A majority of us would not want to repeat our school days. All those projects, deadlines, and extremely hard exams. Not to mention trying to adapt to each teacher’s mood and each classmate’s neuroticisms.
But while school was not the cake walk we would have wanted it to best, we just cannot resist a good school film. That’s right, in a sort of morbid fascination, we like going back to the narrow hallways of school through films. After all, we would not be who we are today if it were not for the experiences we had and the people we interacted with.
So here is a list of films that capture a unique moment in our formative years, some of which may still trigger special memories from our own experiences.
School of Rock
Set in the Horace Greene Prep School, Mr. Finn (played Jack Black) finds himself forming an unlikely rock band with a class of posh kids. He sees how much pressure these kids are under, both coming from the school and their parents. While the intention was selfish at first, he did help unite the kids regardless of their differences and showed the adults that hey, there is nothing wrong with having fun every now and then.
Dead Poets Society
A classic film where the lines “Oh Captain, My Captain!” and “Carpe Diem. Seize the day!” came from. It is set in an elite all boys boarding school called Welton Academy. Here, an English teacher named John Keating (played by the late Robin Williams) and his experimental teaching encouraged his students to follow their dreams. But the film made sure to show the realities of doing so. That while many will fight incredibly for their dreams, many still cannot and will not because of varying circumstances.
Mean Girls
North Shore High School is far from an international school nor does it come close to the private schools mentioned above, but it offers quite a unique look at your typical American high school. It follows the story of Cady (played by Lindsay Lohan), who previously was homeschooled, is not thrust into the scary environment of high school. This film, while incredibly hilarious, showed us what cliques are, what victimisation is, and the harm of not preventing it.
The Harry Potter films
The exclusive Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is by far the most sought after school by most of us. It is indeed the dream school of all Potterheads around the globe. Imagine getting an acceptance letter to this school, proving once and for all that you are definitely magic. You get judged by a squashed hat into the House you will fit in. You will learn spells, charms, and other magic-related things. Well basically, lessons that no international school can ever teach you. And if you are in a batch with the popular Harry Potter, expect a lot of Death Eater and life-threatening events lurking about in the dark. Regardless, the film showed the importance of friendship, loyalty, and being kind.
To Sir, With Love
Probably the oldest film in this list, the film is set in the North Quay Secondary School. It follows a teacher named Mr. Thackeray (played by Sidney Poitier) and his efforts to ensure students which the school considers to be problematic (an amalgamation of expelled students and ones with behavior problems) gets the education that they need and deserve. The film focuses on the value of the person and if we just try, we might understand each other better.
Hopefully these films do not conjure up events that you would rather forget. Instead, let each focus of these films remind us of the good times as it takes us back to school.
2018 ·
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