The Queue: Back to school specials
August 31, 2016
As the leaves turn orange — not at Tulane, but, you know, at places where seasons actually exist — and classes start back up, there are times when you want to take a break from the busiest season and return to your summer fling… Netflix.
These movies and TV shows will give you a little back-to-school nostalgia and remind you that we’re all still 15 and awkward as can be on the inside.
“Clueless”: 4.5/5
This comedic take on Jane Austen’s “Emma,” set at a ’90s Los Angeles high school, stars valley girl Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and her “homies.”
Cher, a bubbly, popular, undervalued fashionista hooks two of her teachers up in an attempt to improve her grades; makes dramatically cliche efforts to seduce a gay classmate; writes superficially shallow, but comically insightful debates; makes over a new student and entertains a confusing yet enthralling flirtation with her ex-stepbrother.
The plot, while confusing at times, is consistently entertaining with its effervescent characters and eye-catching setting. “Clueless” is a definite must-watch for anyone going back to school or dreaming about it this fall.
“Freaks and Geeks”: 5/5
In a show unlike any other, creator Paul Feig documents the teenage experience through the eyes of Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) and her younger brother Sam (John Francis Daley), who attend the fictional William McKinley High School in the early ’80s.
Lindsay’s transformation from star “mathlete” to hanging out with the “freaks” and her struggle to find her place in her suburban Michigan high school, is relatable to anyone who ever grappled with whom they want to be versus who they are. Meanwhile, Sam starts high school with his two best friends, the “geeks.”
Together, they pursue girls, watch nerdy TV and fight bullies as a charmingly loyal trio.
The two different friend groups contrast beautifully, and Lindsay and Sam’s family has a hilariously recognizable rapport.
No matter in what era you went to high school, you will find something to love about this ageless show.
“High School Musical”: 2.5/5
The preteen-oriented film that sparked the female world’s universal obsession with Zac Efron inspires less fascination on the other side of high school. Troy and Gabriella struggle with a Romeo and Juliet-esque clash of clans (or in this case, cliques) in the context of a high school crush and female rivalry centered on obtaining the lead role in the school musical.
The film features dramatic and cruel interventions from friends, musical resolutions and general self-esteem fluffing for those suffering from puberty. In the end, puppy love conquers all, and the two earn the lead roles in the school musical. Following their casting, there is a big song where everyone who hated each other for the whole movie gets along because that’s totally how high school works.
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