High School Comedies
It's hard to forget the cringe-making moments of adolescence (try as we might). Better to embrace them, call them classic, and make them into movies. Because, let's face it, they're funny. Which of these films best celebrate teen angst.
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1
The Breakfast Club
This high-school fantasy about everybody getting along would set the tone for director John Hughes's career, and it gave us the nucleus of the Brat Pack: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Michael Hall. 43 73
This high-school fantasy about everybody getting along would set the tone for director John Hughes's career, and it gave us the nucleus of the Brat Pack: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Michael Hall. 43 73
2
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Sean Penn is, of course, unforgettable as Jeff Spicoli, but the movie also features other '80s and '90s stars-to-be: Forest Whitaker, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and others. 42 68
Sean Penn is, of course, unforgettable as Jeff Spicoli, but the movie also features other '80s and '90s stars-to-be: Forest Whitaker, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and others. 42 68
3
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller breaks the teen-comedy mold by being cool under fire, always having a plan, and being comfortably in love with his beautiful girlfriend, Mia Sara. 40 82
Ferris Bueller breaks the teen-comedy mold by being cool under fire, always having a plan, and being comfortably in love with his beautiful girlfriend, Mia Sara. 40 82
4
Sixteen Candles
Yet another fine example of Molly Ringwald channeling the universal anxieties of high school: Why doesn't anyone understand me? Why can't I get a break? When will I find love? 30 66
Yet another fine example of Molly Ringwald channeling the universal anxieties of high school: Why doesn't anyone understand me? Why can't I get a break? When will I find love? 30 66
6
Porky's
Raw and ribald in an unabashedly juvenile way, this film pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in mainstream cinema and spawned a brand-new genre: the teen-sex comedy. 12 52
Raw and ribald in an unabashedly juvenile way, this film pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in mainstream cinema and spawned a brand-new genre: the teen-sex comedy. 12 52
7
Dazed and Confused
It captures the 1970s right down to the nitty-gritty details: the drinking age being 18, girls pulling on skin-tight jeans with pliers, and gas being a whopping 45 cents a gallon. 8 54
It captures the 1970s right down to the nitty-gritty details: the drinking age being 18, girls pulling on skin-tight jeans with pliers, and gas being a whopping 45 cents a gallon. 8 54
8
Clueless
Heckerling adapts Jane Austen's Emma for modern tastes, setting the nineteenth-century tale of class and wealth obsession at Beverly Hills High. For all the potential pitfalls of such a daring twist, the film works. 4 68
Heckerling adapts Jane Austen's Emma for modern tastes, setting the nineteenth-century tale of class and wealth obsession at Beverly Hills High. For all the potential pitfalls of such a daring twist, the film works. 4 68
9
Pretty in Pink
The plot's little more than a Cinderella cliché, but the performances of the three leads makes this film stand out in the genre. The New Wave soundtrack, including the droning title song, catalogues the sound of the era. 4 48
The plot's little more than a Cinderella cliché, but the performances of the three leads makes this film stand out in the genre. The New Wave soundtrack, including the droning title song, catalogues the sound of the era. 4 48
10
Say Anything...
It doesn't assume all teenagers are sex crazed or clique worshipping. The characters played by Cusack and Skye are thoughtful, three-dimensional, and complex -- like most teenagers when you get past the gruff exterior. -1 55
It doesn't assume all teenagers are sex crazed or clique worshipping. The characters played by Cusack and Skye are thoughtful, three-dimensional, and complex -- like most teenagers when you get past the gruff exterior. -1 55
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