How many people do you know that pulled a Ferris Bueller and turned a day of playing hooky into the most epic adventure ever? Yeah, probably not many. High school wasn't the type of epic adventure Hollywood often leads us to believe.
But sometimes Hollywood actually gets it right, giving us scenes with all the awkwardness that comes along with those pivotal four years -- the sex-ed classes, the parties, the alcohol experimentation and even the general disdain for parents.
Below, we've put together a list of 12 high school movie scenes that speak to our teenage selves -- the scenes that we can all relate to.
1. The sex-ed class in "Mean Girls"
OK, so your phys-ed teacher may not have been as inept as Coach Carr (or maybe they were) but we've all been through at least one terribly awkward sex-ed class. We're still scarred from the memories of having to read aloud about periods and condoms as preteens.
2. "Freaky Friday" -- "You're ruining my life!"
Pretty much every teenager, at one point or another, has told a parent they're ruining their life, just like Lindsay Lohan in "Freaky Friday." If you say you haven't, you're probably lying.
3. The "Clueless" party scene
Amy Heckerling's "Clueless" perfectly captured the vibe of basically every high school party. Awkward teenage flirting, someone spilling beer, a fighting couple, and a ruined shoe. Seriously, we lost count of the number of times our shoes got either covered in booze, mud or just went missing at parties (in high school and beyond).
4. Spicoli vs. Mr. Hand in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
There was always that one kid who did basically nothing throughout their entire high school career like Spicoli.
5. Jules and Shirley asking Seth to buy them booze in "Superbad"
Whether you were asking your older-looking friend with a fake ID to buy you booze, or you were that friend with the fake ID, this scenario was a pretty standard way of getting alcohol in high school. It was either that or stealing from your parents' liquor cabinet.
6. Spreading rumors in "Easy A"
If there's one thing teenagers are good at, it's spreading rumors. You may not have had phones or the Internet in high school, but even so, the rumor mill was always buzzing.
7. Amanda tries to find Preston in "Can't Hardly Wait"
This scene is basically the epitome of what happens when you try to ask a drunk (and maybe stoned) high schooler for any information. You get nothing.
8. Kat getting way too drunk in "10 Things I Hate About You"
We've all been there -- drinking way too much at a party, leaving us stumbling around. Sure, we might not have been lucky enough to have Heath Ledger (R.I.P.) comforting us, but Julia Stiles' portrayal of young drunkenness is pretty spot-on.
9. The love scene in "The Spectacular Now"
Whether you actually experienced your first time in high school or not, there's a good chance it was pretty awkward. In "The Spectacular Now," Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller do such a good job at capturing the weirdness that so often comes with sex but isn't always portrayed in popular media. Bonus points for actually promoting condom use.
10. Torrance's mortifying naked stress dream in "Bring It On"
Your dreams might not consist of you cheering in front of your entire school in the nude, but stress can do crazy things to a person. Who hasn't dreamed about going to class without pants on, or giving that big meeting at work with spinach all over your teeth?
11. The "Carrie" change room scene
Obviously, you probably haven't experienced a scene quite as traumatic as this one from the original "Carrie," but hear us out: going through puberty in front of all your peers is mortifying. It's also something that happens to literally everyone. And while you may not have been bombarded by the meanest classmates in history the first time you got your period or an erection, you probably experienced that feeling of wanting to curl up in a ball and hide.
12. Basically every part of "Dazed and Confused"
Even with its very loose plot, "Dazed and Confused" manages to capture the essence of being a reckless teenager with pretty much no responsibilities who also thinks about life beyond high school. Picking just one scene was too hard, but we do love the cruising montage.
References
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