SCHOOLBOY FATHER
EARNS CRITICAL ACCLAIM

In one of his earliest TV appearances, Rob Lowe stars in this ABC Afterschool Special as Charles Elderbury, a teenager whose summer girlfriend, Daisy (Dana Plato), has become pregnant. Once the child is born (an event which Charles learns about only by reading the newspaper birth notices), the story shifts into gear -- but not in the manner that one might expect.

Reversing the usual TV-movie situation, Daisy wants to put her child up for adoption . . . while Charles, hoping to compensate for the loneliness he experienced growing up in a fatherless home, insists upon raising the kid himself.

Schoolboy Father is handled in a commendably unpatronizing fashion, arriving at a logical and wholly credible conclusion.

All Movie Guide





ROB LOWE STARS IN
SCHOOLBOY FATHER





Rob as Charles Elderbury
Rob Lowe, Nancy McKeon, and the late Dana Plato star in this acclaimed 1980 ABC Afterschool Special directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman.

A sixteen-year-old boy gets a girl pregnant at a summer camp. When he finds she is putting the baby up for adoption, the boy decides to raise it on his own. Then he learns firsthand the harsh realities of being a single parent.



MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 45 minutes
Release Year: October 15, 1980
Country: US
Genre: Television, Children, Live-Action, Drama, Teenagers



AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL
BASED ON BOOK

The Afterschool Special, Schoolboy Father is based on the book "He's My Baby Now" by Jeannette Eyerly.

Schoolboy Father is an hour long Afterschool Special that addresses the subject of teenage parents and what rights a father has to his own child.

Rob Lowe's character has a brief relationship with a character played by Dana Plato over the summer break. He reads a birth announcement in a newspaper and quickly figures out that he has fathered a child with this girl.

He is outraged when he finds out that she is going to put the child up for adoption. He refuses to accept that as an option. He fights for his right to keep his own son and bring him up so he will know who his father is.

Gradually he begins to realize all the sacrifices he will have to make and how hard it will be on him and the child. Reluctantly he agrees to allow his son to be put up for adoption.

Nancy McKeon's character is a schoolmate who invites Rob to a birthday party. He can't go because he doesn't have a babysitter. The only time we get to see Nancy is while they are at school and its only a few shots, mostly while they are in class together.

CAST



Rob Lowe as Charles Elderberry
Dana Plato as Daisy Dallenger
Sharon Spelman as Charles' mother
Nancy McKeon as Lucy Twineing
Beatrice Colen as Ms Shipley
Bryan Vtman
Lois Hall
David Murphy
Jack Manning
Dorthy Sinclair
Hugh Warden
Patti Jerome as Macho Muriel





CREW


Produced by: .................. Martin Tahse
Directed by: ................... Arthur Allan Seidelman
Associate Director ............. Fred W. Bennett
Production Supervisor .......... Bruce Hendricks
Director of Photography ........ Hanania Baer
Music Composed by .............. Glenn Paxton
Editor ......................... Jerry Eisenberg
Art Director ................... Cary White
Unit Production Manager ........ Paul Deason
Assisant Director .............. Paul Deason
Second Assisant Director ....... Leslie D. Waldman
Costumes ....................... Jean Blackburn
Assistant to the Producers ..... Mary Lou Steinkraus
Casting ........................ Julie Jones
Director of Development ........ Joseph H. Maurer
Assistant Cameraman ............ Damon Montgomery
Second Assistant Cameraman ..... Marc Schwartz
Lighting Director .............. Danny Buck
Sound .......................... Jacques D. Nosco
Boom Operator .................. Terrance R. Fmerson
Keygrip ........................ Gary Welch
Grip ........................... John Stabile
Grip ........................... Steven Carter
Electrician .................... Bryon White
Props .......................... Pat Turner
Make-up ........................ Christy Ann Newquist
Production Assistant ........... J.T. Archuleta
Titles ......................... Elaine Watkins
Re-recording ................... Glen Glenn Sound
Post Production ................ Consolidated Film Ind.

A Martin Tahse Production.



SCHOOLBOY FATHER
NOT TO BE MISSED

Sixteen-year-old Charles Elderberry (The West Wing's Rob Lowe) had fun when he worked as a camp counselor this past summer. A lot of fun - especially with fellow counselor Daisy (Diff'rent Strokes Dana Plato).

Back in the real world, Charles' mom notices a birth announcement in the paper for "Miss Daisy Dallenger". A quick (and obvious) count of his fingers leads Charles to conclude that it has indeed been nine months since they made sweet, sweet love.

He visits the hospital, but Daisy is less than welcoming - she throws things, yells, and informs Chuck that their baby is being put up for adoption because her pregnancy prevented her from being invited to a bunch of cool parties. Daisy is so unhinged that one of the other moms in the ward tunes "Greensleeves" onto her radio in order to drown out her complaints.

Charles is crushed. He's counted all of the baby's fingers (he really likes to count fingers) and deems the boy "superior". Charles decides that he wants to raise the baby. He never knew his father, and he wants to make sure that his son has one.

Charles' mom doesn't think this is a good idea, arguing that he isn't mature enough to raise a child. She still agrees that they will take trial custody of the baby, which Charles wants to name Wolf, a name that pretty much verifies Charles' immaturity.

Things work out well at first ("He's neat, huh?"), but the teen soon realizes that having a baby is a drag. You have to heat its formula, check to see if it's wet, and read books like Raising Kids O.K. The final straw occurs when he is forced to miss a party thrown by Lucy (The Facts of Lifei's Nancy McKeon), the hottie who sits behind him in English.




Soon, Wolf has been returned to the social worker (Wonder Woman's Beatrice Colen), and Charles is once again free to attend all the keggers he wants to, but with a tear in his eye.

Schoolboy Father is so funny that it would be easy to believe it is actually meant to be a comedy. It seems to be against teens having sex without "taking precautions," but sends slightly mixed messages by having Rob Lowe run around half naked for much of the hour. Sex can have bad consequences, kids, but look at this hot teen! Much of the dialogue is howlingly funny ("I'm just great. Except they're giving my baby away!"). This goofy charmer is not to be missed.



Rob Lowe fans should keep an eye out for the next wave of After School Specials, due to be released in Spring 2005. A Matter of Time, starring Rob Lowe, will be featured.





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