Throughout high school, I’m sure you’ve noticed a change in your personal taste. Whether it be your style, the music you like, crowds you hang out with, or in this case, the movies you watch. 

Teenagers are extremely easy to influence, whether that be good or bad. What this means is during our period of rapid frontal-lobe development, we are prone to phases. Look at it as a highly-adaptable palette, one that projects off of and responds to however you may feel at one time.

Seniors have made it to a point that other grades have dreamt of. They’re so close to their future, and so full of wisdom on the school experience. 

Traits stick easier than before, evolving and changing them into permanence. We catch a glimpse of who they will be in the future, and their taste might reflect their mood as they transition into adulthood.

I talked to a person in every grade level to hear their input on which movie they believe most accurately depicts their individual highschool experience. 

—

Senior Julian Davey—Napoleon Dynamite

“First off, it’s based in a school. Then the atmosphere of the movie is very awkward, just like a lot of people and situations in high school.”

Maisie’s Meditation:

I am extremely satisfied with this answer. It puts a smile on my face to hear another kid recognizing the genius of Napoleon Dynamite. I would say it accurately reflects that state of being a senior, and the unseriousness of how everything starts to seem. 

With a fully developed overview on high school, you notice all of the comedy and awkwardness. It’s kind of like an alienated view, like third person. You notice these everyday teenage interactions, as an adult, and realize that’s exactly where you used to be. Napoleon Dynamite contains that element, with the brilliance of director Jared Hess in depicting that moody, cheesy, yet monotonous teenage tone.

“What are you gonna do today, Napoleon?”

“Whatever I feel like I wanna do, gosh!”

–  Napoleon Dynamite, Napoleon Dynamite

When you’re a junior, you are officially an upperclassmen, and in the last half of high school. Academics become extremely difficult, and grades become more important to maintain, but strong relationships motivate you. The future isn’t so hazy, as you transition into a young adult, and your identity is more formulated than before. 

Junior Mel Holtzman—Ferris Bueller’s Day Off & 10 Things I Hate About You  

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and 10 Things I Hate About You are the best teen movies. They are of course exaggerated, especially with big musical scenes, but for moments when it’s just two people talking, I feel it’s the most accurate in the sense that everyone knows everyone in some way, word spreads fast, the cliques are there, but they aren’t overdone.”

Maisie’s Meditation:

Ferris Bueller is such an iconic high school movie, and despite all of the seemingly inaccurate events portrayed in it, the true message of it connects on another level to how so many students feel. You don’t want to waste any moment. Extremely important themes, quotes, and relationships can be taken away from these movies.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”.

– Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Sophomore Amon DeCoste—The Perks of Being a Wallflower

In sophomore year, you are almost at the halfway milestone. You have an equal amount of both your past and future at high school, with a lot to reflect on, but equally a lot to look forward to. A sophomore’s outlook based on perspective would probably include regret, ponderance, conflict, but most importantly: hope.

Amon DeCoste, Sophomore at Venice High, says “The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a pretty decent take. Part of it is a little depressing, but I think that it depicts a realistic view of both the good and bad things that come in highschool. It’s very easy to feel isolated and fit in, shown in the main character. It shows the importance of having good relationships throughout high school while also showing the effects of having not-so-great relationships. 

“I think a majority of people in high school at one point or another feel like a ‘wallflower’ despite it being true or not and the movie shows how stepping out of your regular comforter zone can be high-school-changing which is why i think  its the best depiction of what high school is like.” 

Maisie’s Meditation:

I am shocked, considering I rave about this brilliant book and movie constantly. My friends are sick of me. I think it perfectly captures that feeling of isolation you experience in high school. You struggle to find a crowd, and once you do it’s rarely ever permanent, as your life is rapidly changing with minimal stops – or at least it feels this way. In fact, time feels as though it’s going twice the speed in contrast to your life after those first two developmental decades. 

Charlie, the main character, experiences troubles with the pace at which his life is traveling. His friend group consists of quirky castaway seniors who make the immediate decision to adopt him. However, one predicament he faces goes along with the fact that all of these people, whom he is drawn so close to, are having different struggles than him, ones that are intense and somewhat foreign to him. He takes it in his hands to provide them with advice he doesn’t even take himself. Ultimately, they are all moving forward in life, leaving him stranded – left behind. 

“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.”

 –Charlie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

In freshman year, highschool is a novelty. You have so much ahead of you, and it can be fun, but also overwhelming. You sometimes feel in over your head, and all you want is to find your crowd. Anything you do may be made fun or ridiculed of because of your age and its correlation with doubts about your maturity; however, everybody was once a freshman, so it should be known that the older grades share empathy with them. Finally, we will be looking at how ninth graders view highschool so far.

“None… Can I answer with that? They’re all played by people in their 20s and they don’t look like teenagers.. They overexaggerate everything, none of what happens actually happens in highschool.” Phaedra Lindner said. 

“I’d say that’s a pretty good response, but if you had to pick ONE movie.”

“I keep thinking of Grease, just because it holds such a strong meaning at our campus. You can definitely identify with it as a student here.” Phaedra Lindner said.

Maisie’s Meditation:

This is undoubtedly true. I find it kind of funny that Grease was mentioned, a movie with actors considerably older than teenagers, with ages ranging from 21-33. However, it does hold a special place in the heart of Venice High School, or Rydell High School if you must, and our tight-knit community has kept traditions honoring it running for years.

My goal is to reflect how high school is experienced through movies. Accurate or not, I think it’s extremely interesting to drop in and look at everyone’s experience individually. Hopefully, it can bring light to the good, bad, awkward, or surreality that teenagers alike share.