As graduation season approaches, seniors look back on their time as students and look forward to their future as young adults. To reminisce, watching movies about the school experience is a great way to combat nostalgia and remember the good times of the past 13 years. The following movies are in no particular order; they are just some of the best movies revolving around the educational experience.
1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
This 1985 classic follows senior Ferris wanting to make the most of his last “sick day” of his high school career with his best friend, Cameron, and girlfriend, Sloane. Throughout his day, he travels around his city of Chicago, visiting places including Wrigley Field, the Von Steuben Day parade and the Art Institution. This movie gives a gentle reminder that it’s okay to have fun and live in the moment.
2. School of Rock
A recently unemployed guitarist Dewey Finn, played by Jack Black, is in search of work and finds himself a substitute teaching job at Horace Green Prep School. After realizing all of his young students’ musical talents, he searches for revenge against his ex-band and enters his students in the local Battle of the Bands. The vibrant film has a great rock soundtrack and is a happy watch before graduation.
3. Napoleon Dynamite
This coming-of-age comedy features awkward teen Napoleon Dynamite trying to fit in at his school. After his grandma’s accident, his strange Uncle Rico stays with him and brother Kip to keep an eye on them. At school, Napoleon befriends the new kid, Pedro, and they launch a campaign to run for class president. The indie film teaches about embracing individuality despite social pressures, which can be an important lesson during big changes.
4. Matilda (1996)
Starring Mara Wilson and Danny Devito, child prodigy Matilda Wormwood is forced to put up with her distant mother and father and her strict principal at school, Ms. Trunchbull. However, when Matilda figures out that she has telekinesis, she starts to defend her friends at school and fight her battles at home. This fun, lighthearted movie based around Matilda’s school years is a great watch for before graduation and teaches multiple life lessons, such as standing up for oneself and that family can be more than blood.
5. High School Musical 3
As all of the fun senior year activities approach in the third movie of this Disney trilogy, Wildcats Troy and Gabriella promise each other to make the most of every moment together as they know college may split them apart. Full of singing and dancing, reminiscent memories hit these groups of friends while they look back on their time at East High. As many graduates grew up on Disney movies and TV shows, this film could bring up feelings of nostalgia and remembrance of their childhoods.
School movies don’t end there; those are just some of the hundreds of movies with schools and graduation scenes in them. Watching any of these can help relax those graduation nerves and help prepare for life after getting that diploma.
