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In the mood for a festival? Here are some memorable movies and television shows that explore the lives of teenage students
By Rich Heldenfels
Beacon Journal popular culture writer
Published on Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
The weekend has been a big one for productions about life in high school, with Superbad making its way into theaters and High School Musical 2 on the small screen.
But even if you watched both and they have, uh, very different target audiences that's only four hours out of your life. What if you wanted to have a festival?
There's plenty to choose from, whether in TV shows about high-school kids or big-screen efforts with the same topic.
You can even break them into subcategories (as the following list does, although many movies fit multiple categories).
Some are fantasy, some aim for gritty realism and some simply occupy a world as strange as high school itself.
And they prompt a particular passion rooted in our own adolescences.
Here, then, are some places to start. Except where noted, all of these movies
are on DVD and more should be. Where's that rumored Mod Squad set?
John Hughes Tetralogy
Sixteen Candles (1984). Molly Ringwald becomes a teen icon.
The Breakfast Club (1985). Brat Packers bond in detention.
Pretty in Pink (1986). Jon Cryer lip-synchs Otis Redding.
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987). Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson.
Fantasy/horror
I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957). Michael Landon.
The Blob (1958).
Teenagers From Outer Space (1959).
Carrie (1976). Sissy Spacek gets revenge on the mean kids. Remade badly for TV in 2002.
Halloween (1978). Jamie Lee Curtis begins her scream-queen reign and the tone is set for countless teen-horror flicks to come.
Weird Science (1985). Teens build Kelly LeBrock.
Teen Wolf (1985). Michael J. Fox.
Back to the Future (1985). Also Michael J. Fox.
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989). Time travel helps school project.
Class of 1999 (1990). Scary robot teachers.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992 movie, 1997-2003 TV series). The TV show is better.
The Faculty (1998). Scary teachers from another planet.
Smallville (2001-present). Clark Kent in his youth. Five seasons on DVD. Sixth season arrives Sept. 18.
Sex
Summer of '42 (1971). Male adolescent wish fulfillment.
My Tutor (1983). Ditto.
Risky Business (1983). Double ditto, with Tom Cruise.
Porky's (1981). The peephole to the shower.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Jennifer Jason Leigh at her most vulnerable.
American Pie (1999). ''The funniest cartoony high school movie anyone had seen in years.'' Seth Rogen in Entertainment Weekly.
Alienation
Rebel Without a Cause (1955). James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo in a pivotal movie about teen life.
King Creole (1958). Not technically a high-school movie, but Elvis Presley is trying to graduate from high school as it begins.
Pump Up the Volume (1990). Christian Slater rules the airwaves.
Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000). Just the best.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004). Gosh!
Veronica Mars (2004-2007). Excellent blend of mystery and adolescent trauma. Two seasons on DVD. Third, with the cast in college, arrives Oct. 23.
Literature redone
Clueless (1995 movie, 1996-99 TV series). From Pride and Prejudice. The TV show is not on DVD.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999). The Taming of the Shrew.
She's All That (1999). Pygmalion.
Cruel Intentions (1999). Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
Power struggles
My Bodyguard (1980). Kid hires bigger kid to protect him.
Heaven Help Us (1985). Catholic school.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Also a TV series, Ferris Bueller, which is not on DVD.
Three O'Clock High (1987). Kid antagonizes bully.
The Chocolate War (1988). From Robert Cormier's novel.
Heathers (1989). Murder as social tool.
Election (1999). Reese Witherspoon.
Popular (1999-2001). TV series with various teen factions in conflict and comedy.
Rushmore (1999). Student duels alumnus.
Bring It On (2000). Cheerleaders, loud music, sequels ensue.
Mean Girls (2004). Lindsay Lohan learns a valuable lesson. If only life were like that.
Soap
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000). Luke. Jason. Shannen. Jenny. The first two seasons are on DVD.
Dawson's Creek (1998-2003). The permanent record of James Van Der Beek's receding hairline.
The O.C. (2003-07). They didn't kill off Marissa soon enough.
One Tree Hill (2003-present). Better than Dawson's. Three seasons on DVD.
Boarding school
The Trouble With Angels (1966). Hayley Mills bedevils nun Rosalind Russell.
The Facts of Life (1979-88). You take the good, you take the bad. First three seasons on DVD.
Taps (1981). Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn.
Dead Poets Society (1989). Robin Williams inspires students, with mixed results.
School Ties (1982). Brendan Fraser fights anti-Semitism.
Grownups
Blackboard Jungle (1955). Glenn Ford as teacher. With Rock Around the Clock.
Because They're Young (1960). Dick Clark as teacher. Musical performances by Duane Eddy and James Darren. It's not officially available on VHS or DVD, but reruns pop up on TV occasionally. (TCM has it scheduled for Sept. 12 at 4:15 p.m.)
To Sir, With Love (1967). Sidney Poitier plays a teacher trying to straighten out some tough British kids.
Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-79). John Travolta became a star, but Kotter's name is in the title. First season on DVD and a single-disc episode selection.
Teachers (1984). Nick Nolte and colleagues in crisis.
21 Jump Street (1987-1991). Cops infiltrate high schools, Johnny Depp becomes a star.
The Principal (1987). Down and out James Belushi tries to fix a troubled school.
Stand and Deliver (1988). Edward James Olmos teaches math.
Dangerous Minds (1995). Michelle Pfeiffer inspires.
The Substitute (1995). Tough guy Tom Berenger goes to school to take down a bad bunch, including Marc Anthony. Yup, J-Lo's guy.
The Steve Harvey Show (1996-2002). Steve as teacher. ''Best of'' set on DVD.
Sports
The White Shadow (1978-1981). Coach and basketball team. Two seasons on DVD.
All the Right Moves (1983). Tom Cruise plays football.
Hoosiers (1986). Coach finds redemption.
Varsity Blues (1999). More football.
Remember the Titans (2000). Racial tensions resolved through football.
Finding Forrester (2000). Basketball star discovers writing.
Friday Night Lights (2004, 2006-present). Superb movie and then NBC series about Texas teens playing football. Movie on DVD, first season of TV series on DVD on Aug. 28.
Music
American Graffiti (1973).
Cooley High (1975). It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. And to think that this well-regarded movie led to What's Happening!
Grease (1978).
Fame (1980). Kids sing, dance. Also a TV series, 1982-87; the first season is on DVD.
Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979). Ramones!
Hairspray (1988, 2007). Both in its original form and in the musical adaptation, it's fun. The 1988 version is on DVD.
Footloose (1984). All they want to do is dance.
High School Musical (2006). Just in case HSM2 doesn't satisfy.
The Beacon Journal staff contributed to this list.
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal and in a blog at http://www.ohio.com. Contact him at 330-996-3582 or rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com.
The weekend has been a big one for productions about life in high school, with Superbad making its way into theaters and High School Musical 2 on the small screen.
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