Police Academy was a big hit in 1984. No no, I mean, like, a really big hit.

1984 was "one of those years" in which a whole slew of movies became absolute icons in cinematic history — Beverly HIlls Cop, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, The Terminator, Splash, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Karate Kid — ridiculous!

In amongst all those hits, Police Academy raked in $146M, paying a silly $32.49 putting it among the top 2% most profitable movies in my movie ROI database of 5,689 titles from 1915 to present.

It would seem, the titillating shenanigans that amuse teenaged boys (the sex-comedy genre that garnered the more intelletual title of "low-brow, coming-of-age" movie) that started not with American Graffiti (too early, 1973, and a far more cerebral capturing of a bygone era) but with Animal House in 1978, through Meatballs in 1979 , Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982, and resolving in 1981's Porky's could be translated to adults in movies like Caddyshack 1980, The Bachelor Party (1984) and Police Academy.

As far as coming of age movies were concerned, the 80s went through a shift from peurile zaniness to an avalanche of John Hughesian midwestern, suburban social awkwardness, peer pressure and angst, a la Sixteen Candles 1984, The Breakfast Club 1985, and Pretty in Pink 1986 (with honourable mention to one more Hughes installment, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986).

As for adults shenanigans, it would appear the template was tired. Basic Traning not only bombed, but it's nary ever mentioned, by anyone, ever, anywhere. Getting the timing right, when to jump on a zeitgeist vs. realizing when it's over, is a tough game.

Hughes recognized this and got out of the coming of age game, taking am rather at the adult comedy with a heart of gold in Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), and that was pretty much the end of the coming of age movies for that generation. American Pie would eventually hit the screens to represent the coming of age sex-comedy for a new generation.