99Rock Music News: Best Films About School To Ease The Pain Of Going Back
(Photo by Kevin Winter//Getty Images)
By Caitlyn Trudnich
Back to school..back to school…It’s that time of year again!
You’ve bought all your 3-ring binders, composition notebooks, and that über expensive calculator.
Yes, school is back in session.
Though you may be super bummed that your summer is over, and it’s back to early classes and lots of homework, cheer up with these back to school film favorites.
🙂
Billy Madison
An Adam Sandler classic!
Full of memorable one-liners, this 1995 film has lead character Billy must go “back to school” and pass grades 1-12 successfully.
From story-time to learning cursive, Sandler provides countless laughs.
Mean Girls
Every girl in their 20s knows this film backwards.
With a cleverly written screenplay from Tina Fey, and featuring LiLo in one of her most memorable roles, this take on high school cliques has become a cult favorite.
Let’s not forget to mention America’s sweetheart Rachel McAdams masterfully portraying a catty teenager.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Who didn’t have a Spicoli in their class?
This 1982 film about the ups and downs of teenagers in high school includes characters that everyone could relate to: The Over-Achiever, The Stoners, The Popular Girl, and The Class Clown.
The film is full of pop culture gems, including the now-famous Phoebe Cates dream sequence, checkered Vans, and a nostalgic film soundtrack.
Dead Poets Society
O Captain, My Captain! Although beloved entertainer Robin Williams has passed, his memory lives on in one of his best roles as unorthodox English teacher, Mr. Keating.
Taking place at a strict prep school, Keating inspires his students to carpe diem or “seize the day,” and follow their own dreams in life.
Back To School
This film of course made it on the list.
Rodney Dangerfield stars in the 1986 comedy about a millionaires return to school, and obtaining a college education in order to prove it’s importance to his son, and himself.
Featuring Robert Downey, Jr., and 80’s rockers Oingo Boingo, the film also features the famous “Triple Lindy” dive scene.
The Breakfast Club
Of course a John Hughes film has to be on this list, most notably, The Breakfast Club.
Centering around a group of high schoolers from various social cliques – an athlete, a basket case, a princess, a brain, and a criminal – who are forced into a full Sunday of detention.
In true Hughes fashion, there’s self-realization, teenage angst, and the bridging of stereotypes.
Don’t get detention guys…you mess with the bull, you get the horns!
Clueless
As if! The movie that spoke to a generation and brought us a plethora of pop culture – the outfits, the ’90s slang, the soundtrack…not to mention, Paul Rudd.
Centered around the “clueless” students of Bronson Alcott High School, this 1995 film by Amy Heckerling (who also directed Fast Times At Ridgemont High) gave a contemporary spin on the literary classic, Jane Austen’s Emma.
It’s also hard not to mention Brittany Murphy in her breakout role of wallflower turned popular girl, Tai Frasier.
Animal House
For any dude that’s gone to college, or wanted to go – a good guess would be because of this film.
Starring the legendary John Belushi, the film follows the fraternity of Delta Tau Chi – a group of under-achieving misfits, who love to have a good time.
Even fraternities today still try to imitate that ultimate dance party scene, when Otis Day and the Knights performed “Shout!”
Old School
Taking inspiration from 1978’s Animal House, this movie is a new comedy classic. Will Ferrell at his finest!
Filmed around local campuses including UCLA, this movie also has a group of misfits create their own fraternity – however this time, there’s no age limit.
The men throw raging parties, much to the disapproval of the Dean, played by Jeremy Piven. Piven also stars in another back to school flick, 1994’s PCU.
Grease
Summer lovin’, had me a blast! Summer’s over, and school is back in session.
What better way to get in the back to school spirit than with a good ol’ sing-a-long to one of the best musicals, Grease.
So practice that hand jive, and shine up your leather jacket – get ready to shoo bop bop with Danny, Sandy, The Pink Ladies, and The T-Birds.
