinced by a song and dance number involving Veronica, his old third grade class and several other people, including Jack and Frank. The third graders convince Mr. Anderson to retract his statement regarding the bribes, but even though Mr. Madison is willing to continue with the competition, Eric refuses, saying that since Billy failed to complete ninth grade in the two weeks, he has lost his chance. Billy then proposes an academic decathlon between himself and Eric, in which the winner gets to keep the company. At the end of the decathlon, both Billy and Eric have scored an equal number of points. The final event is a speech, in which the topics are chosen by the other person. Eric makes Billy give a speech on a ridiculously hard literature topic and although Billy knows nothing about the subject, he proceeds to give a speech in which he compares various areas of literary change and the industrial revolution to the book 'The Puppy Who Lost His Way.' Although the audience is very impressed with Billy's speech, the adjudicator is extremely critical and awards Billy no points. Billy then gets to choose Eric's topic and selects the area of business ethics. Despite being a businessman, Eric has no idea about business ethics and fails to give a speech. However, angry at having to give up control of the company, Eric pulls out a handgun and threatens Billy. Suddenly, Mr. Anderson appears from backstage and, clad in his wrestling outfit, attempts to disarm Eric. His manoeuvre is unsuccessful and Eric turns to shoot Veronica, but is himself shot in the right buttock by Danny McGrath, appearing at an entrance to the auditorium at the top row of the seats armed with an assassain-style sniper rifle, who then salutes Billy before making his escape. Billy and Veronica embrace.
In the final scene, Billy is graduating from high school. He reflects on his experiences, but shocks everyone when he reveals that he is handing over ownership of the company to Carl. Billy then says that he is going to go to college and become a teacher, just like Veronica. He makes out with her onstage and several other characters sitting in the audience also make out, closing the movie in typically irreverent fashion.
[edit] Trivia
- When Eric sets Billy up, Billy grabs him and kisses him and says, "You broke my heart." This is a reference to The Godfather Part II where the same happens between Michael Corleone and his brother, Fredo Corleone.
- Happy Madison, Adam Sandler's film production company, took its title from this film and the following year's Happy Gilmore, also starring Sandler.
- In 2006, a US Bankruptcy Judge cited Billy Madison when he dismissed a Defendant's motion on the grounds that it was incomprehensible. In a footnote, the judge quoted the contest referee: [1]
-
- "Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."(Youtube clip)
- Chris Farley and Steve Buscemi's roles were both uncredited.
- All of the names on Dan McGrath's People To Kill List (except for Billy Madison) are those of the crew members, directors, or producers of the movie.
- Rob Schneider is the cover-girl for the She-Male Fiesta nudie magazine.
- In the movie, Billy is confronted by a red-headed family of bullies by the name of O'Doyle. In Adam Sandler's recent movie "Click", the neighbours to Sandler are the O'Doyles. The main boy who is a bully to Sandler's son also has red hair.
- Charles Bronson turned down the role of Billy's father. [2]
- In 1995, Billy Madison earned Adam Sandler a nomination for an MTV Movie Award in the category of Best Comedic Performance.
- The movie was filmed mostly in Oshawa, a suburb of Toronto. The Parkwood estate served as the Madison's mansion.
- At the end of the presentation, Billy Madison receives applause for stating that "Knibb High football rules!" This is a reference to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure where a random character also ends an oral history report with the phrase "San Dimas High football rules!".
"Old Man" Ted Clements was played by Sandler's former high school principal.
