With "Grease Live" becoming the new craze, I started thinking about the beloved movie. Danny and Sandy are some of the most iconic characters in American movies. I grew up singing “You’re The One That I Want” and imagining my high school days a lot like those of Rydell.
That's where I went wrong. It is my favorite movie by far, but this Rydell High School gave me way too high of expectations.
Physical appearance
In the movie, the characters are fully developed and beautiful. They knew themselves and owned it. They knew how to walk the walk and talk the talk. The thing is that the actors playing these characters were not in high school, they were college age and beyond. So the dream of looking like Sandy or Rizzo did in the movie wasn't very accurate. Everyone was still growing and some of us were still in the really awkward phases.
The Schoolwork
Did we ever see them taking a test or studying? Nope! They were too busy at a diner, or fixing a car, or singing. High school looked like a breeze. No schoolwork? I could totally do that. They never even mentioned having homework, not once. Even Sandy, the good girl, never picked up a book. I guess Rydell didn't believe in work.They wanted their students to come to school, but who needed to learn anything? I wish my high school had an attitude of zero homework.
Athletics
So Danny just walks in the gym, asks to be put on the team, and the coach acted like it was a normal thing. No tryouts or anything. He walked in during the middle of the season, tried a few sports, and picked the one he enjoyed. The coach allowed him to pick a few fights while experimenting with different sports, too. If only real high school athletics were that easy, but then again, could you imagine what a high school team would look like if that was the case?
Parental Guidance
WHERE IN THE WORLD WERE THEIR PARENTS? Apparently they were present during the infamous sleepover but could not hear five drunk guys yelling at their daughter’s window. Maybe they were on vacation for a whole school year? I guess parents were not essential in high school at Rydell. I could not even log on to the computer without a parent's permission at the beginning of the year.
The Future
At the end of the movie, they questioned their future for the first time the entire school year. They quickly blew it off, knowing they would always be together and the future would be grand. My entire senior year was all about the future. I could not get away from planning for it. In class, at home (which, by the way, they never were at home in "Grease"), on the weekends, and at night, the future was always a omnipresent worry. Rydell must have a worksheet for them to follow for the future, something I did not receive.
And let’s not forget the graduation celebration; it was practically a county fair! Pie-A-Teacher, Ferris wheels, and cotton candy, oh my! At my high school, we had a senior picnic with the long awaited slip-n-slide tarp.
But in the end, I made it through without getting stranded at a drive-in and changing myself to make someone else happy. I guess you win some and you lose some.
Rydell High, Rydell forever.
FYI, "Grease" is my absolute favorite movie. Actually, I wanted to watch it after writing this article. I am not dissing the movie, just stating what I saw when I was younger. Even the best movies fall short sometimes, but that's why they are just movies.
