Hello, Dopers 
My Film and Literature class is writing their own screenplay to finish out the year. Because of our budget ($.85), it is going to be set at school. Any suggestions for school-appropriate (PG-13) movies set in a high school that might get their creative juices flowing? I have juniors and seniors in the class, and would like to find something they might not have seen before.
Thanks
-cats
Here are a few that I love:
*The 10 Things I Hate About You * - It a reworking of Taming of the Shrew. Its very funny and probably my favorite high school movie. Its stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, and Larry Miller (who is a comic genius).
*Fast Times at Ridgemont High * - A classic of the high school movie scene, great dialog and some very sexy scenes. I think its an R so it wouldn’t fly in class, but it might be a good excuse for some of you to get together over someone’s house for movie night! It stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold.
Heathers - A dark comedy about peer groups and being popular in high school. Starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty.
Good luck on your project.
Mike
Three O’Clock High (High Noon)
Clueless (Emma)
The trick is to find an established plot from a movie and retool it (humorously) to a high school setting.
Thinl about movies like Three O’Clock High (High Noon) and Clueless (Emma).
The trick is to find an established plot from a classic play, movie, or novel and retool it (humorously) to a high school setting.
Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming!
*10 Things I Hate About You * I have already used when we were discussing modern adaptations.
The Breakfast Club Racing with the Moon *Greece**Ferris Buler’s Day Off[i/]Summer School
so i’m the only sicko that immediately thinks of Carrie?
plus any number of teenage Revenge-of-the-Whatever-at-the-Big-Prom slasher types
The Romeo Zomie flicks.
Or, get a Halloween copy of a hockey golie’s mask, & do a slasha flic.
Definitely the John Hughes movies, since many of students (especially the ones who weren’t even alive in the '80s) probably haven’t seen them. A summer school setting would probably be even easier than normal school, since there would be no (or less) need for extras.
I’m betting they’ve seen the John Hughes movies. But I’m also betting they haven’t seen Lucas.
How about Can’t Buy Me Love?
No no no, you have to watch the sequel. No one I know ('sides my brother) has ever seen it, and it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. The appliance worship cult is priceless. Rock n’ Roll High School Forever. Plus, it’s got one of the Coreys in it 
The people at IMDB have no taste, none at all… Seriously, if you want something they’ve never seen, this is a great pick.
School Ties - Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon. It takes place in the '50’s at an exclusive prep school. It really like this.
Dead Poets Society - suprised I’m the first to mention this one. Maybe it’s because most have seen it already.
Remember The Titans - This is about football and high school. It deals with racism. It does have a lot of football, but I enjoy it alot.
Ferris Buellers Day Off - is about skipping high school. Again, everyone has probably seen this one.
Pump up the Volume - stars Christian Slater as a DJ of his own pirate radio station (a sizeable highschool component in it). There is some brief nudity and some colorful language but it’s very good. My grade ten english teacher showed us a version of Romeo and Juliet with nudity in it so I don’t think it’s a big deal.
As far as the John Hughes movies go, I’d highlight The Breakfast Club. I think it’s the best of the group.
Of the movies I’ve mentioned I think your best bets are School Ties, Pump up the Volume, and Dead Poets Society. If you don’t end up using them for school, watch them anyhow.
The Emperor’s Club is a good movie set in a prep school.
More snaps for Dead Poets Society as well.
Thanks everyone!!
I’m showing Some Kind of Wonderful; mostly because I already own it. The kids are already loving Duncan.
I’m going to bookmark this thread, though, and use these suggestions for next year. Thanks again, I knew I could count on you all!
Casablanca High
Rick Blaine is the mysterious student who runs the best table in the Casablanca High School cafeteria (thanks in part to his cozy relationship with hall monitor Louis Renault). School nerd Billy Ugarte has gotten his hands on a hall pass signed by Superintedant Weygand - nobody can question this pass, not even the principal - and gives it to Rick to hold for him right before he gets caught and sent to detention. Now the principal’s snitch, Henry Strasser is trying to find the pass.
Then into the cafeteria walks Ilsa Lund, the girl that broke Rick’s heart. They met at the Paris Mall foodcourt and had a wonderful day eating pizza and playing videogames. But when Rick asked her to the prom, she said no. Now she’s reappeared and reveals to Rick that she was going steady with Victor Laszlo, the head of the school debate team the whole time.
The story ends with a dramatic climax. Rick convinces Ilsa that they’re going to use the hall pass to get out of school early and go to the movies. But at the least minute he gives the pass to Victor instead and he takes Ilsa to the movies. Strasser sees all this and is ready to go tell the principal when Louis writes him up for being out in the hall between classes and sends him to detention. In the final scene, Rick and Louis head off to study hall to hang out.
They could redo The Seven Samurai.
It’s been done as a western The Magnificent Seven and a children’s movie, A Bug’s Life so a HS adaptation shouldn’t be too hard.
A group of nerdy kids hire some guys to protect them from a gang of bullies.
Do your students get extra credit if they can work in a scene where they need an answer to something, so they check The Straight Dope? Bonus points for a Cecil reference?
Currently in theaters is Mean Girls, a truly hilarious and well-written comedy which comes very close to the holy grail of having a message without being cloying.
I also recommend Bring It On