Three O'Clock High

Three O'Clock High (1987)
Director: Phil Joanou
Cast: Casey Siemaszko, Anne Ryan, Richard Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Philip Baker Hall
Memorable Line: "You made me mad Jerry and now I'm gunna have to do something to work it off."

* Underrated and Overlooked *
This seems like one of the universal situations for many teenage boys in high school -- the "arranged" fight with the school bully. It happens in every high school. Three O'Clock High has this fertile ground to plow and for the most part makes it work.

The Plot of Three O'Clock High
Jerry Mitchell (Siemaszko) is just your average high school guy, not popular, not nerd, just keeping a low profile in the middle of the pack when, as a write on the school paper, he has to interview the class uber-hood, Buddy Revel (Tyson). Somehow, as with dealing with most psychopaths, Revel takes offense at Jerry and the fight is on -- Three O'Clock in the parking lot. The word spreads like wild-fire and suddenly low-profile Jerry is the talk of the town. But he wants nothing to do with it. Revel is a monster in just about every sense of the word and Jerry is now desperate to do anything to save what little dignity he has and to avoid the fight. Too bad, the fates do everything they can to get Jerry and Buddy together in the parking lot at Three O'Clock High.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Three O'Clock High
The cast is completely believable, although some of the adults have some cardboard on their edges. Siemaszko is both captivating and pathetic as the wimpy Jerry. We, at first, cringe for him, but ultimately end up rooting for him. Tyson is fantastic as the menacing Buddy Revel. When he speaks, you believe that he's broken a kids neck and beat up a coach.

Joanou's direction is crisp and kinetic, keeping the plot moving and not allowing the viewer to get caught in what could have been slow moments. The energy derived from the script and the direction powers us to the inevitable showdown in that parking lot. Some are not happy with the ending, but this is the stuff that Hollywood movies are made of and has little do with reality.

Summary Judgment on Three O'Clock High
Underrated and mostly forgotten, Three O'Clock High fell off the map before it even made a blip, but I think it is a movie worth your consideration. If you're cruising the cable listings and have nothing to do, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you give Three O'Clock High a chance.