High school movies that made us wish we'd gone to school in America
All hail the American high school movie! When we went to secondary school it was boring. Exams, cross country in the drizzle, a naff school play if we were lucky, vile food, you know the drill. It wasn't even as much fun as Grange Hill. Why couldn't we have gone to school in America? All they did was have parties, snog, skateboard and not wear school uniform. Ever.
We've pinpointed our educational cues that the all-American high school left us British kids pining for. At least the ones they showed us in the movies. But that's real right?
Rex FeaturesClueless
Class of 1995 at Bronson Alcott High School
Prom Queen Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone)
Prom King Josh Lucas (Paul Rudd)
How come they never have to wear school uniform in America? Way harsh Tai!
Rex FeaturesAmerican Pie
Class of 1999 at East Great Falls High
Prom Queen Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan)
Prom King Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs)
Did these kids do any schoolwork? All we’re seeing is parties, parties and erm, pies.
Rex FeaturesBack To The Future
Class of 1985 at Hill Valley High
Prom Queen Jennifer Parker (Claudia Wells)
Prom King Marty McFly (Michael J Fox)
Not sure every high school comes with a time-travelling DeLorean (that’s a car for the uninitiated) but it's the only way to travel to the Enchantment Under The Sea dance at Hill Valley High School. Remember that date...
Rex FeaturesDonnie Darko
Class of 2001 at Middlesex High School
Prom Queen Gretchen Ross (Jena Malone)
Prom King Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal)
Bursting with 80s nostalgia, Donnie takes on a time travelling bunny suit alongside the usual teen dramas.
Rex FeaturesFast Times At Ridgemont High
Class of 1982 at Ridgemont High
Prom Queen Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Lee)
Prom King Mike Damone (Robert Romanus)
It’s sex, drugs and rock’n’roll all the way for this bunch. Seriously this is nothing like our time at the local Grammar school. They have swimming pools and live in California. So not fair.
Rex FeaturesFerris Buellers Day Off
Class of 1986 at a Chicago High School
Prom Queen Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick)
Prom King Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara)
Ok so if we bunked off school the best you could expect was either hiding in the car park/toilets/someone’s parents' house or best case scenario a local café smoking Lambert & Butlers you nicked off your auntie. These guys steal a CAR and well, have lots of fun. Sigh.
Rex FeaturesGrease
Class of 1959 at Rydell High
Prom Queen Danny Zuko (John Travolta)
Prom King Sandy Ollson (Olivia Newton John)
The mother of all high schools. Rydell High. Aside from the fact they are all in their 20s, gorgeous and super cool, they have AWESOME sleepovers at Frenchie’s, car races, fun fairs, proms…oh and did we mention they sing day and night? Why didn’t we get to sing at school?
Rex FeaturesMean Girls
Class 2004 at North Shore High School
Prom Queen Cady Heron (Lindsey Lohan)
Prom King Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett)
Rex FeaturesNever Been Kissed
Class of 1999 at South Glen South High School
Prom Queen Josie Gelller (Drew Barrymore)
Prom King Sam Coulson (Michael Vartan)At this high school, during lunch break, they have coleslaw-eating competitions. Most of the pupils at this school are in their 20s.
Rex FeaturesPretty In Pink
Class of 1986 at The John Hughes High School
Prom Queen Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald)
Prom King Blane McDonough (Andrew McCarthy)
Imagine going to school with Molly Ringwald.
Twilight
Class of 2008 at Forks High School
Prom Queen Bella Swan (Kirsten Stewart)
Prom King Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)
Call us insane but any school that harbours vampires and werewolves is the first on our list of educational needs. Really. We want to go there. Will Edward Cullen be there? He’s immortal etc etc…
Rex FeaturesFame
Class of 1980 at The New York School of Performing Arts
Prom Queen Coco Hernandez (Irene Cara)
Prom King Leroy Johnson (Gene Anthony Ray)
This is the one. This is school we want to go to. It’s just the coolest school ever, ever, ever on the planet in the history of time (and we mean better than Hogwarts). Basically you do about one minute of boring work in the day and the rest of the time you dance, sing and jump on cars in New York. It’s the fricking best. This film is why school was generally a massive disappointment.
Rex FeaturesHeathers
Class of 1988 at Westerburg High School
Prom Queen Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder)
Prom King Jason ‘J.D’ Dean (Christian Slater)
You take your life in your hands at Westerburg High School but if you make it past the suicidal tendencies and the murder, it looks like a lot of fun.
Rex FeaturesHigh School Musical
Class of 2006 at East High
Prom Queen Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens)
Prom King Troy Bolton (Zac Efron)
“Cause we’re breaking free….” These guys. Honestly. We can’t say this looks like the most rock’n’roll school but if you like a bit of sing-song and the odd mass dance routine over your lunch break – why the hell not?
Rex FeaturesTeen Wolf
Class of 1985 at Beacon Hills
Prom Queen Boof Marconi (Susan Ursitti)
Prom King Scott Howard (Michael J Fox)
Our school mascot was a scarf tied round an old cricket trophy. At Beacon Hill it was a god damn WOLF. The wolf dances on cars! The wolf is the basketball champ! WE WANT THE WOLF! WE WANT THE WOLF!
Rex FeaturesNapoleon Dynamite
Class of 2004 at Rick’s College
Prom Queen Deb Bradshaw (Tina Majorino)
Prom King Napoloen Dynamite (Jon Heder)
We want to vote for Pedro for school president and we want Tater Tots for our school lunch. The end.
Rex FeaturesThe Breakfast Club
Class of 1985 at Shermer High School
Prom Queen Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald)
Prom King John Bender (Judd Nelson)
If our detention was less like picking up Walkers crisps packet from the gutter and more like dancing on tables with Molly and Judd we’d have been considerably more badly behaved.
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