With fall starting to settle in it's time to cozy up and watch some really awesome movies either by yourself, with a whole bunch of friends or maybe with your significant other. Some of the best teen movies, in my opinion, were made in the 90’s so here is my top 15 list of movies from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s.
15. Footloose (1984)
A classic movie about the rebellion of teenagers against the powers of their overbearing families as well as a town government. The movie speaks to teens who feel controlled by their families as well as has plenty of dancing to keep you engaged.
14. Bring it on (2000)
I never thought cheering for sport would be so entertaining. This movie talks about the determination of mainly two different squads and their road to Nationals. The two different squads have different paths to get there, the Rancho Carne Toros are accused of cheating and the East Compton Clovers have to raise enough money to even get to nationals.
13. Freaky Friday (2003)
A remake of the 1976 classic starring the ever awesome Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis explores a kid who constantly rebels against her mother. They magically switch places right before Jamie Lee Curtis’s character is supposed to be married. The debauchery in this movie is crazy and it always makes me laugh.
12. Heathers (1988)
This film takes on challenging the “cool kids” in a new and horrifying way. This one had me on the edge of my seat as the two main characters Veronica and Jason killed their classmates one by one and covered it up by faking suicide notes.
11. John Tucker Must Die (2006)
This movie dealt with a group of girls trying to get over a douchey player at their school. Instead of crying it out into a pint (gallon) of ice cream they decided to get their revenge in a very comedic way that most girls wish they could do to players like John Tucker.
10. Cruel Intentions (1999)
A movie about sex and conquest over one's enemies turns into a rather surprising love story in which Sebastian a bad boy learns to love and his evil stepsister Kathryn gets what's coming to her.
9. The Parent Trap (1998)
Another Lindsay Lohan movie which is actually a remake of the original 1961 film. She plays both Hallie and Annie who are long lost twins and they decide to switch places after they meet at summer camp. The charade that these twins play is remarkable and I am still amazed how they got Lohan to play two parts in one film.
8. Halloweentown series (1998, 2001, 2004, 2006)
The staple of any Halloween time the Halloweentown movie series follows a girl named Marnie learns she's a witch she has to balance school, family and learning magic in a really sweet alternate universe called Halloweentown where a vast array of creatures live.
7. She’s the Man (2006)
Amanda Bynes teaches girls everywhere that they have the power to do anything a boy can do. Not many people know this but it is actually loosely based on a William Shakespeare play called “Twelfth Night”. Bynes’s character dresses and acts like a man to be accepted on her brother’s soccer team when the girl's soccer team is disbanded. She challenges the stereotype that girls are too dainty to play with boys and as an added bonus a young Channing Tatum is in it as well.
6. Ferris Bueller’s Day off (1986)
Every kid's dream come true when Ferris fakes being sick so he doesn’t have to go to school. He busts his girlfriend out of school, they go into the city and ride around in a Ferrari. They also do their best to not get caught and even with a very suspicious principal on their trail they still, for the most part, manage to get away with it.
5. The Breakfast Club (1985)
The Breakfast Club is deemed by most to be one of the best movies to come out of the 80’s. This film follows a group of high schoolers and their adventure while in detention. Trust me guys detention is nothing like this movie at all.
4. Mean Girls (2004)
This movie is another Lohan masterpiece led by other amazing actresses like Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, and Amanda Seyfried. It follows Cady and her life adjusting to public school after being homeschooled in Africa. She makes friends with the most popular girls in school and also with the help of a few friends plots to destroy Regina George’s reputation.
3. 10 Things I hate about you (1999)
Another film based on a William Shakespeare play “The Taming of the Shrew” is about sisters Kat and Bianca. Their father decides that Bianca can’t go out on a date unless Kat goes on one as well. The problem is no guy wants to go out with Kat because she’s intimidating so a few guys at school plot to get Kat to go out with another intimidating guy in the hopes that Bianca can go out.
2. High School Musical series (2006, 2007, 2008)
This movie was not going to be left out of my list. I love the music, the dancing, and the acting. Troy and Gabriella were my OTP before I knew what that even meant. I lived for Sharpay’s attitude and her determination to get what she wanted. Although I could have lived without the staple Gabriella goodbye to Troy song every movie.
1. American Pie series (1999, 2001, 2003, 2012)
This group of movies always made me laugh and influenced my love for all movies comedically inappropriate. I reference things in this movie constantly and I love the crazy schemes Jim and his friends get into. Sidenote, Jim’s dad is still my favorite character and the way he handles everything in the movies makes the embarrassing scenarios even more embarrassing.
Did I miss any of your picks? Which movie is your favorite to watch and which ones have you still not crossed off of your list yet?
