The latest EW has put together a list of the best high school movies. A top 50, no less. 50? That's a lot of damn high school movies. I think they should have went for Top 20, because the pickings get slim. Their #1 is The Breakfast Club. Could not agree more. One of my faves of all time. It most definetely captures high school. The confusion. Anxiety. Joy. And the weight of it. After that, the list gets shaky....especially putting 16 Candles at #49.
But there's plenty that should not be on there at all, in my opinion. Harry Potter/Goblet Of Fire? (#36, ahead of 16 Candles!). That's a HIGH SCHOOL movie? C'mon, I swore that was about magic (at a SCHOOL OF MAGIC). Do they have a football team? German Club? A Prom? A Morp?
And Back To The Future? (#28). In my opinion, I'd say that was about time traveling. I'll give them Friday Night Lights (#37), although any high school scenes in that movie were limited to montages of football players walking down a hallway. And I think the focus of that movie is football. On Friday night. With lights.
They did score with a bunch. Fast Times. Dazed & Confused. Heathers. Clueless. Say Anything. American Pie. Election. Rushmore. Brick. Here would be my list:
1. The Breakfast Club
2. Ferris Bueller
3. Say Anything
4. 16 Candles
5. Rushmore
6. Three O'Clock High
7. The Last American Virgin
8. Dazed & Confused
9. Election
10.Heathers
Also, two recent movies, Chumscrubber & Thumbsucker are growing on me and might someday may a list of this sort.
They also have Donnie Darko on their list, which is okay and it makes sense, but let me just say something about that movie........it's way overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's got some great moments in it, but it just doesn't hold together for me. And think about it, where would it be without the haunting "Mad World" cover at the end of it.
Anyway, what are some of your faves?
11 comments:
The EW list is pretty good, and it does contain some of my all-time faves .. If I had to pick just two, they would be Election and Flirting .. I just love those two!
I've got a problem with 16 Candles being so low on the EW list. I read this yesterday & needless to say what was ahead of it was ridiculous (Harry Potter, Back To the Future). I like your list a hell of a lot better. The only difference with me is that Heathers, Election and Dazed & Confused would be ranked higher.
Used to be a fan of the 3 O'Clock High director (also did State of Grace, Rattle & Hum) and then he started sucking and I haven't seen him makie anything in a while.
Also, these lists are tough. I would probably change the order over and over again, that's why no list is ever in stone.
Ironically, the writer I met in the coffee shop a couple of weeks ago (in my blog post about finally talking to a random person in a coffee shop) was the co-writer of Three O'Clock High.
And I thought I was the only person who had seen that movie...
A young, innocent boy (Luke), teams up with a cigarette smoking scoundrel (Han Solo) in defiance of the school board (Empire). They join a band of class cutters (Rebel Alliance) and hatch a plot to blow up the Death Star (High School).
Star Wars is the best High School movie ever. It's right there in black and white. Don't let setting or plot fool you.
I'd say your list IS the list...EW took it too far and stretched it too thin.
though I might consider slipping 'Valley Girl' into the list --- I dug that movie way back when...
PJ -- PRETTY PERSUASION isn't on your top 10?
SAVED! and ELEPHANT would be on my top ten along with (in no particular order):
RUSHMORE
ELECTION
SAY ANYTHING
THUMSUCKER
BRICK
FERRIS BUELLER
FAST TIMES...
VIRGIN SUICIDES
SIXTEEN would have to be on the list... okay, top 11.
Aaron - Loved Thumbsucker, I think it'll make the list someday, probably replace Heathers (smart movie for its time, although parts of it annoyed me).
Pretty Persuasion was a good movie, but not top 10. Crap, does it have to be on there? The best things about it were the performances, and of course, the amazing talents of the DIRECTOR.
Crymes - Star Wars? you're like Barbara Streisand - NUTS!
Stand By Me. hmm. Well, they are in high school, but I don't consider it a "high school" movie. Perfect coming of age though. Crap, perfect movie about life. When River Phoenix turns to wave and the end then disappears. Damn. gets me every time.
Well, at the very least you should consider Glory to be added to your list, and if you don't understand how that is a High School movie, all is lost.
"For Chrissakes C'Mon!"
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