EW'S Top 50 High School Flicks of All Time

[dalomini]

http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1532588_1_0_,00.html

The List
1. The Breakfast Club
2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
3. Dazed and Confused
4. Rebel Without a Cause
5. Heathers
6. American Graffiti
7. Clueless
8. Boyz n the Hood
9. Election
10. Ferris Beuller's Day Off
11. Say Anything
12. Mean Girls
13. High School
14. Donnie Darko
15. Carrie
16. Lucas
17. Peggy Sue Got Married
18. Rock n Roll High School
19. The Last Picture Show
20. Dead Poet's Society
21. Grease
22. American Pie
23. Cooley High
24. Rushmore
25. Hoosiers
26. Pretty in Pink
27. To Sir, With Love
28. Back to the Future
29. Gregory's Girl
30. Bring it On
31. The Karate Kid
32. Scream
33. Hoop Dreams
34. Get Real
35. Brick
36. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
37. Friday Night Lights
38. Bye Bye Birdie
39. The Virgin Suicides
40. Risky Business
41. Cant Buy My Love
42. Fame
43. Stand and Deliver
44. Cant Hardly Wait
45. My Bodyguard
46. Flirting
47. Napoleon Dynamite
48. Just One of the Guys
49. Sixteen Candles
50. Splendor in the Grass


Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

I personally am extremelly disappointed with #1, such a stereotypical and overrated choice. My personal preference would be Back to the Future, Karate Kid, or Ferris for #1. Rest of it isn't bad, though. Get Napoleon the fuck outta here, awful damn movie.

[ilovemovies]

Yeah, I'm disappointed with their #1 choice as well. I liked The Breakfast Club, but I didn't think it was great.

And Ferris Bueller's Day Off should be WAY higher.

The Girl Next Door should be on the list as well. One of my all time favorite movies. I TRULY love the movie. Everything about it. It's pretty much perfect in my eyes. So I'm disappointed that it's not on the list.

[Gordon]

Dazed and Confused #1 easy. I really wish people would SHUT THE FUCK UP about Breakfast Club. To me it's gotten the whole Napoelon Dynomite complete overrated treatment.

[Rick-James]

I agree with this list.

[Hannibal21]

'The Breakfast Club' ranked at #1 is soooooooo predictable, and as much as I like the film, I completely agree that there are several better teen movies out there.

Of the rest of the list, I think Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Rebel Without a Cause (my choice for # 1), Say Anything, Carrie, The Last Picture Show and Rushmore should all be a lot higher, whereas Mean Girls, Donnie Darko, American Pie, and Dead Poets Society are ranked too high.

I'm also really glad to see Brick here, even though I would rank it so much higher than where it is now (it'll probably go up in a few more years though, with the massive cult following and all).

Napoleon Dynamite and Bring It On are both travesties, neither should have any business doing on this list.

[Shockwave]

I disagree with alot of the order, but the overall picks for the list are pretty good.

[Andrew Ratto]

the

[BorderEevilIII]

FAME = High School?!?!??!

hmm......


But there are a few others on the list not considered "high school" setting being that it takes place at private/boarding school type. And #13?!?!? I assume its "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL" that was on the Disney Network?!?

[Shockwave]

Im shocked to see Donnie Darko on the list.

I love the movie, but i wonder if it really belongs.

[chinton]

First whats the hate for Breakfest Club. Its a smart, well-written, and more improtantly talky teen film. The film is representiive of better days when teen were willing to sit through what is essentially a filmed play and not w hine that there aren't enough dick jokes.


Also the only movie that should be number one is American Graffitt which has Dazed And Confused beat by a mile. A truly masterful film and the quintessential coming of age tale.

[BorderEevilIII]

Originally posted by Shockwave
Im shocked to see Donnie Darko on the list.

I love the movie, but i wonder if it really belongs.



Well what about Virgin Suicides? ;)

The list normally doesn't have to be happily ever after/John Hughes like material

It does take place at a school setting :D




oh yeah, VISION QUEST did NOT make the cut?

oh pooh :p

[tsay1616]

Fast Times at Ridgemont High should definately not be #2...there are about 5 movies that should be ahead of it.

