Schooling the Silverscreen

The purpose of this blog is to show the trends and changes over time in the representation of schooling in U.S. films. The emphasis is to look at the historical development of youth, schools and higher education institutions in American popular culture.

This blog, which is periodically updated, focuses on films that debuted between 1909 and 2009. The hundreds of films included here are listed chronologically.

Please feel free to add your comments.


1) Formulating a Genre, 1910s-1950s

2) Remapping Youth & Adolescence, 1960s-1970s

3) The Decade of Youth Films, 1980s

4) Gen X Goes Hollywood, 1990s

5) Defining the New Millennium, 2000-2009

Remapping Youth & Adolescence, 1960s-1970s

Because They're Young (1960)
IMDB Summary



Sex Kittens Go To College (1960)






Beat Girl (1960)
IMBD Summary



Inherit the Wind (1960)
IMDB Summary
YouTube Clip



Where the Boys Are (1960)
IMDB Summary
Wikipedia Entry



Splendor in the Grass (1961)



The Children's Hour (1961)



No, My Darling Daughter (1961)
IMDB Summary





The Absent Minded Professor (1961)
Summary



The Wild and The Willing (1962)NO CLIP


The Nutty Professor (1963)



Take Her, She's Mine (1963)
wikipedia entry


Palm Springs Weekend (1963)
summary



Lord Love a Duck (1966)



Trouble with Angels (1966)



Up the Down Staircase (1967)
IMDB Entry



To Sir, With Love (1967)



The Graduate (1967)



Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Summary



Candy (1968)
IMDB Summary
Youtube Trailer




The Student Nurses (1970)
IMDB Summary
Trailer






The Strawberry Statement (1970)






Billy Jack (1971)

read synopsis


Drive, He Said (1971)
IMDB Summary



The Last Picture Show (1971)
IMDB Trailer
IMDB Summary
Wikipedia Summary



The Paper Chase (1973)
IMDB Page

American Graffiti (1973)



The Student Teachers (1973)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



The Cheerleaders (1973)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Conrack (1974)
Wiki Page

The Teacher (1974)
IMDB Summary
Trailer






Black Christmas (1974)
Summary


Cooley High (1975)



The Pom Pom Girls (1976)
IMDB Summary
Trailer






Carrie (1976)



Grease (1978)






Animal House (1978)



Corvette Summer(1978)
Wiki Entry





The Wanderers (1979)
IMDB

Breaking Away (1979)






Over the Edge (1979)



Walk Proud (1979)
IMDB Summary
TCM Summary



Warriors (1979)
IMDB Summary

The Decade of Youth Films, 1980s

Altered States (1980)



Up the Academy (1980)



My Bodyguard (1980)
Wikipedia Entry



Prom Night (1980)Remade in 2008


Full Moon High (1981)
IMDB Summary
Wiki Entry



Student Bodies (1981)
IMDB Summary
Wiki
Trailer



Porky's (1982)



Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)



Pieces (1982)
Wikipedia Entry
Youtube Review



Class of 1984 (1982)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Last American Virgin (1982)



Class (1983)
Wikipedia Entry



Flashdance (1983)
IMDB Summary



House on Sorority Row (1983)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



All the Right Moves (1983)
IMDB Entry
Wiki



Valley Girl (1983)



Teachers (1984)



Oxford Blues (1984)
IMDB Entry



Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Trailer
Summary



Footloose (1984)
IMDB Summary



Splatter University (1984)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Grand View, U.S.A. (1984)



Karate Kid (1984)



Red Dawn (1984)



Sixteen Candles (1984)



Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)
IMDB Summary
IMDB Trailer



Just One of the Guys (1985)
IMDB Summary
YouTube Trailer



St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
Wikipedia Entry



Re-Animator (1985)
Youtube Trailer
IMDB Summary
Wikipedia Entry



Weird Science (1985)



Teen Wolf (1985)



Breakfast Club (1985)
Wikipedia Entry



Sure Thing (1985)
YouTube Trailer
Wikipedia Entry



Wildcats (1986)
IMDB Summary



April Fool's Day (1986)
Wikipedia Entry
YouTube Trailer



Wisdom (1986)
Wikipedia Entry



Lucas (1986)



Stand By Me (1986)



Hoosiers (1986)



Back to School (1986)



Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)



Can't Buy Me Love (1987)



The Principal (1987)
Wikipedia Entry



Summer School (1987)
summary



Student Confidential (1987)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



School Daze (1988)
YouTube Clip



Fatal Pulse (1988)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Stand and Deliver (1988)
Wikipedia Entry
Youtube Trailer



Cheerleader Camp (1988)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)



Say Anything (1989)
Wikipedia Entry



Dead Poets Society (1989)



Heathers (1989)
IMDB Entry



Lean on Me (1989)


