Call me a nerd, but I always enjoyed the first day of school more than the last day. There was something special about seeing everyone you missed over the summer, knowing little to no homework would be assigned, and getting to taste that delicious beef cheek bourguignon the dining hall always served on Mondays in September (although it was occasionally a tad too haute for my palate). But movie characters seldom enjoy their first days of school -- it's usually a minefield of bullies, teen angst and a message of being true to yourself. Since I'm definitely not going to back to school today, here's the five movies that would help me revisit those days the best. What are yours?
1. The Boy Who Could Fly -- Remember this odd gem? What puts this at No. 1 for me is the unshakable scene where Fred Savage's character is tardy for his first class, and after he closes the door all of his classmates lock eyes on him. The few times I changed schools, this scene was always my worst nightmare for what could happen.
2. Donnie Darko -- "Where should I sit?" "Sit next to the boy you think is the cutest!" So says teacher Drew Barrymore to cute-as-a-button Jena Malone as she walks into her English class for the first time. What is the teacher trying to accomplish by saying this? Who knows, but it would make for a nice classroom interruption.
3. The New Guy -- This movie is far better than it should be, and I love it for the WTF cast of cameos (Vanilla Ice, Henry Rollins, Lyle Lovett, Gene Simmons, etc.) and its general lampooning of the typical new student at high school comedy.
4. The Rules of Attraction -- I had to include this here since it also stars Fred Savage, this time as a heroin addict in college. Maybe he's really the same character from The Boy Who Could Fly? There's also very little (any?) of students going to class in this movie, so it's a pretty good parallel.
5. Three O'Clock High -- It's hard being the new guy in school, but even harder when you don't want anyone to touch you, and worse yet if you happen to be the unlucky chap who touches said untouchable one. A great movie all about the lead-up to a fight after school. "Cripple the dick."
1. Heathers
ReplyDelete2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
3. Animal House
4. Tom Brown's School Days
5. Any of the Harry Potter movies (I'd liked to have gone to that school)
I'm quite fond of The Corn Is Green and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, but I don't really relate to them.
Two easy ones:
ReplyDeleteGREASE 2 - There is a whole song about it and everything.
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE
But then again, I'll find a reason to fit them into any list.
Howzabout DEAD POETS SOCIETY? Or, less, on the less poignant tip, BACK TO SCHOOL and SUMMER SCHOOL... ah, a double bill of Rodney Dangerfield and Mark Harmon. Of course, what really makes both of those films memorable is, in the case of the former, Sam Kinison's awesome cameo as an insane History teacher, and in the latter, two guys obsessed with the original TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorites:
ReplyDeleteThe Trouble With Angels. You can take the Catholic out of the girl, but the Catholic school never quite lets go.
My Bodyguard. Love this movie. Love it! Super bonus - Ruth Gordon!
Stand and Deliver. In the scene where Olmos is walking home and crosses over the freeway, I can almost smell LA.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939). I sob at the end of this. Every time.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off. "In...what....waaaaay, does the author's use...of...the...prisonnnnnn..." - Yeah I had one of those teachers. And so did you.
Can't Buy Me Love and Summer School are great ones.
ReplyDeleteBilly Madison, Mischief, and Akeelah and The Bee
Sam Kinison is brilliant in "Back to School," maybe the best part of that movie.
ReplyDelete"Oh, Ohhh, OHHHHHHH!"
Adam,
ReplyDeleteI myself am drawing a blank of back to school movies other than the ones listed so I will comment on others.
Billy Madison
Back To School
Donnie Darko
Three O'Clock High
And Mischief might just be the best one. Oh, Kelly Preston was just sweet as a peach back then.