10 Best High School Movies
Now this is a first for JoBlo.com - a celebrity guest host for one of our columns (we came pretty close with Jon Heder and the Broken Lizard guys but both deals fell apart at the last minute). Today, taking over for Jim Law, our resident Casey Kasem, is Jake Tusing star of this Friday's AMERICAN TEEN. Jake was kind enough to compile not one but TWO Top Ten lists for us and we're debuting the first today. So while AMERICAN TEEN may one day make it on this list, here's Jake's list of the Top 10 High School Movies. Stay tuned later this week for Jake's second Ten Spot! AMERICAN TEEN hits select theaters this Friday.
10. TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE
It's a hilarious movie, no doubt, but we're still a little perplexed as to how TEAM AMERICA (a puppet movie about an "elite" group of soldiers) made Jake's list of the 10 best high school movies. Perhaps they're learning something out in Indiana about cinematic subtext that I'm missing. But hey, this ain't my list...
9. THE GOONIES
OK, we're back at least with kids starring in this movie. Most of them were in middle school but there certainly were high school elements like Brand, Troy, Andy and Stef. I mean I can certainly relate to having a crush on a hot chick only to have her douchy varsity boyfriend interfere. Of course I can't relate at all to looking like Josh Brolin so the comparison ends there.
8. SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL
Without spoiling the rest of the list, this is the first of many John Hughes appearances (he wrote and produced SKOW). WONDERFUL is kind of the evil twin of PRETTY IN PINK, complete with the ending Hughes originall wanted for PINK.
7. AMERICAN PIE
The raunchy teen comedy had all but died in favor of generic Freddie Prinze, Jr. comedies like SHE'S ALL THAT. But then came AMERICAN PIE and totally revitalized the genre. It spawned about a hundred sequels, all of which Jake says he loves.
6. JUNO
It's a testament to how successful JUNO was that only about a year after its release, it can already be considered a classic. But the movie resonated with so many people, including Jake, it take a spot on a list just like that.
5. THE BREAKFAST CLUB
It's another John Hughes movie and widely considered the godfather of all teen movies (even though a year later another Hughes movie, FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, grossed almost $20 million more). Perhaps because it's so easily relatable, BREAKFAST laid the groundwork for films like AMERICAN TEEN to happen today. And a little Simple Minds didn't hurt either.
4. MEAN GIRLS
While this might get lumped in with some of the passable Lindsey Lohan fare like CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN or HERBIE: FULLY LOADED, those in the know know MEAN GIRLS is as smart a teen comedy to come along since CLUELESS. Considering it's written by Tina Fey, you shouldn't be surprised.
3. SUPERBAD
Penis drawings, menstrual blood and McLovin. All things that, quite apparently, make a great high school comedy. Underrated is Jonah Hill's rant in home economics. I wanted to say that for four years.
2. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE
One of the most instantly quotable movies of the past decade, NAPOLEON launched a whole new sub-genre of quirky teen comedies. Caught in some weird time warp where things are equally present day and mid-80s, NAPOLEON exists in some far of comedy fantasy world that exists only to make us laugh.
1. FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF
Too many times in high school movies we see kids who are supposedly just like us and that's why we're supposed to like him. Ferris Bueller is like nobody else we ever met and that's exactly why we love him. Except for Ed Rooney of course.
