Monday, October 5, 2015

15 (Okay 16) Movies I Will Watch With my Teenage Daughter

In no particular order, all of these are teen appropriate and a must see for the teen experience!


Sixteen CandlesA young girl's "sweet sixteenth" birthday becomes anything but special as she suffers from every embarrassment.I remember Jake Ryan as the perfect teen guy! The use of bo-hunk is hilarious, and don't forget about the church organist retaining water and the big (or littel) panty reveal! A classic for all teen girls!

Mean Girls - Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George. With Rachel McAdams as the 'mean girl' and Lindsey Lohan as the 'innocent' how can you resist this work of fate? A cult classic by far, Mean Girls is a life lesson.

Grease - Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance? How else is your teen daughter gonna learn how to sing in high school. This classic pre-cursor to the Disney version has bad words and everything! Your teen will know all the words to Summer Lovin by the very end!

The Breakfast Club - Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought. A diary of the high school clique and teen angst, this is a roller-coaster ride that has real value. I great movie to break into that whole 'lets talk about drugs, safe, sex, crappy grades and well how high school sucks for everyone-- a must have date with your teen!

Freaky Friday - An overworked mother and her daughter do not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the other's life for one freaky Friday.Sometimes I truly wish this could happen, that my daughter could walk a mile in my shoes. The Hollywood version will have to do!

Clueless - A rich high school student tries to boost a new pupil's popularity, but reckons without affairs of the heart getting in the way. So Adorbs! A class act and totally meant for parent-daughter bonding. You may not have known this, but Clueless is a retelling of Jane Austin's classic, Emma.

Saved! - When a girl attending a Christian high school becomes pregnant,
she finds herself ostracized and demonized, as all of her former friends turn on her.Definitely a good one to watch together this down-to-earth film tackles religious bigotry, teens discovering their place in the world and how difficult the real world can be. Sounds like a downer but is a great film along the lines of Juno. 

Easy-A - A clean-cut high school student relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. Laugh out loud funny, with a great supporting cast the topics are worth watching together and the film does a good job of coming full circle.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite what the principal thinks of that. What can I say I am a child of the 80's and this is a must see!! What kid doesn't want the perfect day off and while certain parts may 'date' the film the concept is still solid great entertainment. 

Scream  Attempting to cope with her mother's murder, Sydney and her horror movie-obsessed friends are stalked by a murderer who seems to have a hard time letting the past go. Teens are starting to get into horror films, and they are still great date movies. Scream is a funny break in to the real thing. Still fun to watch with popcorn even if it is corny.

10 Things I Hate About YouA new kid must find a guy to date the meanest girl in school, the older sister of the girl he has a crush on, who cannot date until her older sister does. This is a Hollywood adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Taming of the Shrew' and an instant classic. 

Bend it Like Beckham - The daughter of orthodox Sikh rebels against her parents' traditionalism by
running off to Germany with a football team (soccer in America). This is a great film about family expectations, personal goals, friendship and finding your passion. A wonderful film I highly recommend!

Never Been Kissed - A journalist enrolls in her old high school as part of her research for a story. This is a sweet film about high school regrets and making the most of the years ahead. It is also about having confidence in yourself and that high school does end...really...it does.

Cry BabyIn 1950s Baltimore, a bad-boy with a heart of gold wins the love of a good-girl, whose boyfriend sets out for revenge. Another teen musical, but seriously a riot and loads of fun!

Bring It OnA champion high school cheerleading squad discovers its previous captain stole all their best routines from an inner-city school and must scramble to compete at this year's championships. Full of spunk, fun, dancing and team spirit this a great departure from the normal teen flick with all of the angst and drama included.

Hairspray Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show. The remake of the cult classic is a joy to watch. Great messages about what used to be and how change happened gradually. Watch for awesome fun and John Travolta as Tray's Mom!! 

So obviously this is NOT a definitive list, so tell me what I missed! I LOVE to hear from my readers, chime in and be heard!

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