Top Ten High School
Films
As school comes to
an end for another year and graduates realize high school no longer stands
between them and the real world, it’s time to recount the ten best films to
take place over the few short school years of our lives that were either
amazing, dreadful, or a bit of both. High school may be years behind you,
rapidly getting close for others, or you might be right smack dab in the middle
of it all. Whatever the case, these ten films captured high school on film in
unique ways that everyone can enjoy.
Criteria: must
feature main character(s) who are enrolled in high school. Pretty simple criteria
actually, not like grade twelve calculus.
Honourable mentions: The Girl Next Door (2004), American Pie (1999). Both are excellent films, but just aren’t as classic, memorable
or distinct as these other ten.
10. Sixteen Candles (1984)
Writer/Director John Hughes might have been the master of
high school films—as exemplified by later entries on this list as well as this
one. Sam, played by Molly Ringwald, turns sixteen on just an average school
day. Her family forgets about it, however, because her older sister’s wedding
is the following day, and this event coupled with her busy family’s crazy
everyday life is all it takes for Sam’s big day to slip under the radar. Even
though it’s a major bummer for Sam, it doesn’t get her down too much and make
her an unlikeable main character by having her pout the whole time. As she goes
about her school day, we meet odd and hilarious supporting characters along the
way, including foreign exchange student Long Duk Dong and flirtatious senior
Jake Ryan. Besides the main plot of Sam’s forgotten birthday, there is an
equally funny sub-plot involving a geeky kid trying to get laid—each effort
being thwarted in some way. It’s not as laugh out loud funny as some of the
other films on this list, but it’s original and endearing enough to be
considered a classic high school comedy.
9. Carrie (1976)
When Stephen King sat down to write his breakout novel
about an outcast telekinetic high school girl with an overbearing religious
mother and some extremely cruel classmates, he had no idea it would be as
popular as it ended up being. Similarly, one might not have expected Brian de
Palma’s film adaptation to become one of the most unique and horrifying high
school films ever. Stephen King knew, like many of us know, that high school is
hellish for those who don’t fit in, and this tale of Carrie White (played by
Sissy Spacek, who got an Oscar nomination for her portrayal) shows us firsthand
the ultimate case of not fitting in. The kids know her mother is weird, she has
no friends, she wears shabby clothes, keeps to herself, and so they decide to
pull perhaps the meanest prank ever conceived. I won’t spoil it for those who
don’t know it, but the climactic scene has become well known in pop culture.
It’s an unsettling, entertaining, and shocking film all at once. Forget the
remake that came out last year, just stick with the original. 
8. American Graffiti (1973)
Before George Lucas went on to wow the world with his
original Star Wars trilogy, and then
disappoint many fans with his lower caliber prequel trilogy, he directed this
coming of age story about a group of friends who have just graduated and are
having one last great night together. Set in Modesto, California in the early
sixties, the same time and place George Lucas was a teen, the friends drive up
and down “the strip” in their fancy cars, go to a sock hop, and search for
popular DJ Wolfman Jack. It’s told in a series of vignettes, which makes it a
bit more interesting to watch, because it’s constantly jumping around to
different characters in different situations. It stars young Richard Dreyfuss,
Ron Howard, and even Harrison Ford in a small role. Dreyfuss’ character is
uncertain about leaving for college the next day, but tries his best to have a
fun night and pines for a mysterious blonde girl who mouths “I love you” from a
neighbouring car. It may be a little hard for younger viewers to relate to, but
it perfectly captures the time period, has a great soundtrack, and is a lot of
fun for all ages. A sequel, More American
Graffitti, was produced at the end of the seventies, but failed to come
anywhere close to the charm of the original.
7. Scream (1996)
Besides being a parody of the slasher subgenre as well as a
genuinely well made, very entertaining horror film (and some may say the last
great slasher film), Scream is also
an accurate depiction of high school and the peer pressures students are faced
with. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has a boyfriend who just wants to get
laid and pressures her into losing her virginity. Maybe that wouldn’t be so
bad, if her mother hadn’t just been brutally murdered months earlier and the
entire story of the trial scrutinized by bitchy reporter Gale Weathers
(Courtney Cox). The entire student body feels a shock when a popular girl gets
knifed to death, and the mystery of the elusive, conniving, and movie educated
killer known as Ghost Face begins to unravel. It incorporates elements of crime
drama, horror tropes, as well as high school drama and comedy. It’s funny, self
referential, and scary, and though not as scary of a high school film as Carrie, it’s debatably even more
entertaining. 6. Mean Girls (2004)
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just some teeny
bopper chick flick with the lame Lindsay Lohan. First of all, it was before
Lohan went down that self destructive path, and second, this is an extremely
clever high school film that captures the concept of the social cliques better
than any other film on this list. There are the math geeks, band nerds, outcasts,
and of course “the plastics”, the super cool girls who are so dolled up with
makeup and wear such slutty clothes, you would swear they crawled out of a
Barbie doll box and came to life a la Toy
Story magic. Lohan’s character is from South Africa, and though she makes
friends with two other lower profile students, she is eventually adopted by the
plastics and becomes one of them. The script, written by Tina Fey, is very
clever and consistently funny, and the characters are familiar stereotypes that
still manage to be original. Girls can be mean, but they can also be hilarious.
