Cher, Dionne, Josh, Cady, Janice Ian, Kat and Bianca, Patrick, Cameron, Andie, Bender, Randall ‘Pink’ Floyd, and who can forget Regina George? Are you under the impression that these are some long gone famous people? As if!
They are, in fact, iconic characters from teen movies such as Mean Girls (2004), Clueless (1995), Dazed and Confused (1993), and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), films that became, not just huge hits, but part of the collective consciousness.
SIERRA BURGESS IS A LOSER
But, before these films, the teen movie really came into its own in the 80s, thanks to one John Hughes.
Molly Ringwald, who starred in three of his films, in a recent The New Yorker piece about these films in light of the Me Too movement, said that it “can be hard to remember how scarce art for and about teenagers was before John Hughes arrived... the big issues that affected teens seemed to belong largely to the world of ABC After-school Specials. The films had the whiff of sanctimony, the dialogue was obviously written by adults, the music was corny.”
Hughes made films that were about and for teenagers. He understood their frustrations, attitudes and interests, and most importantly, didn't preach or talk down to them.
Whether it was Sam dealing with everyone forgetting her birthday while also dealing with her crush on the popular guy in Sixteen Candles (1984) or Andie navigating high school in Pretty in Pink (1986) or perhaps most famously, the five students from different backgrounds (a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal) discovering that maybe they weren't so different after all one day in detention in The Breakfast Club (1985), or 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (a lot of breaking the fourth wall!), Hughes knew how to capture the voice of a generation.
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In fact, Netflix's latest teen movies have a definite Hughes connection. In To All The Boys I've Loved Before , the protagonist, Lara Jean, insists that the guy she is pretending to date, Peter Kavinsky, watch Sixteen Candles (she even acknowledges that the Long Duk Dong character is racist!); Alex Strangelove which is about a boy slowly realizing that he is attracted to another boy; The Kissing Booth (features rules between two best friends and of course, the big rule is broken); and the latest, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser , which includes many of the tropes of the classic teen movie.
The teen movie dictates that a majority of the scenes take place at the high school ( Mean Girls , 1999’s She's All That, Clueless ) or at a party (1999’s Can't Hardly Wait) or combines both (10 Things I Hate About You).
The social hierarchy is clearly established. You have the jock (aka the most popular guy), the most popular and often head mean girl (can be the head cheerleader), the cute nerdy guy, the stoner guy, goth girl, the doesn't give a damn cool guy, the sarcastic girl and the everygirl or guy’s equally “loser” friends.
The story then usually proceeds as the everyguy or girl is pining away with a crush on the popular kid who initially doesn't give them the time of day. So then to get things moving along, what could happen is that the popular guy makes a bet involving the everygirl ( She's All That ), or the protagonist takes money to date the heroine ( 10 Things I Hate About You ) or the nerdy protagonist pays the popular girl to pretend to be his girlfriend (1987’s Can't Buy Me Love ).
However, in To All The Boys I Have Loved Before , the protagonists - popular guy and everygirl - come to a mutual agreement to pretend to date. In 2015’s The Duff (2015), the everygirl takes the help of the popular guy to become a more non-DUFF version of herself. This even involves him teaching her how to dress better ala She's All That .
Then there is usually a big misunderstanding or the protagonist himself/herself messes up in some manner. Ultimately though, apologies are given and things are sorted out, either before or at a big event like the prom or a party, and our protagonist gets all the things she/he wanted from the beginning.
And, in conclusion, may I just say that, it certainly seems like Netflix, along with bringing back the rom-com, is also bringing back the teen movie.
Is the tone of this article too pensive? I was going for thoughtful.
