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6.5/10
4.5K
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Notorious dunces, the students of a Bac school compete in ingenuity and cheating to obtain the coveted diploma.Notorious dunces, the students of a Bac school compete in ingenuity and cheating to obtain the coveted diploma.Notorious dunces, the students of a Bac school compete in ingenuity and cheating to obtain the coveted diploma.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
Maria Pacôme
- Lucie Jumaucourt
- (as Maria Pacome)
Raymond Bussières
- Gaston
- (as Raymond Bussieres)
Féodor Atkine
- Le père de MC 2
- (as Feodor Atkine)
Gaëtan Bloom
- Gaëtan
- (as Gaetan Bloom)
Jean Cherlian
- Le menuisier
- (as Jean Cherian)
Hélène Zidi
- Sarah
- (as Helene Dublin)
Katherine Erhardy
- Jeanne Hamilton
- (as Catherine Erhardy)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I saw this movie a couple of days ago on cable TV. Even though it's quite old, it remains funny all the same.
It's about a group of teenagers who are just too dumb to pass their imminent exams for their baccalaureate, and the tremendous effort by their teachers to make them learn the lesson by the deadline (They even use a "Learning Machine", which beats up every student for their wrong answers).
After a misunderstanding involving a bomb, they are forced to take their exams supervised by the police, so they manage to cheat using some really weird tricks, like elastic coats that, when stretched, reveal the answers. The best thing about this movie is that it's amusing from beginning to end, never taking itself seriously. For instance, when an officer finds the bomb, as soon as he shouts "I've found it!" it explodes, leaving his smoldering (and still standing!) skeleton among the ruins of the school building.
It's about a group of teenagers who are just too dumb to pass their imminent exams for their baccalaureate, and the tremendous effort by their teachers to make them learn the lesson by the deadline (They even use a "Learning Machine", which beats up every student for their wrong answers).
After a misunderstanding involving a bomb, they are forced to take their exams supervised by the police, so they manage to cheat using some really weird tricks, like elastic coats that, when stretched, reveal the answers. The best thing about this movie is that it's amusing from beginning to end, never taking itself seriously. For instance, when an officer finds the bomb, as soon as he shouts "I've found it!" it explodes, leaving his smoldering (and still standing!) skeleton among the ruins of the school building.
I spent 3 weeks in France on a foreign exchange/home-stay program and happened to see this film. I was only a second-year french student, but despite the language barrier, I laughed.. SO HARD.. at that movie. I'm sure my host family thought I had lost it. This is one of those movies you wipe the tears from your eyes after laughing so hard about. I'd give my right arm for a DVD of it. It brings to mind a sort of Inspector Cleauseau funniness. These kids are horrible pranksters, and the things they came up with don't quite hit you until the prank is pulled off. All in all, its just a fantastic movie. I wonder if I'll ever see it again...
101966nm
Back in the years of high school, a perfect age for this film, cinema for me mend summer time, sky roof theaters, uncomfortable canvas seats, mosquito repellants and a wish that it wouldn't rain.
And one day, I was old enough to take the bus for an one hour travel to the big city where the real cinema theaters were. Together with by best friend, I had my first experience of the short going to see Spiderman. At that age it actually looked good. But the second time we dared to make use of our teenage freedom, we went to this film. The theater was foul. The audience was delighted. We were laughing all the way to the end of the function and some even applauded when it was over.
I never forgot this experience. All the movies that followed had to be compared with this one.
Back in the '80s, in Greece, this film became a legend. French comedies were predominant in those days and we knew French comedians better than their American colleagues. A whole fashion of school movies was provoked by the success of this idea and several bad taste local versions were produced.
Today, apart from me and my friend, probably no one else remembers the comedy that thrilled the country. Personally I still wish for more.
And one day, I was old enough to take the bus for an one hour travel to the big city where the real cinema theaters were. Together with by best friend, I had my first experience of the short going to see Spiderman. At that age it actually looked good. But the second time we dared to make use of our teenage freedom, we went to this film. The theater was foul. The audience was delighted. We were laughing all the way to the end of the function and some even applauded when it was over.
I never forgot this experience. All the movies that followed had to be compared with this one.
Back in the '80s, in Greece, this film became a legend. French comedies were predominant in those days and we knew French comedians better than their American colleagues. A whole fashion of school movies was provoked by the success of this idea and several bad taste local versions were produced.
Today, apart from me and my friend, probably no one else remembers the comedy that thrilled the country. Personally I still wish for more.
Indeed, there is one genre in which American movies usually fail and french one are rather inspired : comedy ! And for my country, Zidi was among the best for that : he had really the talent to pick classic positive characters and put them borderline, so the fun ! Before policemen taking bribes, here he plays with cheating students ! It's light, natural not spoofs or too intellectual so you laugh really hard and have great fun ! The appeal of this movie is his great casting as well : today movies are brand-names, who's who of too much paid people but then, movies were open to unknown newcomers : they were fresh, full of energy and if some has built a career so far, it's has been a one-shot for the others
At last, this movie is also interesting because it happens in a France that has disappeared : if those students are lazy, they show some political ideas, they dress well. Today, students have nothing in their heads, guys dress with sport-ware all day and girls wear less to show more ! Actually, it's maybe the first time I watched this movie : when it was aired on TV, i was a kid so in a period which means no TV at night except Tuesday and Saturday, so i heard about it in school playground with my friends talking about it ! I'm on board for their summer sequel next week !
I saw this movie back in Hungary, when I myself was also in high school, and absolutely loved it. Today I had a chance to see it again, and was a little worried that being 20 years older, and having seen so many more movies since then, I may end up being disappointed. But fortunately it didn't happen! I still found the jokes, the kids and the faculty hilariously funny. The movie successfully transpired that distinct CUTE goofiness we liked so much in other French movies (most notably in those of Louis de Funes), but is completely missing from otherwise brilliant flicks like American Pie. I wish I could find this movie in English, at least with subtitles; I'm sure the American education system could relate to it real good...
Ps.: Our hard-working people will be victorious! ;-)
Ps.: Our hard-working people will be victorious! ;-)
Did you know
- TriviaThe electronic pocket translator assistant is a Craig M100, displayed under the French brand Ami Memory System, also known as FA300. But this model was not able to create a vocal output.
- GoofsThe prank with the hearing aid wouldn't work because the professor would hear his own amplified voice when saying "speak louder" to the pupils.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Fan des années 80: 1980 #1 (2009)
- How long is The Under-Gifted?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Glückwunsch... mal wieder sitzengeblieben
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 32m(92 min)
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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