BEST SCHOOL MOVIES
“Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (1939) Included in a night of school-themed films Friday, Feb. 4, on Turner Classic Movies, this excellent drama boasts an Oscar-winning performance by Robert Donat as a veteran headmaster.
“Blackboard Jungle” (1955) Teacher (Glenn Ford) gives – and gets – a lot of dirty looks in screenwriter-director Richatd Brooks’ incendiary drama, with Vic Morrow as an especially tough character among the inner-city students. Sidney Poitier also stars in the film that helped make Bill Haley and the Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock” iconic.
“To Sir, With Love” (1967) Sidney Poitier went from student to teacher in this hugely memorable drama, in which he tries to educate another inner-city class ... this one in
London. Co-star Lulu performs the hit title song.
“Up the Down Staircase” (1967) Sandy Dennis is wonderful in director Robert Mulligan’s version of the Bel Kaufman novel about a novice teacher and her challenging New York pupils.
“American Graffiti” (1973) Technically, this George Lucas-directed classic is a graduation-night movie rather than a back-to-school movie ... but new grads Curt and Steve (Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard) do return to those hallways during a dance.
“Grease” (1978) After their “Summer Lovin’,” Danny and Sandy (John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John) are hugely surprised to be reunited at Rydell High in this massively fun version of the stage musical.
“Fame” (1980) Students of New York’s High School of the
Performing Arts take to the streets as well as the classrooms in director Alan Parker’s energetic musical-drama.
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) Cameron Crowe’s great script fuels this highly entertaining comedy, with Sean Penn a standout as surfer dude Jeff Spicoli ... who has a pizza delivered to him in class.
“The Breakfast Club” (1985) You can’t do a list of great
school movies without this. Writer-director John Hughes gives Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez and Anthony Michael Hall an unforgettable detention.
“Back to School” (1986) What movie is more appropriate for a back-to-school list than this? Rodney Dangerfield is
hilarious as a clothing-store tycoon who decides to join his son (Keith Gordon) on the path of higher education.