Preparation for another school year is not an easy task — it’s difficult to force your brain to transfer thoughts of boats and brew to Freudian theories and thesis statements.
The trick is to ease your brain slowly into intellectual mode, and to do that you may need a heck of an attitude adjustment in your views on going to class. There are some classic school-related flicks that will trick you into thinking that being a full-time student can actually be fun.
Unless you’ve been living in a hole for the last 20 years, you’ve surely seen these school movie classics. But as school approaches, it’s time to take a visit back in cinematic history.
“School of Rock”
2003
Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack
This movie rocks because it captures Jack Black in his Tenacious D element, rocking hard and acting like a child.
If only all the horrible professors could just trip, fall and be replaced by one hungover Jack Black.
“School of Rock” will get you ready for school based on wishful thinking alone. It’ll motivate you to be the best you can be. If you work hard enough, maybe you, too, will end up as the class factotum.
“Grease”
1978
Directed by Randal Kleiser
Starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
“Grease” has proven that love can conquer all, even during the school year. Chemistry doesn’t always get in the way of chemistry.
This classic musical will remind you that when school and cliques tear apart romance, a few trips to the drive-in, and just a few doo-wops can salvage true love.
The only fallback to popping in that old “Grease” VHS is that you may forget that anthropology class very rarely takes song and dance breaks.
“Animal House”
1978
Directed by John Landis
Starring John Belushi, Karen Allen, Tom Hulce
Few will accomplish a college party career like the members of the Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, who haze freshmen, kill horses and induce a riot.
“Animal House” really set the bar on what the college experience should be. Surely, any fraternity similar to the Delta Tau Chi’s from “Animal House” would be removed from campus immediately, even before double secret probation. And chugging an entire bottle of Jack Daniel’s would normally lead to death, but this unforgettable film is a reminder why daily PowerPoint lectures are worth it.
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
1986
Directed by John Hughes
Starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara
While this movie isn’t exactly an ode to school but rather a fight song against it, it sheds light on the fact that you can always take a much-needed vacation.
This year, get off that couch and actually do something, whether that means hijacking a float at a parade or pretending to be the Sausage King of Chicago. Ferris Bueller will get your creative juices flowing as you think of how to spend your designated sick day, which for many may just be every Friday.