[The FamilyJulas]

Is it just my horrible vision or did they leave Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure out of this list? And i like Sixteen Candles a lot more than the Breakfast Club. And i am so sick of Dazed and Confused, it's really not that great.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

WTF? That's such a fucking stupid list, Boyz N the Hood is not a high school film at all, it just has characters that are in high school. And wasn't Donnie Darko in middle school?

[zeppelin]

Originally posted by chinton
Also the only movie that should be number one is American Graffitt which has Dazed And Confused beat by a mile. A truly masterful film and the quintessential coming of age tale.

Agreed. American Graffiti is easily the greatest high school movie ever made. Beyond that, Boyz N the Hood, Dazed and Confused, Heathers, Scream, and Splendor in the Grass are my favorites on the list, probably in that order.

I actually haven't seen it myself, but there is one glaring omission from this list, which is Blackboard Jungle, which from its reputation, is pretty much the original high school movie, and had a huge impact on teen culture back in the 50's. Surely it deserves a spot on the list?

The only other one I can think of that I'd like to see on the list is Rumble Fish. Besides that, I'm not sure if Ghost World would qualify since they're actually just out of high school, but if it does, I'd definitely include that. And Hoop Dreams too...I can see by their inclusion of High School that they include documentaries, but I'm really not sure if that would count as a "high school" movie, since it covers a lot more time than just that.

[Cronos]

i knew Breakfast Club would be #1 (although i love it there are better high school flicks), theres some good films on there and i didnt think it was a bad list until i got to Napoleon Dynamite.....ugh

[powersauce]

Ferris should be higher since it's my favorite movie and "Better Off Dead..." should be on that list as well and the underrated 10 Things I Hate About You. I love that latter movie's sarcastic humor.

Can't argue with The Breakfast Club.

[ChemicalRomance]

I think it is ridiculous that Ferris Bueller's Day Off is not the #1 film.

By the way, John Hughes really dominates this list eh?

[BorderEevilIII]

Originally posted by ChemicalRomance


By the way, John Hughes really dominates this list eh?



If John did NOT do a string of teen flicks then it would have not been nicely referenced in DOGMA. :D


Originally posted by Brando @$$ Fat
WTF? That's such a fucking stupid list, Boyz N the Hood is not a high school film at all, it just has characters that are in high school. And wasn't Donnie Darko in middle school?


Well the countdown list which is questionable...They put together each film based on characters and the transition of everyday life while in high school. "Boyz" is the only movie that does not contain any scences of the characters seen in the film going to school.

[Terror Australis]

Originally posted by dalomini
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1532588_1_0_,00.html

The List
18. Rock n Roll High School


I'm glad this got a place on there:D. And yes, like it or hate it, The Breakfast Club deserved to be number 1 bitches!

[RandalGraves]

It's a pretty darn good list, but Ferris Bueller should be 1 imo

[Buck Turgidson]

Jesus Christ, I despise John Hughes and his paint-by-numbers bullshit :mad:

At least Fast Times At Ridgemont High is high on the list. Almost where it should be.

[Deadite914]

D&C and Heathers should be nubers 1 and 2

[Philip Marlowe]

Films that could have made the list but didn't maybe some don't deserve to make it but some sure do,

All the Right Moves
Cry-Baby
Detroit Rock City
The Faculty
Fright Night
Orange County
The Outsiders
Dream a Little Dream
Porky's
Summer School
Teaching Mrs. Tingle
Teen Wolf
Three O'Clock High
Weird Science

[jaw2929]

Originally posted by Terror Australis
And yes, like it or hate it, The Breakfast Club deserved to be number 1 bitches!

Absolutely agreed.

[ilovemovies]

Well I think The Breakfast Club deserved to be in the top 10, but not #1.

[damien22]

Say Anything (9/10) is my favorite, but I know it would never make the top. But next for me would probably be The Breakfast Club (9/10) or Friday Night Lights (9/10, one of the most underrated movies of all time IMO and yet again, I know it wouldn't make the top), followed by Donnie Darko (9/10), Heathers (8/10), Rushmore (8/10), and Back to the Future (8/10).

