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Summer School Shooting Script notes
screenplay
written by Jeff Franklin
[on-screen credit:
story by Stuart Birnbaum & David Dashev and Jeff Franklin]
Shooting Script dated 12 August 1986, 135 scenes, 121 pages
Assuming most of what is in the Shooting Script was filmed generally "as is,"
here are the major changes and interesting items I've found listed in the
sequence they appear in the script against the finished film. Some of these
scenes may have been abandoned before they were filmed.
The Shooting
Script supports several of the points made in
Dean Cameron's letter about the film.
There are several line omissions and
alterations -- I won't even try to list all of them. Most of the changes seem
to be the difference between a "written" script and a "polished" film
which is edited for pace and effectiveness.
Some of the language in the script is more explicit with
use of the word "fuck" several times. This and some of the ideas in
the script that are not used in the final film give the story a darker edge.
In the
script, even
Mr. Gills says "Festival of fuck-ups... and their king" in the final
test scene, which becomes "Festival of screw-ups... and their king" in
the finished film. Since the scene in the film looks like the dialogue was
redubbed, they may have even filmed it this way. I think Carl Reiner did an
excellent job of making the script lighter and the film genuinely funny.
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Kim, Shoop's girlfriend early in the film, was the first runner-up in
the Miss Bod
Butter Sunspread Pageant.
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Shoop wakes up using 3 alarm clocks on the first day of Summer School and mixes
a protein shake for Wundermutt, his dog, while he just drinks a beer. [abandoned
entirely before filming?]
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Dave and Chainsaw share a
toast of Vodka and orange juice just before entering the
classroom on the first day: "To the only way to survive in there..."
[abandoned ?]
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Additional scene with Eakian and his
grandma just before he enters the
classroom on the first day. [abandoned ?]
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After the first day of class there are a few more interlude scenes not in the
finished film: a sullen Kevin watches the football team practice without him,
Larry goes home and right to bed without seeing his mom, Eakian's Grandma plays
cards with her friends and fusses over him, finally giving him a big fat kiss
and
Pam goes surfing as her friend tells her that she has missed some great waves.
Finally at the end of this sequence is a funny scene with Shoop channel surfing at home, only
encountering programs referencing Hawaii: "Hawaii Five-O", "Magnum PI", etc.
[abandoned because of legal clearance issues?]
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In Anna-Marie's introduction scene, where she is asked to sit wherever she
likes, the Scuzzy Kid has a funny deleted line: "How about my face?"
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In the library scene, Dave and Chainsaw are giving Anna-Marie their review of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" not the original film: "Sequels are always risky,
especially to a genuine masterpiece, but this film extended the original vision
while remaining true to its original plucky spirit." "Dave I agree with you,
I'll'
go a step further..."
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Shoop comes up with the idea of going on field trips rather than Rhonda in the
Shooting Script. Shoop provides the permission slips himself rather than Chainsaw,
but they still sign them immediately -- "done."
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At the Malibu Grand Prix, Dave and Chainsaw bully Eakian into loaning them five
dollars so they can ride again. [abandoned?]
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After the Malibu Grand Prix, there is a scene on the bus where Dave and
Chainsaw
suggest they go to Vegas or Tijuana. Shoop suggests some place with rides.
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Rhonda watches everyone on the rollercoaster while sitting in front of a sign
that forbids pregnant women from riding.
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At the petting zoo, Rhonda feels the stomach of an ewe feeding her babies.
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At the conclusion of the
"Killer Bunnies" scene, Shoop explains it as "zoo
theatre" to nearby parents and Rhonda explains what Dave and Chainsaw did last
year.
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On the beach,
Rhonda reacts to her baby kicking and talks about it with the other girls. This
begins one of the abandoned running jokes that Rhonda gives a different "father"
for the baby each time she is asked. It's Sean Penn or David Lee Roth when she
signs up for Lamaze classes in the finished film. The Shooting Script includes deleted
scenes where she implies the "father" is Tip O'Neill [Speaker of the
House of Representatives in the 1980's] later it's Judge Wapner of the People's
Court -- weird. This is interesting because Shawnee Smith played this type of
smart one-liner role in the series "All is Forgiven" and also in "Becker." Maybe
the idea was abandoned for legal reasons.
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Before Shoop is called into Gill's office for the field trips, there is a scene
on the beach with Shoop trying to ask a girl out.
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Following on from this scene, Shoop has class on the beach. Mr. Gills and
Eakian's Grandma go out to the beach, with Shoop explaining that they are
writing poetry about the sea. [abandoned ?]
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In the Shooting Script, the Fourth of July party at Shoop's
happens before Robin helps
Shoop with his lesson plans instead of directly after Denise's driving lesson.
This was probably moved in the finished film to improve the pace of the story.
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At the party, Eakian gets drunk and shows interest in Denise. All that is left
of this in the finished film is the very end of it, with Eakian being "almost
fun tonight" as he throws up in a trash can.
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The very end of the scene
between Rhonda and Kevin on the lifeguard station ramp has been deleted, where Kevin
digs a hole in the sand with his feet and lays down his towel, so Rhonda can
"sleep on her stomach." In the finished film you can see Kevin kicking around
the sand without this explanation.
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Before Shoop's couch is
set on fire by a sparkler, Dave and Chainsaw tune in KMOS on the radio where they have "dedicated" "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC to
Anna-Marie. [abandoned because of legal clearances?]
