![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Prepping for Junior High with Movies
Jul. 24th, 2021 06:59 pmMy sister asks, "What's a good prepping for middle/high school movie to watch with Alexandra? I've got old stuff like
10 Things I Hate About You
Breakfast Club
Mean Girls
Heathers
I need other ideas."
My answer is too long for Facebook, so here we are!
Hmm, are my favorite junior high/high school movies good for prepping? I'm not sure any are because they seem mostly unrealistic and have 20-somethings starring in them. Well, maybe "The Breakfast Club" is kind of realistic.
Okay, but I do have some favorites to tell you about:
* "Pump Up the Volume" - You never know what's behind someone's facade. Christian Slater's secret identity uses an ancient form of YouTube to encourage his classmates to be true to themselves.
* "Saved!" - Gal tries to do the right thing at her Christian high school, but it doesn't work out, so she questions everything. One gal explains why she dates the guy in the wheelchair: "I get him, and he gets me." I love that. One guy explains why he didn't call his girlfriend for help: "I don't want to be the guy who's with the girl because he needs her, I want to be the guy who's with the girl because he wants her." Also, Macauley Culkin briefly dances in his wheelchair.
* "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" - Four kids stuck in detention together end up fighting for their lives in a video game. Character development! Also, see Dwayne Johnson as a nerd and Jack Black as Bethany.
* "Dead Poets' Society" - Literature teacher teaches the value of poetry, inspiring his students to form their own poetry club. The teacher also challenges authority, inspiring his students to do the same. (Sadly, that generally doesn't work out well for them.) You may remember "This desk set wants to fly."
* "Carrie" - Girl with horrible mother is bullied at school, too, until one day she gets asked to the prom. Then it turns into a horror movie.
* "About a Boy" - Okay, it's more about the grown boy played by Hugh Grant, and most or all of it is set outside of school, but both he and a real boy who is bullied at school figure out life lessons.
* "Juno" - Gal gets pregnant and decides to put the baby up for adoption.
* "Moonrise Kingdom" - Two outcast tweens help each other cope, run away, and ... get married. I like when Bruce Willis has custody of the boy and explains how he's not as smart as the boy, but even smart kids need adults looking out for them.
I also vaguely remember liking or somewhat liking the following, but don't really remember them:
* "Clueless" - gal does matchmaking of her teachers, like totally.
* "Election" - two students compete to be class president
* "School of Rock" - musician substitute teaches a music class
* "Napolean Dynamite" - um, there's bad dancing?
* "Donnie Darko" - I think another dimension is involved and maybe time travel
* "Battle Royale" - kids have to battle each other to the death--not as fun as the first book of The Hunger Games.
* "Igby Goes Down" - rich kid rebels, and I think someone might get eaten by a lion?
Also, I recommend these TV shows:
* "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - even when you're not cool you can find friends and save the world.
* "Veronica Mars" - Even when you are kicked out from the popular clique, you can pick up the pieces and start over ... as a student private eye (like her dad).
And I kind of remember liking:
* "Sex Education" - Boy becomes therapist to his classmates (like his mom).
Wikipedia actually has a list of movies set in middle school.
10 Things I Hate About You
Breakfast Club
Mean Girls
Heathers
I need other ideas."
My answer is too long for Facebook, so here we are!
Hmm, are my favorite junior high/high school movies good for prepping? I'm not sure any are because they seem mostly unrealistic and have 20-somethings starring in them. Well, maybe "The Breakfast Club" is kind of realistic.
Okay, but I do have some favorites to tell you about:
* "Pump Up the Volume" - You never know what's behind someone's facade. Christian Slater's secret identity uses an ancient form of YouTube to encourage his classmates to be true to themselves.
* "Saved!" - Gal tries to do the right thing at her Christian high school, but it doesn't work out, so she questions everything. One gal explains why she dates the guy in the wheelchair: "I get him, and he gets me." I love that. One guy explains why he didn't call his girlfriend for help: "I don't want to be the guy who's with the girl because he needs her, I want to be the guy who's with the girl because he wants her." Also, Macauley Culkin briefly dances in his wheelchair.
* "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" - Four kids stuck in detention together end up fighting for their lives in a video game. Character development! Also, see Dwayne Johnson as a nerd and Jack Black as Bethany.
* "Dead Poets' Society" - Literature teacher teaches the value of poetry, inspiring his students to form their own poetry club. The teacher also challenges authority, inspiring his students to do the same. (Sadly, that generally doesn't work out well for them.) You may remember "This desk set wants to fly."
* "Carrie" - Girl with horrible mother is bullied at school, too, until one day she gets asked to the prom. Then it turns into a horror movie.
* "About a Boy" - Okay, it's more about the grown boy played by Hugh Grant, and most or all of it is set outside of school, but both he and a real boy who is bullied at school figure out life lessons.
* "Juno" - Gal gets pregnant and decides to put the baby up for adoption.
* "Moonrise Kingdom" - Two outcast tweens help each other cope, run away, and ... get married. I like when Bruce Willis has custody of the boy and explains how he's not as smart as the boy, but even smart kids need adults looking out for them.
I also vaguely remember liking or somewhat liking the following, but don't really remember them:
* "Clueless" - gal does matchmaking of her teachers, like totally.
* "Election" - two students compete to be class president
* "School of Rock" - musician substitute teaches a music class
* "Napolean Dynamite" - um, there's bad dancing?
* "Donnie Darko" - I think another dimension is involved and maybe time travel
* "Battle Royale" - kids have to battle each other to the death--not as fun as the first book of The Hunger Games.
* "Igby Goes Down" - rich kid rebels, and I think someone might get eaten by a lion?
Also, I recommend these TV shows:
* "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - even when you're not cool you can find friends and save the world.
* "Veronica Mars" - Even when you are kicked out from the popular clique, you can pick up the pieces and start over ... as a student private eye (like her dad).
And I kind of remember liking:
* "Sex Education" - Boy becomes therapist to his classmates (like his mom).
Wikipedia actually has a list of movies set in middle school.
