The student experience has been a common topic in movies, especially in recent years. While the 1980s probably did it best with films like “Animal House,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Sixteen Candles,” there are several more modern examples that also make their mark, such as “Clueless” and “Mean Girls.” When it comes to the student experience, there are plenty of movies that fly under the radar, deserving a look nonetheless.
“Accepted”
Steve Pink’s comedy – which has had little attention since its 2006 release – is an underrated look at the early stages of the college experience. After being rejected by all of the universities they’ve applied to, high school graduate Bartleby Gaines (Justin Long, in a rare leading role) and his friends concoct a plan to convert an abandoned mental hospital into their own university in order to dissuade suspicion from their parents. Featuring supporting turns from Jonah Hill, Blake Lively, Columbus Short (“Scandal”) and Lewis Black (“Inside Out”) as the university’s foul-mouthed “dean,” “Accepted” is frequently funny, but it also has something to say about figuring out where you fit in and what you want to do with your future.
“The Breakfast Club”
Less of a raucous comedy and more of an intimate, five-part character study that takes place during a Saturday morning high school detention, John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” resonates in a way that’s impossible not to include on a back-to-school movie list. Bringing five members from various sides of the social spectrum – identified as a princess (Molly Ringwald); an athlete (Emilio Estevez); a criminal (Judd Nelson); a basket case (Ally Sheedy); and a brain (Anthony Michael Hall) – together, Hughes creates movie magic. As they get to know each other and discover that they may not be so different after all, we also get to know them, and maybe even see a piece of ourselves in them. That’s what makes “The Breakfast Club” a well-known and beloved classic.
“Dead Poets Society”
While the late Robin Williams is best known for his comedic roles, it would be a massive oversight to forget his dramatic talents. In this movie, he blends the two together as John Keating, a progressive new English teacher at an all-boys preparatory school who encourages his students to challenge the norms and, in turn, changes lives forever. Easily one of the best teachers ever played on screen, Williams is a marvel, and the actors cast as his students – including a young Ethan Hawke – hold their own. Topped off with a stirring and inspiring finale, “Dead Poets Society” is a triumph.
“Easy A”
Arguably the movie that launched Emma Stone into stardom, this sharp and clever comedy has quickly become a modern classic. As Olive Penderghast, a high school senior manipulating the rumor mill when a lie about losing her virginity spirals out of control, Stone is whip-smart and magnetic in a role that displays why she is one of the best actresses in Hollywood today. Also boasting a stellar supporting cast (highlighted by Stanley Tucci, Amanda Bynes and Lisa Kudrow) and a smart, witty script that recalls the golden age of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Say Anything,” “Easy A” earns an A+.
“Legally Blonde”
Robert Luketic’s charming “Legally Blonde” breathes new life into the classic fish-out-of-water comedic premise. Reese Witherspoon stars as Elle Woods, a lovable and intelligent California sorority girl who takes on Harvard Law School in order to win back her boyfriend (Matthew Davis, “The Vampire Diaries”). As she befriends fellow students and becomes involved in the defense trial of a weight loss guru (Ali Larter, “Resident Evil”) accused of murder, Elle reveals her unexpected legal talents in the courtroom and classroom, taking those around her by surprise. Witherspoon is at the top of her game and her performance in “Legally Blonde” stands with “Election” and “Walk the Line” as one of her best.
“Liberal Arts”
While his role as Ted Mosby on “How I Met Your Mother” is how Josh Radnor secured his place in the public eye, it’s this comedy-drama that shows off all of his talents. Radnor stars as Jesse Fisher, a 30-something-year-old stuck in a rut who is reinvigorated when, upon returning to his alma mater for a professor’s retirement party, he falls for a younger student (Elizabeth Olsen, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”). Directing a cast that includes Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney and Zac Efron, and working from his smart, heartfelt script, Radnor’s movie portrays the whirlwind of life both in college and after graduation with intelligence and realism that never rings false.
