Let’s be real. High School Musical is not accurate. Although it’s an iconic movie series, there are many inaccuracies. For one, who randomly bursts out into song in the middle of the school day and starts dancing? In reality, there is no singing or dancing, and students most definitely don’t have all of that free time. The accurate movies are the ones like Avengers: Infinity War, when half the class mysteriously disappears on presentation days, or Walking Dead, when students are sleep-deprived and blankly stare at the walls during first period. If one thing is for certain, there are specific movies that truly capture the essence of school.
On the surface, the classic holiday movie Home Alone seems to be the complete opposite of school. But there are many similarities when a specific someone walks into the room: a substitute. In a way, students become Kevin McCallister. Some attempt to booby-trap the lesson plans or realize how much they miss their teacher after having previously wished for a sub. Yet, some subs manage to play the role of Old Man Marley, the neighbor who appears scary but is actually a kind soul. You never know what sub you’ll get when you leave some kids “home alone” in the classroom.
If any franchise gives people a small idea of what the NAHS parking garage is like after school, it’s Fast and Furious. At 3:30 PM, students quickly make their way to the parking deck, racing out of their classes. The place is a madhouse, with many students driving their friends and siblings. Horns honk and engines rev as hundreds of students speed out of the deck, leaving school behind, many ready to hang out with their friends. Other people’s mission? How fast they’ll be able to get home.
The classic movie Groundhog Day is another fantastic representation of high school. In the movie, Phil finds himself living the same day over and over again. He wakes up every day on February 2nd, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, living through the same schedule and the same conversations. Sounds familiar, right? It’s practically the repeating cycle of a Dub. Waking up, going to school with the same classes, same bell schedule, going to practice, homework, dinner, sleep, and then repeat.
Though so many resemble school, there is no single movie that can describe school down to the very last detail. It is part comedy, part reality, part action, and many other genres. With the various components of high school, especially North, many things create something close to cinema. After all, everyone who makes it through these four years deserves an Oscar.
