High School Favourites

As a teacher, I am always seeing classes forced to watch the same films over and over again - but some are better than others. 

1. Perks of Being a Wallflower; Stephen Chboosky Click here to see trailer

This is by far my favourite coming-of-age film, for the soundtrack, for Emma Watson, and for the twists. Socially awkward teen Charlie (Logan Lerman) is left alone after his friend commits suicide, but two kind-spirited but slightly bizarre students take him under their wing. The group deal with all of life's stepping stones together. 

2. Watership Down; Martin Rosen & John Hubley Click here to see trailer

Don't be fooled by the cute rabbits and the animation, this is not a children's movie. Young rabbit Fiver has horrific visions of the future and decides his home is in danger. He convinces the other rabbits to leave with him and search for a new place to live, but not without troubles. 

3. Little Miss Sunshine; Jonathon Dayton & Valerie Faris Click here to see trailer

This sweet, sad, strange, and hilarious film shows us the best and the worst of a disfunctional family. When Olive (Abigail Breslin) is chosen as a contestant in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest, her family accompany her to California. This family includes a suicidal uncle (Steve Carell) and a teen who has vowed to silence (Paul Dano). 

4. Freedom Writers; Richard LaGravenese Click here to see trailer

Based on the true story of a young teacher who turns the life of her students around. Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) teaches in a school which is divided by race, making life very hard and dangerous for her students who have been deemed unteachable. She doesn't give up though, and sacrifices in order to show the students they can have an education. 

5. Bladerunner; Ridley Scott Click here to see trailer

I'm still not sure why this film is so popular in high schools - it is bizarre, and slightly boring, but a classic young Harrison Ford and Ridley Scott combo. In the future, 'Replicants' of humans are plaguing the planet and Deckard (Harrison Ford) is forced by the police to capture and kill them. This is a daunting task, considering they look, act, and sound just like normal humans. 

6. The Secret Life of Bees; Gina Prince-Bythewood Click here to see trailer

This sweet film has an array of strong female actors you can enjoy. When young Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) runs away from home with her nanny (Jennifer Hudson) they struggle to find a place to stay in the turbulent time for Afrtican Americans in the 1950s. But they find the famous Boatwright sisters who take them in - giving them far more than just a place to call home. 

7. Pay it Forward; Mimi Leder Click here to see trailer

This is a very sweet film with some good morals. When social studies teacher, Eugene (Kevin Spacey) gives his class an assignment to 'change the world', young student Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) comes up with an idea. If he does something nice for 3 people, and they each do that do, eventually the whole world will be doing nice things for each other. 

8. Tomorrow, When the War Began; Stuart Beattie Click here to see trailer

When a group of teen friends decide to go camping in the Australian wilderness for a break, they unknowingly are leaving their families for the last time. While they're away, a war breaks out destroying homes and killing people. The group decides to fight back.