It doesn’t matter if you’re eight years old or 80, September means back to school time … again.
That rush of old feelings – excitement, dread and the mourning for summer’s end – doesn’t come with an age limit.
So to welcome in the fall, here are the Top 5 films which reconnect me to my school daze.
- “Back to School” (1986) – “Bring us a pitcher of beer every seven minutes until somebody passes out. And then bring one every ten minutes” … “Why don’t you call me some time when you have no class” Need I say more?
- “Three O’Clock High” (1987) – Is there a better school-related comedy that flies so low under the radar? One time wunderkind Phil Joanou (“U2 Rattle and Hum”) orchestrates a day in the life of a nebbishy teen (Casey Siemaszko) and the bully (Richard Tyson) out for his blood. If you haven’t seen this yet, you’re in for a treat.
- “Dead Poets Society” (1989) – Robin Williams inspires – without his signature “serious” beard. It’s the perfect movie for anyone who ever had a special teacher alter the course of their lives in some small but sizable way.
- “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986) – Chosen not out of any John Hughes sentiment, but simply because it evokes so many true blue moments from our high school years. If only every one had a pal like Ferris to remind us of what it’s like to truly live.
- “Rushmore” (1998) Wes Anderson’s breakthrough film captures the fizzy feel of falling in love – with a knockout elementary school teacher (Olivia Williams).
(Photo: The late, oh so great Rodney Dangerfield plays a very mature freshman in the 1986 comedy “Back to School.”)
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I'm an award-winning journalist and film critic with more than a decade of experience in newspapers, magazines and the Web. I'm a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association and the Denver Film Critics Society.
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I like this list! However, I haven’t even heard of “Three O’Clock High.” Of course, I was 11 in 1987. I like Rattle & Hum so I’ll put it in the Netflix queue. Just recently saw “Back to School” for the first time and laughed my butt off. I liked Dangerfield when I was a kid, but he has grown on me.
And “DPS” is my all-time favorite movie. “Seize the day boys…. seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary.” Still sends shivers down my spine. Some of the most quotable and inspirational lines ever written. Love it.
oops – that should say, I DIDN”T like Dangerfield when I was a kid.
Rodney didn’t take full advantage of his movie star fame. He followed “Caddyshack” with “Easy Money” – funny, but hardly classic. “Back to School” was all his … he owned it. But “Ladybugs?” Feh. He never reclaimed his movie mojo after that.
Actually where I live kids have been back to school for at least a week now.
Glad to see “Three O’Clock High” get a mention. I once tried microwaving a my blue jeans after watching it. Got in big trouble for that. Richard Tyson is one of the best working-man actors out there – he’s in damn near everything.
That’s funny … I haven’t seen Tyson in a while. Maybe he’s such a good character now I’m not recognizing him.
“Three O’Clock High” is an original through and through – like the flip side to the great “My Bodyguard.”
i like this list but ‘Rushmore’ is the best movie….