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Top 10 ‘Back To School’ Movie Classics

By Cassiah Joski-Jethi · June 12, 2013

For me, it was not very long ago I was sitting in an exam hall taking my A Levels in a British Secondary School. Just like anyone else, I sat at my desk, staring blankly at my exam, and instead of writing down the answers, my mind wandered. In the exam hall is where I would reminisce about my time as a school student. Luckily for me, I never fit any of the ‘cliques’ of high school. I wasn’t popular, but I wasn’t an outsider, I loved Lord of the Rings, but I wasn’t a ‘nerd’; it seemed that the archetypes so forced upon in ‘Back to School’ films just didn’t exist for me. But I loved watching films about school.

For me, the films were escape and entertainment, a bridge from my relatively boring social status into a world where every emotion, every event, and every personality was heightened. Why do I enjoy this so much? I find other people’s behaviour fascinating, and these ten ‘Back to School’ films listed focus on a range of different people, different humour, and different social issues that make these movies stand out to me as great Back to School movie classics.

10. Dead Poets Society (1989)

Dead Poets Societyis a film about an inspirational teacher, maturely portrayed by comedian Robin Williams. Although I feel it is slightly overrated, it is still a great film, reflecting the pressures of high school issues on a group of students. A bit of a damper at the start of the list, there is a depressing conclusion to the film, with Neil’s suicide and Mr. Keating’s dismissal. Yet, these actions have an undertone of positivity, the characters knowing their actions have left a legacy that cannot be touched. For Mr. Keating, he sees how he had inspired the students despite his leaving, as one by one they poignantly stand on their desks, united in defiance.

9. Sixteen Candles (1984)

Molly Ringwald, the teenage star of the 80s, had her first stand out role in Sixteen Candles. The film is set in the life of a typical teenage girl whose parents forget it’s her birthday. That would suck, wouldn’t it? It’s not enough our lead girl Samantha Baker is insecure and going through all the problems puberty drags along with it, but her no-nonsense parents and her typically puzzling love life are just the icing on top of the cake. However, it’s not the plot that makes this movie special. Ringwald’s ability to be relatable and ‘normal’ in such a way brings reality and honesty into the film. Every teenage girl has looked in the mirror, sighed in an exhausted manner, and thought, as Samantha, “chronologically you’re 16 today. Physically? You’re still 15.” This desperation to grow up reflects the true torture of the teenage years, making Sixteen Candles a great back to school film.

8. Easy A (2010)

Easy Ais one of my favourite films of all time, perhaps because it has two of my favourite actors in it: Emma Stone and Stanley Tucci. But when I went to see this in the cinema, I was expecting another soulless, stereotypical, bring-it-on-esque high school film; however, I was pleasantly surprised. It was refreshing that the phrase ‘popular kids’ or ‘geeks’ or ‘nerds’ were not used once in the script. Although the story seemed a bit far-fetched, at least the characters were real and had ‘newness’ about them. The lead gal, Olive, didn’t fall into any type of ‘clique’, yet it didn’t mean that she was automatically an outsider. It was an honest portrayal of an unlikely situation (as although Olive claimed otherwise, I can’t believe a high school would let one of their students parade the corridors in a corset with an “A” sewn onto the chest) that was witty, original and funny.

7. Grease (1978)

Although I don’t agree with the moral of Grease particularly (to change yourself into someone you’re not for your boyfriend), it is a classic back to school film. Using fluffier versions of street gangs, typical girl on girl bullying, puppy love-sick triangles, upbeat, catchy tunes, Grease offers an entertaining, escapist view of high school and all of the teenage happenings around that time. What is great about Grease is, even though it’s a musical, it strongly appeals to guys, with the banter of the fiery T-birds and a hot, slutty girl to conclude the show. It is one of the most memorable musicals and back to school movies. After all, what’s better than a bit of cheesy summer loving?

6. Superbad (2007)

Why have I included Superbad when it’s set at the very end of high school? Despite this and the fact that the majority of the film takes place over one eventful day, it encapsulates all the awkwardness, insecurities, social politics, and outrageousness of the high school experience. Underneath the apparent ridiculous humour and the purely comedic function of the character ‘McLovin’, there is a beautiful, emotional and dynamic friendship between Evan and Seth. After getting smashing drunk, there is a touching moment when Seth drags Evan to safety, and they cuddle up together in sleeping bags, exclaiming their love for each other, “I just want to scream I love my best friend Evan!” It is a mature snapshot into the difficult transition process between high school and college with humour and poignancy.                                    

