School's Out!

I watched this for the first time since it was originally aired at the time it was done. Since that time, I have watched all of the Degrassi shows to the present. Wisely, the writer chose not to include every student but focus on core characters. This made the film sharper, with a lot more cohesion to the plot. The characters in Degrassi always seemed real and this film highlights that. The acting is very good, the actors at times are seemingly ad-libbing their lines. It was a groundbreaking film also, apparently the first time an expletive was used on Canadian television. Think about it: What was the U.S. version of Degrassi? Saved By The Bell! In Degrassi, the characters made mistakes and lived with them. This film highlights the time after high school. It does it admirably. I have nothing but praise for this production. They could have made it a fairytale film, marrying a few couples off and watching as everyone else prospers. They chose to depict real life. They did a great job.

After years and years of trying Joey finally bangs Caitlin.

When I first watched School's Out I found it to be a great and exciting conclusion to Degrassi High the cast did a fantastic job. It's the summer of 1991 the gang at Degrassi has just graduated and are looking forward to spending one more wild summer together before going off to university.Each character is dealing with a personal matter, Joey (Mastroianni) who wants to lose his virginity has just asked Caitlin (Mistysyn)to marry him. However she isn't ready yet for a commitment or intimacy . Snake (Brogren) is working as a lifeguard and he too wants to not be a virgin before leaving for school. Wheels (Hope) is showing signs of an alcohol problem, while Caitlin is working most of the time local girl Tessa Camponelli (Bourne) is there to support Joey's desire. As the summer comes to an end everyone is dealing with the impending reality that things are changing. Everything comes to a head at Bronco's (Ifill) cottage party when Caitlin discovers the truth about Joey's affair and breaks up with him. Lucy (Granofsky) gets into a terrible car accident in Wheel's car because he was driving drunk. The gang gets together again at the wedding of Alexa (Courakos) & Simon (Carry).8/10

When the original Degrassi series were airing they were known to tackle teen issues that no one else dared. They didn't just talk about drug abuse they had people suffer the consequences. In "School's Out" the gang from Degrassi once again go through some tough times.

Representing the end of the Degrassi shows, this one does clue up on a nice note (someone gets married), however, everything isn't "fairy tale-like" for everyone. If you want realism, you'll love this movie. If you want something that's feel good don't bother.

The first time I ever watched this movie was back in 1994 when I was living in a small town called Gildford located in the northern part of Montana. I watched the whole movie with one of my nephews and enjoyed it all the way through but I expected more after it came to its ending. I used to watch reruns of the Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High episodes everyday when I got home from school while living in Gildford and I always loved and cherished those shows because of how enjoyable and true to life they were. I now own the complete series of Degrassi Junior High on DVD and I just received a brand new copy of the School's Out movie on VHS and after watching it once again after almost twelve years, it really is much better the second time around. It didn't exactly have the happiest of endings but that's what made the story so believably realistic. I absolutely love this movie and consider it a wonderful conclusion to the Degrassi Old School storyline.

I rest my case.

~Mr. Make Believe