MovieChat Forums > St. Elmo's Fire (1985) Discussion > I just don't understand? (question proba...

I just don't understand? (question probably has been answered before )

posted 10 years ago by iheartnormi
12 replies | jump to latest

I love this movie so much, but one thing that always puzzles me is, how on earth did Rob Lowe graduate from Georgetown University with all that drinking and partying same with Demi's character (at least she as the advantage of sleeping for better grades I can understand that), but what about the female professors. Secondly, why is Rob Lowe still working at crummy job, I get that he lacks motivation but he graduated from one of the best colleges in the states, he could have at least got a 9-5 job doing nothing.

[–] ItsEddieHaskellBeyotch 10 years ago

I just guessed Billy and Jules either just barely graduated with enough credits or they were helped out by their friends...or they could have been book smart and not that mature, lotta people that way.

When theres no more room in Hollywood, remakes shall walk the Earth.

[–] zuccascatering 10 years ago

Billy graduating from high school would be a stretch...let alone a major university! Had there been more reference to his "backstory" (wtf was his major?!?)...maybe!?

[–] first_rule_of_fightclub 10 years ago

wtf was his major?

He was a double major. Fun & Games.

[–] zuccascatering 10 years ago

4.0 GPA...Clearly! =D

[–] sage2112 10 years ago

Well you can graduate with Cs across the board pretty darn easily. And he did have lots of jobs - remember all the jobs Alec got for him. But those Cs across the board and his attitude aren't gonna get him anything but a crummy job, even if he wanted something better.

[–] iheartnormi 10 years ago

Yeah, true he definitely lacked motivation. Is it too much to ask for a sequel, or would that just be wrong.

[–] Cbarrek 10 years ago

How did he pay tuition???

[–] iheartnormi 10 years ago

Maybe rich father perhaps?? Maybe that is how he got into Georgetown in the first place.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] PillowRock 10 years ago

Secondly, why is Rob Lowe still working at crummy job, I get that he lacks motivation but he graduated from one of the best colleges in the states, he could have at least got a 9-5 job doing nothing.

That was easy to believe at the time (speaking as someone who was a year out of college when this movie about the first year after college came out; which probably contributed to why I became attached to it at the time).

The job market in the mid-1980s really, seriously sucked. It was one of those periods when some people were going to grad school just because there weren't enough entry level jobs for the people graduating with bachelors degrees. Plus, of course, it was often harder to find the most appropriate openings before the internet existed. I was still working nights at Burger King for several months after graduating with a computer science degree from a high end public university (3 or 4 months after graduation to find a "real job" that was half-time to start, another 2 or 3 months to prove myself enough to work my way up to full time), and I didn't have any of Billy's problems with motivation or over-partying.

[–] joetigersfan 9 years ago

Job market in the mid 80s sucked? That's news to me.

[–] OldFriendOfTheChristys 9 years ago

Funny, I was re-watching the film just today and found myself wondering what on earth his degree would've been in. Music maybe?