Hell High (1989)
IMDB Summary
Trailer

Defining the New Millenium: 2000-2009

Gossip (2000)
IMDB Summary



Our Song (2000)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Love & Basketball (2000)
Summary
Trailer



Road Trip (2000)
YouTube Clip
Summary



Finding Forrester (2000)
IMDB Entry
Wikipedia Entry



Boys and Girls (2000)



Cheaters (2000)
IMDB Entry
Wikipedia Entry


Remember the Titans (2000)



100 Girls (2000)
Wikipedia Entry
IMDB Summary



Bring It On (2000)



Legally Blonde (2001)
Legally Blonde - Inside Reel: Legally Blonde


"O" (2001)
IMDB Summary
Wiki
Trailer



How High (2001)
IMDB Entry
Wikipedia Entry



Save the Last Dance (2001)



A Beautiful Mind (2001)



Harvard Man (2001)
summary



Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
IMDB Entry
Wikipedia Entry


Pumpkin (2002)


Rules of Attraction (2002)



Stealing Harvard (2002)
IMDB Entry
Wikipedia Entry



Sex and the Teenage Mind (2002)
IMDB Summary



Slackers (2002)



Real Women Have Curves (2002)
Trailer



Van Wilder (2002)



Drumline (2002)



Laramie Project (2002)



Orange County (2002)



Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003)
Remake of "Can't Buy me Love"



The Battle of Shaker Heights (2003)
IMDB Summary
Wiki
Trailer



Thirteen (2003)
Trailer
IMDB Entry
Wikipedia Entry



National Lampoon's Barely Legal (2003)
Wiki Entry


The Dreamers (2003)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



School of Rock (2003)
YouTube Clip



Winter Break (2003)



Mona Lisa Smile (2003)



Elephant (2003)
IMBD Trailer
IMDB Summary
Wikipedia Entry


Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004)



Perfect Score (2004)
IMDB Summary
Wiki
Trailer



P.S. (2004)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



State's Evidence (2004)
IMDB Entry



D.E.B.S. (2004)
summary



The Prince & Me (2004)



Saved (2004)
Youtube Trailer
IMDB Entry



Mean Girls (2004)



Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Napoleom Dynamite Trailer



America Brown (2004)



The Girl Next Door (2004)
Youtube Trailer
IMDB Entry
Wikipedia Entry



Havoc (2005)



Rebound (2005)
IMDB Summary
YouTube Trailer



Sky High (2005)



Ice Princess (2005)
IMDB Entry
IMDB Trailer



The Squid and the Whale (2005)
IMDB Summary
Wiki
Trailer



Underclassman (2005)
IMDB Summary
Wiki



Accepted (2006)



Half Nelson (2006)



Black Christmas (2006)



Glory Road (2006)



Akeelah & the Bee (2006)


The Good Student [Mr. Gibb] (2006)
IMBD Summary



High School Musical (2006)



School for Scoundrels (2006)



All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
IMDB Summary
Wiki
Trailer



Take the Lead (2006)
IMDB Summary
Wiki Entry
IMDB Trailer



Annapolis (2006)



Walkout (2006)



Juno (2007)



Lion for Lambs (2007)
IMDB Summary
Wiki Entry
Trailer



Sydney White (2007)



The Great Debaters (2007)



Feast of Love (2007)



American Pie: Beta House (2007)



Charley Bartlett (2007)
IMDB Entry
Wikipedia Entry



Freshman Orientation (2007)


Disturbia (2007)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Stomp The Yard (2007)



Rocket Science (2007)
IMDB Summary
Wiki Entry
Trailer



Superbad (2007)



Freedom Writers (2007)



City Teacher (2007)
IMDB Summary

 The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008)
IMDB Summary



College Road Trip (2008)



Smart People (2008)



Prom Night (2008)
Remake of "Prom Night" (1980)



88 Minutes (2008)



21 (2008)



The House Bunny (2008)



The Longshots (2008)



Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)IMDB summary



College (2008)
IMDB Summary



Never Back Down (2008)
IMDB Summary
YouTube Trailer



The Express (2008)
Official Trailer
IMDB Entry



Foreign Exchange (2008)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Asylum (2008)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Assassination of a High School President (2008)
IMDB Entry


The Wackness (2008)
Trailer


Pathology (2008)
IMDB Summary
Trailer


Precious (2009)


Fired Up! (2009)
IMDB Summary
IMDB Trailer



17 Again (2009)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Phoebe in Wonderland (2009)
IMDB Summary
Wiki
Trailer



The Education of Charlie Banks (2009)
Wiki
IMDB Summary
Trailer


Sorority Row (2009)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Toe to Toe (2009)
IMDB Summary

Post Grad (2009)
IMDB Summary

Amreeka (2009)
IMDB Summary
Trailer



Hurricane Season (2009)
IMDB Summary

Jena Malone on IDBD