As someone on the verge of receiving his high school diploma, I thought I’d look back at some of the recent films involving the end of high school, graduation, and taking the next step:
Disney’s underrated, high school non-musical, “Prom”, showcased how important the last days and final events of senior year really are. And Troy and Gabriella closed-out 12th Grade in song with the big screen finale “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”. While not an excellent film by any means, it is, without question, the best of the trilogy.
Leaving home for the first time for college can certainly be a difficult experience for the entire family. “Enough Said”, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James
Gandolfini, features one of the most effective “child leaving their
parents to go off to college” scenes (which takes place at an airport) in recent memory. And Sandra Bullock’s Leigh Anne Tuohy barely got through her goodbye to future NFL player Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron) as he began his career at Ole Miss in “The Blind Side”.
Some high school-based movies have tried to make grand statements about the transition to the next chapter in a young person’s life, most unsuccessfully. “The Spectacular Now”, with Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, was a bit uneven in its attempt to explain the concept of living in the moment, while also dealing with the idea of college sneaking-up and hitting you head-on like a ton of bricks. The adaptation of John Green’s novel, “Paper Towns”, asked seniors to yearn for adventure, then advocated moving on as if none of what you did previously ever mattered (which didn’t make a lot of sense). And Richard Linklater’s final scene in “Boyhood” egregiously has new love interest Nicole telling Mason (Ellar Coltrane) that people don’t seize moments, “The moment seizes us.”
Ideally, students certainly hope that their college experience doesn’t involve a teacher as touch and demanding as Mr. Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) in “Whiplash”, or out-of-control roommates/party animals as are celebrated in the “Neighbors” movies (and practically every film that features fraternities and/or sororities).
As for a personal reflection, I turn to, where else, but a Pixar movie: In “Toy Story 3”, Andy had to painfully say goodbye to Woody, Buzz and all his other favorite lifelong toys. But in passing them on to young Bonnie, who will now play with them, and love them, just as he did, he knows they’re in good hands. It was a difficult experience for Andy (and caused an emotional mess for those in the theater), but it’s exactly what leaving high school is like for me: Bittersweet.