Time for School -- Judi's Romance in Vintage Film Forum

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Subject: Time for School

Author:
Conrad
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Date Posted: 12:07:00 08/17/08 Sun

Well, it's that time of year again, when (depending on where you're at) it's time to go back to school, and already "High School Musical 3" is out in theaters. While movies about school are fairly rare these days, it's worth looking back on the films about school that have been made over the years. And this normally means high school, because films about younger grades are normally restricted to television comedies. The "high drama" of high school life is generally been considered better suited for big screen movie territory.

It's unusual for me to be talking about school movies, because I normally avoid them like the plague. When I was a kid, it became very obvious to me that "school movies" either fell into one of two categories: They were either pro-establishment or anti-establishment. And once you figured out which side they were on, they became completely predictable. This normally meant you'd be seeing the same stereotypes over and over again: the Mean Principal, the Noble Teacher, the Handsome Hunk, the snotty Prom Queen, the Good Girl, and on and on.

"Blackboard Jungle" (1955) was one of the few school movies to take a stab at really serious film making, with a stellar cast led by Glen Ford and Ann Francis. The only problem, which was obvious even to a kid like me when I saw it on TV in the late 1950s, was how the so-called "high school kids" were clearly adults posing as teenagers. Sidney Poitier and Vic Morrow were the oldest looking teenagers I'd ever seen--they must really have been set back a few grades!

Sidney Poitier later came back as a teacher himself in "To Sir With Love" (1967) which is one high school movie I have thoroughly enjoyed without reservations. Though it involved a society that is very foreign to me (Britain in the 1960s) the way the students acted and the way the teacher responded to them was far more engaging and entertaining than run-of-the-mill school movies made here in the States. Perhaps because it was made in a another country, you didn't get the usual stiff-necked stereotypes common to American films. And it is one film that seems timeless; my kids loved it when they were young and completely understood what was going on.

Both those movies were definitely "establishment" films. On the other end of the spectrum, you had movies like "Rock and Roll High School" (1979) in which rebellious students take over their high school--a movie that's definitely ant-establishment to the max.

There is one movie I enjoy that's not very old, "October Sky" (1999) which is neither pro or anti establishment. Based and a true story, it takes a "middle ground" in which it thoughtfully explores an important theme: The way education is not valued in American society. It follows a number of science students (who in real life went on to work in the space program and other science fields) struggling with a school system that values brawn rather than brains. Set in the 1950s, it could have been filmed yesterday. (Just consider the huge drop out rate in this country compared to other nations to see how little we value education.) And while this does have a "noble teacher" who is the only one who backs up the science students (played by Laura Dern) she's presented as a normal human being, not a stereotype.

That's my take on school movies--anybody have favorites of your own?

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[> Subject: Re: Time for School

Author:
Kimmie
[Edit]
Date Posted: 02:23:57 08/31/08 Sun

School faves:

Freedom Writers
TV Show - Room 222 (remember Karen Valentine here?)
My Bodyguard from the 70s
Ferris Beuller's Day Off

Those are a few of my very faves.

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[> Subject: My goodness, Karen Valentine! That name really brings back memories, I wonder what ever happened to her?

Author:
Conrad
[Edit]
Date Posted: 08:34:19 09/17/08 Wed

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[> Subject: Hi Guys, you both named some great ones, and I've got to add, Rock 'n' Roll High School (I completely melt, when Joey Ramone sings, I Want You Around, to the teen girl!) and The Breakfast Club. F.B.'s Day Off, and To Sir With Love, are my other 2 faves!

Author:
Judith
[Edit]
Date Posted: 23:03:20 10/22/08 Wed

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>Well, it's that time of year again, when (depending on >where you're at) it's time to go back to school, and >already "High School Musical 3" is out in theaters. >While movies about school are fairly rare these days, >it's worth looking back on the films about school that >have been made over the years. And this normally >means high school, because films about younger grades >are normally restricted to television comedies. The >"high drama" of high school life is generally been >considered better suited for big screen movie >territory. > >It's unusual for me to be talking about school movies, >because I normally avoid them like the plague. When I >was a kid, it became very obvious to me that "school >movies" either fell into one of two categories: They >were either pro-establishment or anti-establishment. >And once you figured out which side they were on, they >became completely predictable. This normally meant >you'd be seeing the same stereotypes over and over >again: the Mean Principal, the Noble Teacher, the >Handsome Hunk, the snotty Prom Queen, the Good Girl, >and on and on. > >"Blackboard Jungle" (1955) was one of the few school >movies to take a stab at really serious film making, >with a stellar cast led by Glen Ford and Ann Francis. >The only problem, which was obvious even to a kid like >me when I saw it on TV in the late 1950s, was how the >so-called "high school kids" were clearly adults >posing as teenagers. Sidney Poitier and Vic Morrow >were the oldest looking teenagers I'd ever seen--they >must really have been set back a few grades! > >Sidney Poitier later came back as a teacher himself in >"To Sir With Love" (1967) which is one high school >movie I have thoroughly enjoyed without reservations. >Though it involved a society that is very foreign to >me (Britain in the 1960s) the way the students acted >and the way the teacher responded to them was far more >engaging and entertaining than run-of-the-mill school >movies made here in the States. Perhaps because it >was made in a another country, you didn't get the >usual stiff-necked stereotypes common to American >films. And it is one film that seems timeless; my >kids loved it when they were young and completely >understood what was going on. > >Both those movies were definitely "establishment" >films. On the other end of the spectrum, you had >movies like "Rock and Roll High School" (1979) in >which rebellious students take over their high >school--a movie that's definitely ant-establishment to >the max. > >There is one movie I enjoy that's not very old, >"October Sky" (1999) which is neither pro or anti >establishment. Based and a true story, it takes a >"middle ground" in which it thoughtfully explores an >important theme: The way education is not valued in >American society. It follows a number of science >students (who in real life went on to work in the >space program and other science fields) struggling >with a school system that values brawn rather than >brains. Set in the 1950s, it could have been filmed >yesterday. (Just consider the huge drop out rate in >this country compared to other nations to see how >little we value education.) And while this does have >a "noble teacher" who is the only one who backs up the >science students (played by Laura Dern) she's >presented as a normal human being, not a stereotype. > >That's my take on school movies--anybody have >favorites of your own?
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[> Subject: Re: Time for School
Author: Kimmie [Edit]	Date Posted: 02:23:57 08/31/08 Sun School faves: Freedom Writers TV Show - Room 222 (remember Karen Valentine here?) My Bodyguard from the 70s Ferris Beuller's Day Off Those are a few of my very faves. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: My goodness, Karen Valentine! That name really brings back memories, I wonder what ever happened to her?
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 08:34:19 09/17/08 Wed [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: Hi Guys, you both named some great ones, and I've got to add, Rock 'n' Roll High School (I completely melt, when Joey Ramone sings, I Want You Around, to the teen girl!) and The Breakfast Club. F.B.'s Day Off, and To Sir With Love, are my other 2 faves!
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 23:03:20 10/22/08 Wed [ Post a Reply to This Message ]