[Mr. Durp]

Originally posted by zeppelin
American Graffiti is easily the greatest high school movie ever made.

i'd have to agree with you. "DAZED AND CONFUSED" and "FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF" should be #2 and #3.

shocked not to see "BILL AND TED" on there. also would've liked to see two of my favorites on there, "ORANGE COUNTY" and "OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE".

[ilovemovies]

I forgot about Orange County. That was a great movie. Definately should have been on the list.

[Le_Big_Mac]

Originally posted by BorderEevilIII
Well the countdown list which is questionable...They put together each film based on characters and the transition of everyday life while in high school. "Boyz" is the only movie that does not contain any scences of the characters seen in the film going to school.

There was one scene where they were taking that exam or something in the school library so they were able to squeeze it in there, even if it wasn't at a high school movie.:rolleyes:


Personally, I wouldn't took this list too seriously. It's obviously written by a bunch of people that have seen mostly only movies from the last 20 years, choosing to cater to the younger folk of the day. If the magazine was choosing to imitate something like an AFI list, movies like The Blackboard Jungle would hopefully be #1.

[Danger^Cart]

Originally posted by Gordon
Dazed and Confused #1 easy. I really wish people would SHUT THE FUCK UP about Breakfast Club. To me it's gotten the whole Napoelon Dynomite complete overrated treatment.

Ditto. I loath Breakfast Club and it's snooty self importance.

[Puck Bond]

Originally posted by powersauce
Ferris should be higher since it's my favorite movie and "Better Off Dead..." should be on that list as well and the underrated 10 Things I Hate About You. I love that latter movie's sarcastic humor.

Can't argue with The Breakfast Club.

I totally agree with everything you said...The Breakfast Club is the best high school flick of all time period. I too miss the omissions of Better Off Dead... "Two Dollars!!!" and 10 Things I Hate About You...and what the fuck is Sixteen Candles doing so low on this list it deserves to be top 20 at least...

Election is not a top 10 film I'm sorry...

Where are more edgier films like Go or Kids even...

[ilovemovies]

Go isn't a highschool flick.

[Bonham]

Originally posted by Philip Marlowe
Films that could have made the list but didn't maybe some don't deserve to make it but some sure do,

Cry-Baby
Detroit Rock City
Orange County
The Outsiders
Porky's
Teen Wolf
Weird Science

I agree that all of these should have been on the list.

Also, I agree with Breakfast Club 1 and Fast Times 2.

I believe that Can't Hardly Wait should have been higher. This might just be because it reminds me alot of my high-school. This is a tough list because everybody wants it to represent their high-school years. I love a lot of these movies (Rebel Without a Cause, Donnie Darko, Dazed and Confused), but they don't give me any nostalgia which this list is sort of going for.

[Buck Turgidson]

I implied it above, but I'll say it straight out, now: The Breakfast Club is a trite piece of shit.

Just like all of Hughes' films are, to some extent or another.

[Buck Turgidson]

Let's break these down...

Legitimately great:

2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
5. Heathers
6. American Graffiti
8. Boyz n the Hood
9. Election
11. Say Anything
19. The Last Picture Show
20. Dead Poet's Society
23. Cooley High
24. Rushmore
25. Hoosiers
28. Back to the Future
33. Hoop Dreams
43. Stand and Deliver

Pretty good:

4. Rebel Without a Cause
10. Ferris Beuller's Day Off
14. Donnie Darko
15. Carrie
17. Peggy Sue Got Married
18. Rock n Roll High Schoo
l22. American Pie
27. To Sir, With Love
30. Bring it On
38. Bye Bye Birdie
40. Risky Business
41. Cant Buy My Love
42. Fame
44. Cant Hardly Wait
45. My Bodyguard
46. Flirting
48. Just One of the Guys
50. Splendor in the Grass

Excrement:

1. The Breakfast Club
7. Clueless
21. Grease
26. Pretty in Pink
31. The Karate Kid
32. Scream
49. Sixteen Candles

A handful that I haven't seen were left off.

