Billy Madison

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 has gained a cult like following.

Plot

Billy Madison, a stereotypical slacker, has spent his life reaping the benefits of his father’s wealth. After completing high school through bribery and deceit, Madison dabbles his time by drinking with his best friends, and playing pranks on various people. One day, Madison disrupts one of his father’s business meetings by making obnoxious noises. The outburst prompts his father to question the future of the family’s hotel empire.

Ultimately, Madison’s father opts to name Eric, one of his business partners, as the company’s heir. The decision causes Madison to throw a fit and question his rationale. Madison’s father berates his son, explaining that the decision was a response to his son’s incompetence and laziness. Madison, still determined to become his father’s successor, proposes that he will complete all twelve grades in order to prove his intelligence and work ethic.

Madison begins the challenge in first grade, under the guide of Miss Lippy. He struggles to adapt to his new environment, but manages to pass the grade by drawing a picture of a duck. He later throws a party, where he invites his friends and former classmates. During the party, Eric realizes that Madison is relatively sincere about the challenge, and thus hires a spy, a dim-witted janitor, to monitor Madison’s success. Nevertheless, Madison goes on to pass the second grade by winning a spelling bee.

Madison has an eventful experience as a third grade student. He not only makes several friends, but also meets Veronica Vaughn, a teacher who serves as his love interest throughout the movie. While Vaughn shuns Madison at first, she begins to show interest in him after he risks his own reputation to defend another student. Also, Madison meets Principal Anderson, an overweight individual with an erotic affection for Madison. After completing the grade, Madison throws another party, where Carl (one of his fathers’ more friendly business partners) informs him that Eric is conspiring a plot to prevent Madison from completing the challenge.

Despite knowing of Eric’s intentions, Madison breezes grade school and enters high school. His peers resent him, as his 80s style fashion and music tastes make him a target of bullying and mockery. Madison returns to grade school, where he visits Vaughn and his former friends. Vaughn convince him to keep on trying, and to consider apologizing to those he bullied in high school, including, Danny McGrath, a psychopathic cross-dresser. Madison also manages to befriend two socially inept teenagers, who support him in high school.

Eric realizes that Madison is close to completing high school and earning his father’s confidence. He somehow manages to discover that Principal Anderson was a popular professional wrestler prior to becoming an educator. However, Anderson accidentally injured several senior citizens and even killed a person whilst attempting various stunts. Eric blackmails Anderson into making a fictitious announcement that Madison passed the third grade through bribery. The announcement causes Madison’s father to call off the contest, and declare Eric as his successor.

Madison is devastated by the falsehood, and enters into a slump of depression and alcohol. However Vaughn and Madison’s classmates believe that he is innocent, and work to help him reenter his Father’s contest. Vaughn revives Madison’s morale by forcefully motivating him to re-enter high school. Madison’s classmates go on to confront Anderson, and convince him to retract his earlier announcement, and offer an apology. Also, Madison’s classmates help him catch up on missed class work. While Madison completes high school, Eric argues that he took too long, and thus lost the contest. Madison then proceeds to challenge Eric to a one-on-one match-up consisting of academics and physical challenges.

Both opponents are successful in various parts of the challenge; while Eric defeats Madison in most intellectual and academic fields, Madison captures almost every other event. During the final match of the contest, a Jeopardy-style academic test, the contest’s host reveals that Madison is leading Eric by a point. Madison is allowed to answer the game’s first question, which is about the Industrial Revolution. He answers the question by creating an elongated analogy revolving around a children’s book. The judge berates Madison’s answer and awards him with no points.

Eric is given the opportunity to tie the game by ironically answering a question about business ethics, but begins to lose his words and breaks down. Refusing to admit defeat, Eric pulls a gun out of his pocket, and attempts to shoot Madison. However, Principal Anderson attacks Eric and momentarily saves Madison. Eric gets up again, and turns his firearm on Vaughn, but is shot by McGrath. Madison acknowledges McGrath, who then scrambles away.

In the final scene of the movie, Madison delivers a speech about his journey at his graduation. He announces that he will not succeed his father, but instead pass the honor to Carl. Eric, who is in the audience, begins to cry upon hearing the twist. Madison then announces that he will attend college in order to become a teacher alongside Vaughn.

Trivia

• 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]

• 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 neighbors to Sandler are the O'Doyles. The main boy who is a bully to Sandler's son also has red hair.

• 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.

• All of the names on Danny McGrath's People To Kill List (except for Billy Madison and Eric) are Crew members of the movie.^{[citation needed]}

• Veronica Vaughn, Billy's teacher/girlfriend, is often seen wearing her wedding ring throughout the movie.

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