Go Back! It's Graduation Time!

Throughout the last month, my Facebook has been flooded with posts and pictures about graduation. There is something exciting and even comforting about the rituals associated with the graduation ceremony. And yet, inevitably, it's also very boring. 

When I graduated from high school I remember paying close attention to every detail. I wanted to be in that moment, aware of the way that every little thing felt. I wanted to know that I would remember it years later. And I do. But then came college and grad school, and something about the combination of the June heat in the South and the borderline condescending speakers left me uninterested. I just wanted to get the robe off. By the time I got my second masters degree, I didn't even attend the ceremony, just waited for the diploma in the mail. My only regret about this is that it would have been a hooding ceremony, and I've never attended one of those...yet. 

I think the reason I paid attention so closely in high school is that most movies that feature a graduation scene of some kind imply that something unforgettable, something shocking, something dramatic will happen. The class clown will streak, the nerds will revolt, the cheerleaders will fall, the jocks will yell profanities. The audience will gasp at some unexpected delinquent behavior, or cry as the heartwarming underdog crosses the stage. That's how it happens in the movies. I wanted that to happen at my graduation. It didn't. Not even close. Did you know that most high schools do not even allow students to throw their graduation caps? Thanks movies for creating unrealistic expectations of what everyone will dramatically describe as "the most important day of your life." That is until you get married, get a job, buy a house, have a kid...

At least we can live vicariously through some of these amazing movie "graduations". Here are 3 of my favorite movies about moving on and getting ready for the "real world." 

Chills.

GREASE

Perhaps one of the greatest and most misleading high school movies of all times. There is no way that these actors are teenagers. Olivia was 30 during the filming. And yet the premise stands. Everyone wants to sing their way through high school. High School Musical and Glee have perpetuated the idea. And even in the thought provoking book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, music plays a role that can barely be expressed in mere words. (Hope the movie does it justice!) But the hands down kicker in this over-the-top movie is the carnival following graduation. I think the closest thing to a carnival we had at my graduation was the rain that made the road just slippery enough to cause everyone in their dress shoes to slide around. Raamalaamalaama...

The feminist in me always hates that Sandy conforms in the end to be with Danny. But the single 33 year old in me says, where can I get some of those pants?  Which by the way, there is NO WAY those things are in dress code. And when did they have time to co-ordinate that dance in between pregnancy scares, drag races, and hopeless devotion? 

Maybe the most misleading part of the movie (if you forget the flying car) is that in the end everyone is friends. Just look at that picture up there. The rivalries are dead the minute the graduation gowns come off. While they may go dormant for a while, I would venture to guess that in real life, graduation day only marks the start of the real rivalries. Facebook has actually given us the perfect passive aggressive bullying tool. I wonder what Rizzo's status would be. (Hmm...blog idea???) 

Facade.

SAY ANYTHING

Not only is this movie absolutely adorable, with one of the greatest movie scenes ever, one of the greatest guys ever, and one of the greatest (Graduate-esque) endings ever, it also encompasses one of the best possible graduation scenes/nights ever. The great thing is that this movie begins with graduation. 

The graduation ceremony itself is classic. It's a pretty realistic scene, in that students are a little bored, people are blocking the sun from their eyes. The sought after, Diane gives a rather transparent speech entitled, "Soaring Ahead." Her infamous words of advice to her classmates..."Go Back." It gets a laugh from her soon to be criminal father, but goes over the heads of most of the crowd. The idea of the speech is that high school was the best time of their lives and they should be afraid of what the future holds. It sets the tone for the rest of the movie which takes place during the summer following graduation. As far as Diane's advice, you couldn't PAY me to go back. But it's a nice thought that I know some people who peaked in high school probably carry with them daily. Like Uncle Rico for example. "If I could go back to 1982..."

As the graduates are standing around with family and friends, Lloyd, who is a little too scared to actually ask Diane to be in a picture with him manipulates a moment for them to appear in the same photograph. (Seen Above.) It's hilarious, and a scene that shows some of that high school mentality. I can't say I did this, but I do find the most random people in my graduation photos when I look back on them. I suppose it it's just an earlier version of a photo bomb.

The best part of the festivities is the graduation party. It's the kind of graduation party that every high- schooler wants, but hardly any actually get because their parents and family are in town and dictate how the night goes. As Lloyd and Diane walk through the party we get to see the extremes of their personalities. Lloyd is beloved by all, and Diane, while obviously having great potential, has spent her years on the outskirts of her peers. It's at this party that Diane realizes she could and should give Lloyd a real chance at a relationship. It's the perfect ending to a loaded day. 

Lloyd's ambitions are questioned throughout the movie, but he really only has one: to love Diane. While this doesn't exactly win scholarships, it definitely wins the hearts of every woman who has ever watched the movie. Only in today's economy, Lloyd might have to detour from his plan and start selling, buying, or processing to keep Diane around. Cameron Crowe's movie is no where near reality, but it doesn't fill you with the ridiculous expectations that John Hughes' films do either. It's really the perfect graduation movie.

Bittersweet.

CRUEL INTENTIONS

After Dangerous Liason's and before Gossip Girl, there was Cruel Intentions. Aside from this being one of the most provocative teen movies ever made, it nails the loss of innocence theme. Through manipulation, sexual entrapment, and blackmailing, this movie delivers more scandal than the Secret Service. While there is no direct graduation scene in the movie, there is definitely a very fulfilling ending. Puppet-master Kathryn gets what's coming to her when (formerly) good girl Annette, releases to all of her peers, a diary of Kathryn's sins; including the secret locket of cocaine she wears around her neck. I always thought it was such a sign of the times that Kathryn could scheme and sex her way through school, but carry a little coke around her neck and THAT DOES IT! Those were the "just say NO" days, and this movie does not disappoint! 

The sweet (And by sweet, I mean wicked. And by wicked, I mean, awesome.) part of this movie lies completely in the revenge. Every teenager wants their bully to get what's coming to them, and Annette gets to drop her bomb and drive away in a badass car. Of course, one thing we all know is that revenge never truly brings things full circle. With that kind of pain in the past, you change. No matter how good it feels to see someone get theirs, it does not fix anything. Unfortunately, you can never really go back. 

And so for those of you graduating, or preparing to attend a high school reunion (my 15th is this summer) just remember, the best revenge is living well. 

What's Your Favorite Graduation/End of High School Movie?