[bigred760]

How the hell did a Harry Potter make it to the list? For crying out loud, Harry Potter on a HIGH SCHOOL top whatever list?!?!?!

Though I'm not the biggest fan of The Breakfast Club, it's understandably number one because it speaks volumes about social statuses in high school. So it's got a little bit of everything; hey, remember, Paul Gleason is in it, and he rocks (may he rest in peace).

The rest of the list is cool, except for the Harry Potter entry which is still blowing my mind. I'm glad to see some old school stuff in there like American Graffiti and Bye Bye Birdie.

Not a bad list, but some very questionable calls on there.

[Monotreme]

As with some others here, I agree with the selections on a whole but not on the order. Am pleasantly surprised to see Dazed and Confused so high up. I'd probably put it at #1 myself, with Fast Times remaining at #2.

[sarah1980]

Ferris should be #1

My Bodyguard and The Karate Kid should be higher on the list

[evilmonkey]

Allow me to put on my body armor before saying this: BRICK SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ON THIS LIST.

[bigred760]

Originally posted by evilmonkey
Allow me to put on my body armor before saying this: BRICK SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ON THIS LIST.

Wow, didn't even see that one - too suprised at the Harry Potter entry.

I agree with you though, that movie was horrible. I concur that this movie should be nowhere near this list.

[Monotreme]

Originally posted by bigred760
Wow, didn't even see that one - too suprised at the Harry Potter entry.

I agree with you though, that movie was horrible. I concur that this movie should be nowhere near this list.
Ngoh... you guys just can't see originality if it slaps you across the face! Nah, come on. It just happens to be on my personal top 10 of 2006 list, and I know there are many others that like it on here. It's certainly one of if not the most original "high school" movie.

[speedbeaver]

Dazed & Confused belongs at number one.
Fast Times is right on the money at number 2.
but then Bueller needs to be higher, as does Scream.
I like that Clueless is as high as it is.
The Girl Next Door definatly belongs on this list. High on this list.

[bigred760]

Originally posted by Monotreme
Ngoh... you guys just can't see originality if it slaps you across the face! Nah, come on. It just happens to be on my personal top 10 of 2006 list, and I know there are many others that like it on here. It's certainly one of if not the most original "high school" movie.

You call a murder mystery original? You call Tugger original? And please don't tell me you call The Pin original. Even the name is retarded. I found the movie to be cliche as hell - the characters were one-dimensional, especially the two mentioned. And don't get me started on "the Brain," whose name is better suited for a cartoon mouse.

[Danger^Cart]

Originally posted by bigred760
You call a murder mystery original? You call Tugger original? And please don't tell me you call The Pin original. Even the name is retarded. I found the movie to be cliche as hell - the characters were one-dimensional, especially the two mentioned. And don't get me started on "the Brain," whose name is better suited for a cartoon mouse.

No, what I call original is setting an oldschool film noir with classic genre lingo in a contempary highschool. How is the name retarded? The entire focal point of the story are the bricks of cocaine. It makes perfect sense to me. Your begrudging the film becuase of a characters nickname? If you were to follow the same logic, you could say Unforgiven was a shitty movie becuase "Little Bill" sounds like he belongs with the rest of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I have no problem with you not liking the film, that's your perogative, but I atleast ask you produce some valid arguments as to why. Seriously Red, the above post sounds like something you'd see on IMDB. C'mon man.

[ilovemovies]

1. The Breakfast Club - 7/10
3. Dazed and Confused - 5/10
4. Rebel Without a Cause - 9/10
5. Heathers - 8/10
7. Clueless - 8/10
9. Election - 7/10
10. Ferris Beuller's Day Off - 9/10
11. Say Anything - 7/10
12. Mean Girls - 7/10
14. Donnie Darko - 7/10
15. Carrie - 5/10
16. Lucas - 7/10
22. American Pie - 7/10
24. Rushmore - 8/10
28. Back to the Future - 9/10
30. Bring it On - 7/10
32. Scream - 7/10
36. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 7/10
37. Friday Night Lights - 7/10
40. Risky Business - 7/10
44. Cant Hardly Wait - 7/10



So my top 5 would be:

1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
2. Back to the Future
3. Rebel Without a Cause
4. Heathers
5. Rushmore

[bigred760]

Originally posted by Danger^Cart
No, what I call original is setting an oldschool film noir with classic genre lingo in a contempary highschool. How is the name retarded? The entire focal point of the story are the bricks of cocaine. It makes perfect sense to me. Your begrudging the film becuase of a characters nickname? If you were to follow the same logic, you could say Unforgiven was a shitty movie becuase "Little Bill" sounds like he belongs with the rest of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I have no problem with you not liking the film, that's your perogative, but I atleast ask you produce some valid arguments as to why.