5. Mean Girls (2004)

Mean Girls, a hilarious comedy about the extreme rules of high school. Witty, outrageous, and yet surprisingly subtle at moments, Mean Girls is infamous among teenagers. There are numerous quotes that my housemates and I abuse each other with, like “boo, you whore!”, “I want my pink shirt back!”, and “she doesn’t even go here!” to name a few. It’s a high school classic for the noughties generation, playing on the stereotypes we overuse in contemporary representations of teenage society. The film shows the jocks, the ‘plastics’, the freaks, the Asian nerds, the cool Asians, the girls who eat their feelings, etc. – every clique you could name, Tina Fey (the writer) pokes fun at the hierarchy of high school by every group adhering to their stereotype profusely. The best example is in facts ‘the plastics’, with their burn book cussing every girl in school and enforcing their ‘rules and regulations’ to the school landscape. Without the level headedness of the central character Cady and her journey of self-revelation, the film would be a mess. But ultimately, the film is balanced between what seems to be an exaggerated unreality, to a mature understanding of the teenage environment.

4. The History Boys (2006)

One of Allan Bennett’s masterpieces, it was going to be tough to take such a truthful and quirky play and adapt it into a movie. However, it was extremely successful. It almost parodies Dead Poets Society in way, getting the young school boys to be passionate about studying History in a different light, not seeing History as simply being just “one bloody thing after another”. The film has a sharp balance of comedy and tragedy, with the question of sexuality vs. innocence as one of the core themes of the film. Apart from the obvious experimental sexual antics of teenagers, like Dakin’s confusion of his sexual orientation, a much more disturbing and interesting element is the role of General Studies teacher Hector in the movie, having supposedly ‘accidently’ molested certain students. A comedy with no fear to question the social and moral standings of our society, The History Boys is an uplifting back to school film.

3. School of Rock (2004)

School of Rockis Jack Black’s best film, in my opinion. It makes you wish you could go back to lower school and get a kick-ass, rocking teacher like Jack Black. The children also reflect stereotypes played off of in high school films, with Summer ‘the manager’ mirroring the annoying preppy girl, Lawrence the epic keyboardist mirroring the ‘nerd’ (every heart broke when he said “I’m not cool” –  aww!) and Frankie the drummer reflecting the rebel, to name a few. The film itself directly tackles the themes of growing up (not only the children but Dewey Finn too) and the pressures of relationships. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The difference between high school films is that they mainly focus on peer pressure, whereas School of Rock focuses different types of relationship pressures, such as Zach’s tough, domineering Father, Ned’s nagging and hypocritical girlfriend Patty, and Principal Mullin’s pressure to uphold the school’s reputation. And such an uplifting ending, everyone breaking away from the pressure and sticking it to the man!

2. The Breakfast Club (1985)

A film that defined a generation, The Breakfast Club was honest, open and daring all at once. The exciting thing about the film was seeing the transformation of the relationships between the characters, characters that at first appeared to be at completely different ends of the social scale. The ‘recluse’, the ‘jock’, the ‘popular girl’, the ‘rebel’, all stereotypes used again and again in high school films; however, the journey that the film presents each of the characters going on is endearing and timeless. The greatest thing about The Breakfast Club is that it is inclusive; it doesn’t only focus on the journey of one character, and no characters are merely ‘functional’. All the characters support each other in the end, and their journey is beautifully summed up in their letter to Mr. Vernon about who they found out they were: “But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain… …and an athlete… …and a basket case… …a princess… …and a criminal”.

1. Clueless (1995)

As if!? Clueless is the classic ‘high school’ film of the 90s, launching the careers of Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, Donald Maison and other future comedic actors. Although everything is exaggerated, as I’m sure most ‘popular’ girls don’t have their own self-dress machine, the roots of the film explore the themes of friendship, honesty and love, commenting on the issues of status and sex – the ‘first time’. Ultimately, the film gets at what really matters in the world. For Cher, she finally realises its supporting the cause of Pismo Beach and admitting her true love with her half-sort-of-brother (?!) Josh. Even with a sentimental ending, there is a cutting comedic edge to the film, with plenty of wit and banter between the characters. From Murray’s head shaving hoopla to Cher’s ruined satin shoes, it is the original, cheesy and hilarious back to school film.