Films help ease back-to-school concerns
Ah, back to school. It’s such an exciting time of shiny shoes and brand new binders, and yet, the many unanswered questions — Will I have friends? Will I make the basketball team? etc. — are enough to make any student anxious. Luckily, Hollywood is here to help. We share some pointers on surviving the hallways and beyond, as seen in the movies.
HOW TO DRESS ON THE FIRST DAY
Clueless (1995)
Mustard-yellow plaid blazer with matching kilt and vest? White thigh-high stockings? Hat resembling a lampshade? If you can check all of those boxes, you’re definitely set to put your best foot forward — assuming you’re wearing platforms, of course. It worked for spoiled Beverly Hills rich girl Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and her posh posse (Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy) in the hit high school comedy Clueless.
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS
Breakfast Club (1985)
Five teen stereotypes — the brain, the beauty, the jock, the rebel and the recluse — are thrown together for an all-day Saturday detention. At first, true to form, they torment and annoy each other. But eventually they surprise each other, learn to get past their self-made defences and see each other for more than the rigid roles they’ve been hiding behind. (But first they run around the school and smoke a little weed.)
HOW TO PASS A CLASS
Billy Madison (1994)
So you’re not the sharpest pencil in the pack? You’d rather debate the merits of shampoo and conditioner than do actual work? Billy Madison (Adam Sandler) is your spirit animal. In order to prove to his dad that he can take over the family company, slacker Billy must pass grades 1 through 12 in record time. All he needs is some motivation: lavish parties for passing each grade, a love interest and study sessions with a little tasteful stripping thrown in. (Also, watch out for any giant penguins out to kill you.)
HOW TO DEFEAT A BULLY
Mean Girls (2004)
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. That’s the totally “fetch” manner in which high school newcomer Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) takes on the evil Plastics clique and its queen bee Regina George (Rachel McAdams) in this witty comedy penned by Tina Fey. Sadly, her infiltration plan goes awry and lands her the title of school outcast. But several skimpy Christmas concert outfits, one giant all-girl brawl and an unfortunate school bus mishap later, she is able to restore peace in the hallways. Is that melted Plastics we smell?
HOW TO SKIP SCHOOL AND GET AWAY WITH IT
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
If you want to take a day off school in style, it helps if you have a foolproof plan that involves convincing your friend to borrow his dad’s prized Ferrari so you can drive your girlfriend to Chicago and sneak into a fancy restaurant. If you’re really lucky, you’ll get to march in a parade.
HOW TO MAKE LEARNING FUN
School of Rock (2003)
Every school has at least one rebellious, free-spirited teacher. Here’s a tip: Find that teacher! Bonus points if they look like Jack Black, whose unemployed character turns a clan of prep school fourth-graders into a talented rock band in this surprisingly heartwarming comedy.
HOW TO FIND LOVE
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
No matter how anti-social, aggressive and acid-tongued you might be, there’s someone who’s just right for you. Really. In this teen take on The Taming of the Shrew, scary boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) agrees to date prickly gal Kat (Julia Stiles) for a tidy sum so Kat’s sister can finally find a boyfriend. Thing is, somewhere in the strategic manoeuvring and pretending, Patrick and Kat realize they’re in love. And they got there just by being true to themselves and not caring what anyone else thought about it. Well, Patrick’s adorably dorky dance to Can’t Take My Eyes Off You in the bleachers probably helped.
HOW TO MAKE THE SPORTS TEAM
All the Right Moves (1983)
Tom Cruise portrays a determined high school footballer looking for a way out of his small town to a bigger, better life on a college campus. The best way to do that is with football scholarship, and that means hard work, practice, and then some more hard work and practice.
HOW TO FIND YOUR TRUE SELF
Grease (1978)
You may think you belong in bobby socks and a poodle skirt, but maybe you’re more comfortable in skin-tight leather pants and high heels. Who knew Olivia Newton-John had it in her?!
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Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
There are so many valuable lessons to be learned from this classic teen romp.