I know what the film's title means. I wasn't talking about that; I was talking about the name "The Pin," that's retarded. I could give a damn about the title. I'm "begrudging" the cliched and one-dimensional characters. I predicted the ending of Brick when the "femme fatale" was introduced. I'll give you it's a film noir, but I thought putting it into a high school setting was just dumb, not to mention predictable. The cliched characters didn't help much: Tugger just went around hitting people while having that expression on his face - it never changed; The Pin was cliched as hell playing the "mob boss" type. I'll give you Joseph Gordon-Levitt, he was good, but the rest of the characters were nothing more than one-dimensional, lame characters.

And the ending, I like the fact that whenever Tugger and The Pin, who I thought were in league together, need their thugs and/or allies to show up at The Pin's house at 4am, they can be there, and that The Pin's mom will be available to serve refreshments . . . again, at 4am.

(Lil' Bill is a nickname; The Pin, Tugger, and The Brain seem more like aliases, don't they?)

Little things, man. Lot of them just didn't do it for me.

Seriously Red, the above post sounds like something you'd see on IMDB. C'mon man.

Oh c'mon, IMDB is a hell of a lot worse than what I wrote. :p

[Danger^Cart]

Originally posted by bigred760
I know what the film's title means. I wasn't talking about that; I was talking about the name "The Pin," that's retarded. I could give a damn about the title. I'm "begrudging" the cliched and one-dimensional characters. I predicted the ending of Brick when the "femme fatale" was introduced. I'll give you it's a film noir, but I thought putting it into a high school setting was just dumb, not to mention predictable. The cliched characters didn't help much: Tugger just went around hitting people while having that expression on his face - it never changed; The Pin was cliched as hell playing the "mob boss" type. I'll give you Joseph Gordon-Levitt, he was good, but the rest of the characters were nothing more than one-dimensional, lame characters.

And the ending, I like the fact that whenever Tugger and The Pin, who I thought were in league together, need their thugs and/or allies to show up at The Pin's house at 4am, they can be there, and that The Pin's mom will be available to serve refreshments . . . again, at 4am.

(Lil' Bill is a nickname; The Pin, Tugger, and The Brain seem more like aliases, don't they?)

Little things, man. Lot of them just didn't do it for me.

[b]

Oh c'mon, IMDB is a hell of a lot worse than what I wrote. :p

I guess your just not a big fan of the genre then, cuz that's what made it so much fun. The Pin is supposed to be the obvious stand in for a mob boss, as with all the other characters. That's kind of the point. It applied the classic film noir formula from past decades to a contemperary, unique setting. Ah, well, I suppose it's not for everyone.

Okay...maybe the IMDB comment was a little harsh. I apologize. :p

[bigred760]

You're probably right. I've seen enough film noirs, especially from the good ole days of the 50s and 60s, to rip whatever new ones come along. I found Brick cliched and that bugged me. Unoriginal was the wrong word for it.

[starcat]

i love the top 3... dream a little dream should have definately been on this list... also rock n roll highschool forever :cool:

[Big Boss]

What?! Where's Three O' Clock High? Classic!

Risky Business should have been higher!

[MegSwan]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bigred760
[B]How the hell did a Harry Potter make it to the list? For crying out loud, Harry Potter on a HIGH SCHOOL top whatever list?!?!?!

Totally agree with you there--and where's Drop Dead Gorgeous? Come on

[Yakima]

1.Donnie Darko
2.Heathers
3.Better Off Dead
4.Pump Up the Volume
5.Heaven Help Us