Though June marks the continuation of the summer movie season, it's also graduation time for high school students nationwide. In conjunction with release of the high school comedy-drama Me and Earl and the Dying Girl this week, here are our top five high school films.
21 Jump Street
Though the main characters of 21 Jump Street aren't high school students, the high school setting is the perfect set up for great comedy. Undercover cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) must go undercover as students, and having adults pose as high school kids adds an aspect of hilarity as the two attempt to recreate the high school culture that was popular in their day. It's a charming satire of both generations of high school students, and the comic deconstruction of high school stereotypes adds another layer to an already hilarious film.
American Graffiti
George Lucas revitalized the sci-fi genre with the original Star Wars trilogy, but his lesser known work American Graffiti stands out as another revolutionary film. The film centers on several high school seniors on their last night of their high school lives, and the decisions made that would affect their lives. As a story based off of Lucas's experiences in Modesto, the film's depiction of the '60s high school scene is a natural cinematic depiction, and it keeps the raw emotion that Lucas drew from his life. It's a touching film about growing up and making decisions, and a beautiful homage to the '60s era.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a brilliant mix of comedy and drama, and a film that's both cinematically inventive and heart wrenchingly realistic. The settings and characters of the movie are unlike anything we've seen before, but it clearly takes influence from this generations finest films, becoming a passionate love letter to the industry. The teenagers interact and discuss life in a normal way, and the comedy is absolutely hilarious, but not forced. The stylized direction, much of which involves extended metaphors or striking imagery, succeeds in making the film both natural and cinematic. Though emotion is often translated through humor, the emotional scenes succeed in justifying the dramatic shifts. Unlike the drastic tone shifts commonly found in such films, this movie's tone feels natural, much like the film overall.
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a classic of all different types, but the high school setting is one of the most important reasons that the film is an all-time classic. The high school protagonist Marty McFly allows audience members of all ages to relate to the character in some way, and the setting adds an innocence and comedy to the film's plot. Michael J. Fox channels the epitome of '80s culture in a great performance as a normal high school student in over his head in time travel, and gives an interesting look at the differences between '80s and '50s cultures throughout his adventures. It's a timeless adventure full of heart and laughs, but also an essential high school film.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Though cinema is filled with great films set in high school, only one could top our list as the greatest in history. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a classic comedy that channels any audience members' sense of teenage rebellion as Ferris (Matthew Broderick) pulls off the dream high school plan: skipping school for a fun day with his friends in Chicago. Broderick gives a universally relatable performance as the titular character -- an unsure, yet cocky young adult. The entire film is bursting with energy and excitement, with sharp dialogue regarding the bizarre situations. Though it features nearly every "high school movie" cliché, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a powerful force of comedic nature that brings us all to reflect on those four years of our lives.