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When the party ends, Shoop drives Chainsaw home, where Chainsaw throws up on his
dad. [scene mentioned in Dean Cameron's letter]
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When Shoop returns to his house, the rest of the class has reorganized and
cleaned up his house.
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In the "writing is a form of communication" scene, the beginning
has Shoop doing an Elvis impersonation and calling for examples of song lyrics
that are written in poor English. Rhonda mentions "Ghostbusters" and Denise
mentions James Brown's "I Feel Good." [some of this abandoned?]
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There is a Lamaze class scene
following on from when Shoop mentions "it's a great place to
meet girls." Rhonda says "this is my English teacher, Mr. Shoop" and
implies that the
baby's real father is Judge Wapner of The People's Court. [?!]
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Immediately before Denise's driving lesson, Dave and Chainsaw
are at work and give
Mr. Hoffman [the guy who takes nude photos of his wife] his developed film
["sorry the film was misplaced."] and then offer him some free film.
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Denise's driving
lesson has several funny deleted one-liners from Dave and Chainsaw: "We should
call whoever makes those driver ed. films. This is a fiery crash guaranteed" and
"We are the living dead." Notice how abrupt the editing of this scene is in the
finished film. It was probably trimmed just to speed up the pace of the film.
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In the Shooting
Script, here, instead of the Fourth of July party there is a scene on the
beach where Dave and Chainsaw propose marriage to Anna-Marie [mentioned in
Dean Cameron's letter]. Chainsaw and Dave are then caught drinking vodka on the beach as in
the finished film.
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After being picked
up by the police,
Shoop gets his picture taken in the police station. The scene where he calls Robin
follows this scene directly. There is more material between Shoop and some fellow prisoners
before he is picked up by Robin and Mr. Gills.
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There are a couple of
deleted lines in the scene when Shoop finds Larry at the stripper
club. Notice how quick the cuts are in the finished film here.
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"Who we admire
most in the world and why" essay scene: there is one additional essay read by
Kevin between Pam and Denise that does not appear in the finished film:
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Kevin
[reads essay]: 'Knute Rockne became head football coach of Notre Dame in 1918.
His fame became nationwide in 1924 when the Four Horsemen led the Fighting Irish
to the national title.'
Shoop:
Kevin, didn't I say no looking up someone in the encyclopedia and changing the
words around?
Kevin: I
didn't. I copied it word for word.
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When Pam moves in with Shoop, her family helps her move all her stuff
in right after Shoop says yes. They've got all the boxes, TV, etc. waiting.
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The
"Freaks" film screening in the script becomes "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
in the finished film. Shoop's
hilarious line "safe use of power tools" is a far less funny "reading can be fun" in the
Shooting Script.
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When Denise takes her final driving test, rather than Dave saying: "Sir, you're
really gonna earn your money today." The script has a hilarious line from
Chainsaw: "Say goodbye to your car." [referring to Denise borrowing Shoop's
car.] There are also a few deleted lines where Dave asks Shoop if he's gotten into Miss
Bishop's pants yet. "I didn't think so."
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After Chainsaw returns from his driving test crash, there is another funny
Lamaze class scene with Rhonda bringing Kevin this time. "Is this the baby's father?" "No.
We're on a date."
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Pam has The Doors song "Soul Kitchen" playing on the radio when Shoop comes home
to find her fixing dinner.
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When Shoop collects essays in the next scene, Eakian reads his
complaint letter: '...are deeply sorry about the worms in your Fresh'n'Fruity
Applesauce. We hope this case helps you and your law firm to continue to enjoy
our family of fine Fresh'n'Fruity products.' The class enjoys the jars of
applesauce while he reads. [abandoned ?]
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When Shoop resigns, he actually goes into
Mr. Gills office, before Gills takes over
class for the rest of the day.
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When Gills takes over class, Dave flips off the lights for "nap time" before
Gills flips the lights back on and says "Don't think you can pull this BS with me." The class
then proceeds to read comic books, nudie magazines, etc. as Shoop has encouraged
them to read anything as long as they read. The humming gag follows this,
though some of the funniest lines found in the film are not in the Shooting Script such
as Gills having "dog ears."
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After the above scene, Shoop receives a postcard
at home from Kim stating that she
is going to manage a health club for her new boyfriend, Derek, in
Sydney, Australia.
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When the class
tries to convince Shoop to come back, Robin is present in the
Shooting Script version of the scene.
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Final study montage: Rhonda can feel the baby kick and has Kevin feels her
stomach. Chainsaws parents look in on him studying, Larry studies in his
bedroom, looking over at his former stripper outfit.
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Shoop gives a little speech before they begin the final test. "You're not gonna
pass this test because you wanna save my job, or play football or whatever.
You're gonna pass for one reason... You know the goddamn answers. Here we go."
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Everyone plays volleyball after Shoop meets them on the deck after the final test, except Kevin and Rhonda who stay behind
for a scene together:
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Kevin: He's a good guy.
Rhonda: So are you. It's weird. I've never had a guy friend who was just a
friend, you know. No messing around.
Kevin: I know, it is weird. But nice.
Rhonda: Real nice. You're like my best friend.
[They kiss each, first timidly then full on, then break the kiss.]
Kevin: There goes the friendship.
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[Dean Cameron
mentions in his letter that this subplot between Rhonda and Kevin was mostly
deleted from the finished film.]
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During the finale when everyone is in the principal's office, Shoop has some
harsh words for Gills "Don't ever let me hear you call another kid a failure
again."
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Shoop is granted tenure and Remedial English class in the fall by Principal
Kelban.
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