"I want to run through the halls of my high school, I want to scream at the top of my lungs...." -- John Mayer

Just as I have favorite "dance movies" I also have favorite "high school movies." I was inspired to rate my top ten favs after reading the top fifty in Entertainment Weekly. I haven't seen ALL of the ones they ranked and I am sure I am forgetting a few but I had to give it a shot. It's fairly obvious that John Hughes films should find their way to the top and so I have to agree with EW and give The Breakfast Club a first place slot. From there I may differ from the masses.1. The Breakfast Club. The first time I watched this show as at Heidi Festvog's house. I loved it and was instantly hooked. Is it completely obvious that my favorite character was played by Ally Sheedy? The girl whose "poison" was vodka and who liked to eat pixie stix and captain crunch sandwiches.

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He was living my dream. I still have fantasies about escaping school or cutting out mid-way... escaping in a cool car and evading the authorities who were so determined to crush the fun out of life. Best scene: Singing "Twist and Shout" in the parade. And I can't hear the song "Danke Schoen" without thinking of him.

3. Grease. This musical is one that had a profound influence on my childhood. I loved it so much that I even liked Grease 2 the first few times I watched it. I longed for a pink lady jacket and a dance contest and I my first "sex fantasies" often involved a fun house and tight leather clothing... "tell me about it, stud!"

4. Rushmore. More than a favorite high school film, this one is a FAVORITE film in any genre. I simply adore everything about this. I think Wes Anderson and I are kindred spirits and I get his brand of humor. Nevertheless, working at a school that has become "home" to a few students over the years, I can appreciate the sentiment of the student who never wants to leave.

5. Say Anything. John Cusack won my heart with this film and it wasn't the Peter Gabriel song and the boom box... It was his speech to the father about his future goals that made mention of kickboxing.

6. Clueless. Something about this film was just so right. Cher and her friends and her attitudes and the things she said and the clothes she wore and the song in the film. It all worked. And it never hurts to borrow plot lines from classics. Go Emma.


7. Napoleon Dynamite. The first time I watched this I was mystified. I actually didn't get it. And then I watched it again and again and each time found it funnier. The soundtrack has random lines from the film and they are so funny just to hear even out of the context of the film. I think that says something right there. I'd say there were some "skills" involved.

8. The Karate Kid. Wax on, wax off. Hmmmm... Ralph Macchio won my heart as Johnny in the film The Outsiders (which probably should have made the list). But this show was so great. He's scrawny, new in town, likes a girl he can't have, needs a car, and a mentor. He finds a mentor in Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and that begins to work out the other problems. The mean guys in this film are really mean.

9. Heathers. This is a precursor for Mean Girls (which was also a great film) and actually I think this one is quite a bit darker. I always have a desire to play croquet when I think of this film.

10. Pump Up the Volume. Christian Slater with his rebellious underground radio program is just the sort of guy I would have totally gone for in high school. I had delusions that I could somehow be his "eat me, beat me" lady. For a few years in college my alarm clock was a cd player that would start my day with the downbeat of "Everybody Knows" by Concrete Blonde from the soundtrack.