High School U.S.A.

The film focuses on the intrigue inside Excelsior Union High School. J.J. Manners, becomes enamored with Beth Franklin, the girlfriend of Beau Middleton, who somehow manages to be the class president despite alienating most of the school; he is also their football team's quarterback. Middleton is also the richest student, a spoiled young man who drives around in a Porsche 911 convertible.

The core story involves Manners and Middleton competing for the affections of Beth. Ultimately this rivalry culminates in a drag race between the two. The result of the race tips the balance and changes the dynamics within the school irrevocably. In the end, J.J. ends up winning Beth's affections.

Other storylines include a genius, Otto, who has created a robot that he believes to be capable of traveling into space (the robot also humiliates Beau Middleton at the end of the film by pulling down his trousers before the entire student body). Archie Feld is a socially impaired boy who stands out as nervous about interacting with the opposite sex, all while surrounded by friends who all struggle with the intricacies of intergender relationships. Also, Beau Middleton's father has created an incentive for the teachers by offering a sizable reward for the best teacher. Subsequently, the teachers focus extra effort on impressing Beau with their worthiness of the reward.

• Michael J. Fox – J.J. Manners
• Nancy McKeon – Beth Franklin
• Crispin Glover – Archie Feld
• Frank Bank – Mr. Gerardi
• Crystal Bernard – Anne-Marie Conklin
• Todd Bridges – Otto Lipton
• Dana Plato – Cara Ames
• Jon Caliri – Jerry
• Angela Cartwright – Miss D'Angelo
• Kelly Ann Conn – Swoozie
• Bob Denver – Milton Feld
• Elinor Donahue – Mrs. Franklin
• Tony Dow – Principal Pete Kinney
• Anthony Edwards – Beau Middleton
• Steve Franken – Dr. Fritz Hauptmann
• Jonathan Gries – Dirty Curt
• Dwayne Hickman – Mr. Plaza
• Lauri Hendler – Nadine
• Barry Livingston – Mr. Sirota
• Jerry Maren – Robot
• David Nelson – Mr. Krinsky, janitor
• Ken Osmond – Baxter Franklin
• David Packer – Danny
• Cathy Silvers – Peggy
• Tom Villard – Crazy Leo Bandini
• Kaley Ward – Chris
• Dawn Wells – Miss Lorilee Lee
• Michael Zorek – Chuckie Dipple

A one-hour pilot was created due to the success of the original movie, but no longer featuring the star teen actors. It was not picked up by the network, and was aired on May 26, 1984 (the Saturday evening of Memorial Day weekend).[7][8]

Crystal Bernard, Crispin Glover, Jonathan Gries, Ken Osmond, and Michael Zorek were the only cast members to return for the pilot (with Osmond playing a teacher instead of a parent).

Barbara Billingsley and Jerry Mathers, the only two Leave It to Beaver cast members who weren't in the film, joined the pilot while Dow and Bank did not return. Similarly, David Nelson did not return while his mother and brother (and Ozzie and Harriet co-stars), Harriet Nelson and Ricky Nelson, joined the cast. Other classic TV stars to join included Dick York (from Bewitched), Burt Ward and Julie Newmar (both from Batman).

The pilot marked the last acting roles of Ricky Nelson and Dick York.

• High School U.S.A. at IMDb
• High School U.S.A. at AllMovie