High School Blues

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2015)

In high school I've always passed by a lot of people and even some of the clichés there in. I've always wondered even to this day, who was that person that passed by, what were they thinking, or what did that person think about when she looked at me.
This film is one of my favorite movies in general and it's my favorite teen film from one of my favorite script writers John Hughes. John Hughes just always knew how to mix both humor and humanity very well, most of it from the dialog they delivered which felt like something any everyday person would say. Or even the amount of depth each of the characters had and that they were all in some amount of pain that most of use everyday deal with.
Watching this film as a teenager it really blew me away because it really talked to me. Looking at this film now as an adult it's like reading a journal passage, I'm able to say yeah that happened to me.
The whole film is pretty much like one big bottle episode, this film I feel executes it well, despite it being a film where nothing really happens it has an energy that just keeps things moving so you don't feel like you've been in there too long. And due to the dialog, depth and what each of the characters due in their time in a confined space, it keeps itself interesting.
I even like how they use the school library which I'll admit is probably the most impressive library I've ever seen, it looks more like a collage library. But I like how spacious it is and really induces a positive atmosphere and freedom of movement which works to the characters advantage because here they have total freedom to do and be whatever they want.
The humor is great from the suttle to big jokes. One of my favorite jokes no down is seeing Andrew as he is a bit stoned he is dancing and doing some gymnastics to some rock music on the second floor of the library and we see that moment when he breaks the glass door by just screaming at it. That always cracked me up, this guy has superhuman vocals. But also that's just something I'd love to do if I ever had the library or a mall to myself.
The characters are all great, because their all three dimensional their not the steriotyipcial teen you might see in one crappy TV teen drama too many, but in a way actually feel like people that actually can exist.
Bender played well by Judd Nelson is a lot of fun. He's a so called rebel that is a blow hole that you love to dislike or like depending on the time. Yes the guy is a bit guilty of anti social behavior, there are times he can really be antagonizing from his attention getting complex and comes really close to pressing that wrong button with everyone.
However my favorite character is Alison played by Ally Sheedy. I'll admit when I was a kid I actually did have a crush on this actress, yeah I know there was Molly Ringwold but I was just attracted to Ally more. This is my favorite role from her as she plays a shy girl, her character literally doesn't say a whole lot in the film but to me she doesn't need to, sometimes you say a lot by not saying anything at all.
This character in a way is a lot like myself in real life, OK not entirely but there are some thing about her I can relate to. The fact that she doesn't talk much, and it's not always because she's shy it's just that she doesn't feel a need to talk and when she talks she feels like it or there actually is something to talk about.
Other things I like is the fact that she's an introvert, this girl is just constantly full of surprises from her quaky need to take random things for no particular reason but we also see that she's an talented artist as she was able to draw a really detailed landscape sketch. Even like some of her chemistry with Andrew, despite there being not many interaction scenes between the two I really felt both made a connection.
I really love it when we finally get down to the really serious stuff when finally everyone just opens up. One issue I can really relate to is Brian's when he talks about the pressure he has to go though everyday to maintain being a A student and to never get an F because his family can't have it. This really made me feel for Brian not just the fact I was also like him but that it really gets an issue about our education system how they've set the bar too high. I know there is such a think as challenging intelligent minds but there is such a thing as being too challenging, which to me always messes me up and depletes morale. I do believe in success but you also have to let people be people.
The ending is interesting because it's open ended and sort of left to your interpretation because after their time is over you can't help but wonder what's going to happen Monday morning, or if all or any of them will remain friends. But so it goes with life itself, they all got though today but tomorrow is a new day. However it also has a sense of hope as each of them in that short span of time have all grown a little and because what they all truly are people.
The real education is outside the classroom.
Rating: 4 stars