20 Must-See Back-to-School Movies

It's that time of year again! (Is it just me or is time going way faster than it used to? Yup, we're getting old, y'all.) The nights are growing longer, which means less time at the beach and more time cwtched up on the sofa. The first leaves are changing and we're surrounded by scores of half-price stationary. You know what that means...

It's back-to-school time!

I'll just wait a moment while the parents out there do a happy dance.

So... As the kiddos all head back, it's time to indulge in memories of our own school days with some school-themed movies. Here are 20 of my favourite must-see movies to get the whole family in the back-to-school mood.

	20. American Pie Gross-out movies are so not my thing. That being said, you might be surprised to see American Pie on this list. Even though there are moments that make me want to hurl, I can't ignore American Pie because it's one of those movies that defines my generation. (Whether that's a good or bad thing, I won't comment on.) It came out the year I graduated and will always make me think of that end-of-high-school feeling. Also Watch: American Pie: Reunion
	19. My Best Friend is a Vampire If you haven't seen My Best Friend is a Vampire, do yourself a favor and go watch it. It's one of those movies that should be too dumb to work but somehow does because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Plus, Robert Sean Leonard and Rene Auberjonois as vampires - what more do you need? Also Watch: Once Bitten
	18. Some Kind of Wonderful Not to get all sappy on you or anything but Some Kind of Wonderful is one of my favourite romances. It's that old best-friends-don't-know-they-love-each-other-thing, which has been done a million times, but it's also totally Eighties and there's mega chemistry between the leads. As much as I love Keith and Watts, Elias Koteas as a bad-ass skinhead steals the show. Also Watch: Pretty in Pink
	17. Election Election always makes me go, "What the eff am I watching?" It's beyond messed up, yet a little too real at the same time. We all know how cutthroat high school can be, right? Election takes it to a whole other level and leaves you shaking your head. Also Watch: Legally Blonde
	16. Juno The thing that makes Juno work is how low-key it is. It deals with this incredibly huge theme (teen pregnancy) without turning it into a massive drama. The teens are basically just young adults (shocker) and act more level-headed than many of the adults in the film. Plus, it doesn't make any judgements about abortion or adoption and the main character, Juno, isn't punished for making a mistake, unlike too many films that deal with the same subject matter. Also Watch: Napoleon Dynamite
	15. The Breakfast Club If you haven't already seen The Breakfast Club, I have to wonder what cave you've been hiding in. This is pretty much the quintessential teen movie. You've got all the cliques coming together (well, forced to come together) to fight The Man. The Breakfast Club is high school, period. Also Watch: St. Elmo's Fire
	14. Drive Me Crazy Sometimes, you just need some great Nineties cheese. There's nothing particularly original about Drive Me Crazy. It's just another makeover movie but it's too freaking cute not to include here. Also Watch: She's All That
	13. Mean Girls Mean Girls is a little bit of everything. You've got your makeover, romance, cliques, and revenge. It's both bitchy and humorous, which makes it fun to watch. I think Mean Girls is as important for defining a generation as American Pie (and much less disgusting.) Also Watch: Heathers
	12. To Sir, With Love You really have no idea how different British schools are from American ones until you've spent time in both. To Sir, With Love exemplifies that difference, while highlighting social factors affecting Britain in the Sixties. It can be a little hard to watch because of the attitudes toward race, gender, and class but those are exactly the reasons it's important to watch To Sir, With Love. Also, Siydney Poitier is a legend. (And, you get a little performance from a very young Lulu.) Also Watch: Lean on Me
	11. Clueless As if you needed more proof that I went to school in the Nineties, right? Clueless captures what I have to call the worst, most cringe-worth parts of the decade and wraps them up in a delicious Austen coating. It's hella long but worth every minute. Also Watch: Cruel Intentions
	10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off Ferris Bueller's Day Off is like a strange fever dream. I don't know how many times I've seen it... and I still haven't quite worked out the point of it all. It's fun, though, so if you're after mindless entertainment, this is the one for you. Also Watch: Fast Times at Ridgemont High
	9. Love, Simon The newest addition to my list. Love, Simon is based on Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, a novel by Becky Albertalli. I haven't read the book yet but it only took a couple of minutes to fall in love with the movie. I have a lot more to say about this one (you can read all that here) but for this list, all I'll say is that it deals with growing up gay in today's society. Also Watch: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
	8. Easy A High school is a time for finding out who you are - unfortunately, that can be hard to do when other people are making assumptions about you at the same time. (Seriously, I don't even have time to list all the rumours that went around about me in school.) Easy A calls bullshit on the high school rumour mill to hilarious effect, with a little Scarlet Letter thrown in for good measure. It's funny but heavy at the same time. Also Watch: Sixteen Candles
	7. 10 Things I Hate About You I don't even want to talk about 10 Things I Hate About You. I just want to go *sigh*. It's so charming that you might forget you're watching an adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. On top of that, you've got a young Heath Ledger belting out "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and Julia Stiles in a role that actually works for her. (A rare thing, I know.) Also Watch: Say Anything
	6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is just, well, magic. I honestly can't imagine anyone making it to 2018 without seeing this one. It's one of the few modern classics that's infused our cultural literacy as much as the likes of Star Wars. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has all the best parts of starting a new school with a whopping dose of magic on top. Don't just watch this one, though. Binge the whole series. Immediately. Also Watch: The Worst Witch
	5. Varsity Blues Varsity Blues is the warm, cosy security blanket I crawl under every autumn. If I watch it once a year, I'll watch it half a dozen times. It's a movie about peer pressure and standing up for what you believe in - even if, in doing so, you rock the foundations of a whole damned town. Also Watch: Friday Night Lights
	4. Kindergarten Cop Who doesn't love Kindergarten Cop?! (No, seriously... give me their names. I'll take care of them.) It's one of the funniest movies you'll ever see, especially if you've had any experience in the classroom. (Arnie's exasperation is 100% relatable.) Also, it's just plain cute. Also Watch: Billy Madison
	3. Scent of a Woman It's hard to pick Al Pacino's best role because the man is just leagues above other actors. If I were forced to, though, it would be Scent of a Woman. This one has all the feels. You start out wanting to scream at Slade but, by the end, he's your freaking hero. This is one of those movies that get better with age. (Your age. If you still identify more with Simms than you do with Slade, you haven't grown to fully appreciate Scent of a Woman yet.) Also Watch: Rudy
	2. Good Will Hunting This is one of those movies that should be too heavy to watch again and again but somehow isn't. Good Will Hunting gave us Affleck and Damon's absolute best with a bucket of emotion just waiting to slosh over into happy tears. It's even more poignant now that Robin Williams has left us. I dare you to watch Good Will Hunting without shedding a tear. Also Watch: Finding Forrester
	1. Dead Poets Society Dead Poets Society is one of the purest movies ever made. Robin Williams was good in Good Will Hunting but Dead Poets Society is Williams at his very best, paired with an unbelievable performance from Robert Sean Leonard. (You'd never believe it was the same actor from My Best Friend is a Vampire, would you?) Talk about heavy - Dead Poets Society is the cinematic equivalent of an anchor but, it's handled in such a way that, although you'll bawl your eyes out, it still manages to lift you up and leave you feeling better about life. One of the best movies ever made, hands down. Also Watch: October Sky

It's surprisingly difficult to keep it to just twenty movies, with the abundance of coming-of-age, scholastic movies out there but these are the ones that speak to me. Maybe you have your own list? Share it! If you just want to discuss my choices, drop me a comment below.