Top 10 – High School Movies
#1 Clueless - My favorite high school movie for sure, if not one of my favorite movies ever. I can probably quote half of it as I watch it, and I probably have watched it about as many times as The Little Mermaid. At some point in high school, we had re-create a movie scene for my English class (remember that English is not my first language!) and my group chose Clueless. We watched it a couple of time to choose the scenes, and then another couple of times to transcribe them, since we didn’t have the script. I played Tai (Brittany Murphy’s character) and the memorable scene where Tai tells Cher “You’re a virgin who can’t drive.” I think I nailed it. I don’t remember what grade I got, but I’m sure it had to be the highest possible. If not, I probably argued my way to it.
#2 Pretty in Pink – A classic! But then, all the movies in this list are classics. But Pretty in Pink stood the test of time… except, of course, for its fashion. But really, I still cry thinking how she customized two beautiful dresses into that pink potato sack. But moving on… Andrew McCarthy? Dreamy. Oh yes, and probably the worst bad boy a teenage girl ever fell in love with. But totally dreamy while doing it. And the best friend, Duckie? Now, there’s the guy who really deserved to win the girl at the end, even if he wasn’t as dreamy.
#3 Mean Girls - It’s the movie I’m watching as I write this post and… it’s pretty genius. So many memorable moments in it, especially in its first 30 minutes: the naive new girl being introduced to the cliques of high school; the Halloween costumes “slut rule;” oh and speaking of rules, all the rules the “plastics” have for being able to sit with them; the super dumb blonde (Amanda Seyfried is fantastic); the “How can I explain Regina George” sequence; the art-of-war-like plan to bring down Regina George… Yes, I could go on. Plus, who never had friends like Regina George? I certainly did, but not as glamourous. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that Tina Fey is in it and she is freaking awesome. “She doesn’t even go here!”
#4 Can’t Buy Me Love – I’m a sucker for movies with great soundtracks, and this one opens up with Beatles. Excuse me? Automatically goes up in the list a few spots. But, regardless of the great music, this movie was one of my favorites growing up, because of the super silly plot. Boy mows lawns for the summer to save up enough money to buy a telescope (nerds rule!), and ends up helping out pretty girl who ruined her mom’s (fantastically tacky white leather) dress to buy a new one, so she doesn’t get in trouble. In exchange, she has to pretend to be his girlfriend for two weeks, making him go from nerd to coolest guy in school.
#5 Breakfast Club – This one is on everyone’s top 10. My favorite thing about it, is actually the fact of how many other movies and teen tv shows are inspired by it and reference it somehow in their stories (Dawson’s Creek Season 2 anyone?). It’s a classic for a reason.
#6 Drive me Crazy – How not to go crazy for Melissa Joan Hart? And the almost identical plot to Can’t buy me love but kind of reverse. Oh wait, pretty much the same plot of every teen movie… Pay attention wannabe film makers of the world: if you want a successful teen movie, you have got to include a make over. And it’s so nice when the make over an already adorable Adrian Grenier? Drive me Crazy might have the plot of a made for tv movie, but right now I need to know when it’s on on tv again because I need to see it stat. The prom scene at the end? Just pure adorableness, especially Melissa’s dark blue dress. Can I have one?
#7 Never Been Kissed – A story of second chances? A nerd girl that gets a chance to go back to school and try to make it work this second time? Heck yeah! Wish I could go back sometimes and show off those kids that treated me like crap some lessons. Of course it wouldn’t work like that since I’m so much wiser and cooler now, and all high schoolers would totally love me. But I love this movie and how everything works out for the Gellers. And Michael Vartan is absolutely adorable in it. Why didn’t I have a teacher like him in high school?
#8 10 Things I hate about you – I’ll be honest and say I did not like this movie the first time I saw it. I didn’t think Heath Ledger’s character was anything cute, and I usually don’t like anything with Julia Stiles in it. BUT on a second and third viewing… it grew on me. All characters and their weirdnesses got to me, and it’s definitely on my top 10 now even though I still think the scene when Heath sings pretty silly (go figure how HSM ended up on my list below, huh?)
#9 High School Musical – Yes, and I am not ashamed! Disney’s High School Musical is meant to be a classic. Singing teenagers that are afraid to be who they really want to be! Romance between the jock and the nerdy girl (who’s actually pretty hot…)
#10 She’s the Man – What a complete stupid movie but… so hilarious. I mean, none of the characters make any sense and none are even likable, but at the same time, it comes up with the funniest comments, and I can’t help but enjoy it. And of course, Tobias from Arrested Development as the director.
I could have kept going. I had other favorites off the list, such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, She’s All That, Assassination of a High School President, A Cinderella Story… Which ones are your favorites?
