Although teen movies are targeted at the younger generation, they are movies that are enjoyed by people of all age groups. It typically gives kids/teens an idea of what the next phase of their lives would look like and for the adults, it brings a nostalgic feeling reminding them of...
Although teen movies are targeted at the younger generation, they are movies that are enjoyed by people of all age groups. It typically gives kids/teens an idea of what the next phase of their lives would look like and for the adults, it brings a nostalgic feeling reminding them of the good old days. Many actors today have teen and high school movies to thank for their breakthroughs in the movie industry. Though stories about teens and high school tend to always follow the same trajectory, there is no denying that teen films have over the years evolved in some ways. One of the major factors that have influenced the lives of teens has been the advent of technology and social media. For Millenials and Gen Z who wonder what being a teenager in the 80s could have been like, here are some of the best 80s teen and high school movies to take you back in time.
The Breakfast Club (1985) Description
The Breakfast Club would always remain a classic because even generations yet unborn would come to enjoy it. It is the movie that is talked about in other movies. Like every teen movie, The Breakfast Club has for its theme the constant struggles faced by American teenagers to be understood by people. It follows a group of 5 high school teenagers each belonging to a different clique in their high school who spend a Saturday in detention with their mean assistant principal who is portrayed by Paul Gleason.
These 5 teenagers are portrayed by Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson. The film was both a critical and box office hit making over $55 million from just a $1 million budget. It has since been described as the best of John Hughes’ works (He served as the writer and producer of the film). The Library of Congress 2016 selected The Breakfast Club for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Movie Review
Stereotype is one of the barriers between cultures. It sometimes happened in High school. High school stereotypes are boxes into which teenagers may be placed by the same teenagers. Teens spend their high school years learning about themselves, they may end and up believing some of the stereotypes that are thrust upon them during this important developmental phase. School is not only a place where children extend their knowledge and competencies but it also places where the children grow. It is also can be a social environment where children develop an understanding of who they are and why they are in life. Students are not the only ones to blame for stereotypes. There are also parents, teachers, or someone else even play a role in reinforcing them as well. Besides this, social media’s impact on social norms has increased the negative impact of stereotyping in American schools today. Consider television shows and movies about teenagers. In the Breakfast Club, a movie from the 1980s, they found examples of the stereotypical burnout, athlete, nerd, loser, and princess. Such stereotypes are very harmful to high school students. It can be the cause of depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation. High school stereotypes also can affect students’ future like their career or their opportunities.
High school stereotypes lead to stress and anxiety. The stereotypes can be caused increased stress for students of high school, as well as anxiety related to academic success. Research has shown that racism at school creates a greater risk for mental illness. For example, because of racial stereotypes students from marginalized or minority groups might feel intense pressure to succeed in the future. In high school stereotypes also lead to bullying. Bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior among school-age children that involves an imbalance of real or perceived power. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying can be based on social, and physical differences, and culture or students may stereotype other students as weak, weird, or not beautiful or handsome. Bullying has become a larger problem over the past few decades. There are many educational efforts have been made to increase awareness of bullying. Stereotypes lead to isolation. It will be the process or fact of someone isolating him or being alienated by others. We’ve seen at The Breakfast Club, that certain high school groups are not all well-known high schools in our culture. Many schools still select students only because of their parents’ backgrounds. When a student doesn’t fit into an established group, they may become isolated and lose their rights. For example, consider an Asian-American student who does not do well academically, as the Asian-American student stereotypically might expect. The student may feel they have nowhere to fit in and become socially isolated. Researcher Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann described stereotype threat as ‘fear of being judged on negative stereotypes, and fear of doing something that would confirm those stereotypes,’ which can lead to decreased academic achievement and can affect student socio-emotional well-being.
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