Greek philosopher Epictetus once stated, “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” He meant that one needs to recognize his own limitations and open himself up to the possibility of learning something new; otherwise no learning can occur. Billy Madison, the main character in the movie by the same name, feels that he possesses all of the knowledge he needs, and spends his days frolicking poolside with his silly companions. The son of a rich business tycoon, Billy does not worry about money, and his father funds his unproductive lifestyle, even going so far as to pay his teachers off to pass him through school. As his father ponders retirement, he realizes he cannot hand his business over to his son; instead, he chooses to give it to his weasel-like employee, Eric. Billy, determined to convince his father that he is capable of taking over the business, suggests that he repeat grades one through twelve to earn the rights to the company. His father agrees, and Billy embarks on his journey.
After completing all grades, Billy learns to value education.
Before Billy decides to vie for his father’s company, he focuses on drinking and hanging out with his friends. The land is sick because Billy has no internal drive to do anything productive with his life. His father recognizes that he is a slacker, and therefore does not trust Billy to take over his company. Billy is the chosen one because he, being his father’s only son, is the heir to the company; however his father does not see the company as his birth right. Billy must prove himself. Madison is called to adventure when his father reveals that he will not hand the company over to him. This decision prompts Billy to attempt to prove his worth by repeating his education. He cheerfully accepts the call, and crosses over the first threshold when he re- enters kindergarten, not knowing exactly what lay on the other side seeing as though his first experience in school took place years ago. He begins school and finds that he enjoys finger painting with the kindergartners and hanging out with the young kids because they look up to him.
Madison remains focused on amusement but manages to complete his early education according to plan, partially because he gains the attention of his third grade teacher, Veronica Vaughn. She becomes an ally of Billy’s and helps him continue to focus on his goal.
Eventually, Billy begins high school and finds that his classmates see him as a loser instead of the hero figure that his younger classmates viewed him as. His journey becomes complicated during the road of trials when the high school students victimize Billy by bullying him. At this point,
Billy wants to give up and he reverts to his life of debauchery. Up to this point, the obstacles he faces in finishing each grade have been easily conquered, but this time Billy suffers emotionally.
Billy’s helper Veronica Vaughn plays her most important role in this scenario because she helps him overcome his fears of facing his high school counterparts and convinces him to continue on his journey toward his goal.
Since Billy falters, his father loses faith in him and decides to hand the business over to Eric.
Carl, a business associate of his father’s and a believer in Billy, acts as his wise sage and suggests that Eric and Billy compete in an academic decathlon to determine who gets the company. Without Carl, Billy would probably have lost his opportunity recoup the company because he appears to have lost his motivation after entering high school; however, Carl provides
Billy with the chance to defeat Eric and cheers him on. Throughout the decathlon, each competitor succeeds at different events, each proving to be a formidable opponent. The contest culminates in the belly of the whale when Eric and Billy face off in a trivia contest in front of the entire student body. Each chooses the other’s category, and Billy looks as though he will fail to take Eric down when he blabbers on idiotically about The Puppy Who Lost Its Way when dealt the Comparative Literature category. The moderator even remarks that all who heard Billy’s ramblings is now dumber for having done so. At this point, it appears that our hero may fail to regain his father’s confidence until he chooses “Business Ethics” for Eric. Befuddled by the category due to his unseemly ways, Eric lashes out and pulls out a gun. Luckily, a former enemy of
Billy’s enters the auditorium and shoots Eric in the leg, leaving Billy alive and victorious.
Finally Madison’s journey concludes, and he earns his diploma. The land and king are one when
Billy realizes that while he has earned the right to head his father’s company, he is not the right man for the job. His birthright entitles him to the position, but he feels that Carl is better suited candidate, so he suggests that Carl take over the company. This decision demonstrates the tremendous growth Billy experiences throughout his journey. While his focus remained realizing his goal of taking over the company, he understands that earning the right to take over proves to be just as important. He comes to a new understanding that his true destiny is to continue his education and become a teacher. Billy’s journey has ended, and he quickly decides to answer the next call to enter college.
Even though Billy Madison originally aimed for a much different outcome, he came to realize his true calling: to become a teacher. Through his folly, he eventually found his way with the help of
Carl, Veronica, and his friends. He demonstrated to others that he could handle the feat of finishing school, but more importantly, he proved his abilities to himself. Fortunately, Billy listened to his inner voice and decided to pursue a different objective. Sometimes the path one takes to reaching a goal takes a turn, and that person finds themselves on a much more meaningful journey.