5. Juno (2007)
This off-beat comedy drama won best original screenplay at
the Oscars, and for good reason. Juno
is a truly unique tale of a very interesting high school girl (Ellen Page) who
decides she wants to have sex with her sort of boyfriend (Michael Cera) and
ends up getting pregnant. Knocked up Juno plans to abort the baby, but then
decides against it and instead opts for adoption. A seemingly perfect family
decides to adopt her child once it’s born, but events unfold which put Juno in
a difficult place and force her to make tough decisions. Some people might be
put off by the film’s way of treating teen pregnancy as largely
inconsequential, but it makes for a refreshing take on the scenario and a more
distinctive high school film in general. Well directed, well written, and well
acted, Juno covers all the bases that
make a great high school film. 4. Superbad (2007)
The same year Juno
came out, a very different comedy featuring raunchier high school hijinks was
released, to much critical and commercial success. It follows Seth (Jonah
Hill), Evan (Michael Cera), and Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who are three
virgin seniors in high school struggling to keep up with the cool kids. When
the flirtatious Jules (Emma Stone) invites Seth to her party and asks if he can
get the alcohol, he agrees, worrying about just how exactly he can get said
alcohol later. Fogell comes up with a fake I.D., which simply sports the name “McLovin”—a
joke that has now become synonymous with the film. Seth and Evan struggle to
get the alcohol, get to the party, have a good time, and maintain their
friendship over the course of the wild night, involving crazy cops, succumbing
to peer pressure, and all the other hallmarks of a great R rated high school
adventure. 3. Back to the Future (1985)
Everyone knows Back
to the Future is one of greatest time travel, sci-fi-comedy hybrid,
eighties films ever, but you might
forget it’s also technically a high school film. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox)
accidently goes back to 1955 in a DeLorean turned time machine created by Doc
Brown (Christopher Lloyd), where he meets his parents as teenagers and
accidently interrupts the space time continuum when his mother-to-be ends up
falling for him rather than his father-to-be. With the help of 1955 Doc Brown,
Marty goes undercover to his mother and father’s high school as a student from
out of town, and tries to make them fall in love so he isn’t erased from
existence and can go back to the future. It’s one of the most creative,
original, and tightly written scripts ever, and none of the special effects
overshadow any aspect of the film. It may not be the ultimate high school film, but it's definitely one of the best films of all time. If you haven’t seen Back to the Future, then great Scott, just go watch it
already! 
2. The Breakfast Club (1985)
Another classic from director John Hughes, this one also
stars Molly Ringwald, however instead of a quiet, low profile teenage girl, she’s
a member of the popular clique who ends up getting a full day of weekend detention.
Joining her is “criminal” John Bender (Judd Nelson), “athlete” Andrew Clark (Emilio
Esteves), “brain” Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), and “basket case”
Alison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy). These five students start out isolated, quiet,
and even hostile toward each other, but as the day goes on and they boldly
abandon the library where they are told to stay, what was forecasted as being a
dull detention turns into a day about breaking down social cliques, making new
friends, and just making the best out of a bad situation. It’s fascinating and
hilarious to see these five very different kids find common ground and have one
of the best days of their lives—one they will never forget.
1. Ferris Beuller’s Day Off (1986)
After showing us an unintended great day for a group of
high school kids in The Breakfast Club,
John Hughes showed us a very well planned day to avoid school. Let’s face it:
no one likes school. Any kid would rather take the day off to go do fun stuff
than sit in a stuffy classroom listening to the teacher drone on about voodoo
economics or the great depression or whatever. It’s that mindset that makes Ferris Beuller’s Day Off such an
engrossing film experience. Ferris (Matthew Broderick) decides he needs to have
the ultimate day off, and since it’s his ninth “sick” day of the semester, that
he better make it count. He recruits his girlfriend Sloan (Mia Sara) and best
buddy Cameron (Alan Ruck) for an adventure around Chicago. They borrow Cameron’s
father’s Ferrari, eat at a fancy restaurant, and even join in on a parade, all
the while dodging Ferris’ father, angry dean of students Ed Rooney (Jeffrey
Jones) and Ferris’ jealous sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey). It’s tightly plotted;
gut busting-ly hilarious, and the perfect high school film.All posters from http://en.wikipedia.org
No comments:
Post a Comment