Thursday Movie Picks: Teen Comedies

This week’s theme is right up my street! If you’re not familiar with the Thursday Movie Picks, it’s an amazing thing hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Each week brings a new theme, and all you need to do is pick 3 movies that fit the bill to discuss. This week is Teen Comedies, which is a really difficult week for me. Difficult because teen comedies are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me! It’s okay to still enjoy them when you’re well into your twenties, right?

I could have happily put together a list of 20 movies this week, but I’ll behave, and pick my favourite 3.

I’m not ranking these three or anything, but if I could, Van Wilder would be my number 1, for so many reasons! This is Ryan Reynolds at his best, playing the most popular kid in college who doesn’t ever want to graduate. It’s your typical cheesy story, but man, I just love it so much. I haven’t seen the other Van Wilder films though, strangely enough.

It shames me to admit that I only saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for the first time recently, but if you read my review, you’ll know that already. Oh, how I wish I could go back in time to watch this again and again. Ferris pulls a sicky to get a day off school, and much fun ensues when his Principal and Sister try to catch him out. I wonder sometimes if this film influenced the cartoon Phineas & Ferb in any way?

Hoping that it’s acceptable to still love teen comedies in your twenties...have I ever mentioned how much I love Easy A? I can’t even pretend I saw this in my teens, as I was...21 when it came out. Oops. Emma Stone is in top form here, using the school’s rumour mill to her advantage when she spreads a lie about her virginity. 

Review: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

As you all know, I have a very long list of older films that friends and family have told me I absolutely have to see. For some reason, Ferris Bueller's Day Off was never one of them, and yet it's been stuck in my head for weeks now. I'm wondering if a TV show I watch has referenced it somewhere? Never mind though, because I sat down last night and watched it.

Matthew Broderick plays a guy in High School named Ferris who decides to pretend to be sick so that he can have the day off school. His parents suspect nothing but as the day goes on, the principal of the school grows more and more suspicious, and tries to catch Ferris.

I wish now that I had seen this when I was younger, I think it would have been one of those nostalgic films that I make sure I still watch every now and again, like Home Alone or National Lampoon's Vacation. In fact I'm left wondering whether Home Alone drew a little inspiration from the comic violence in this, or was that just a thing back then?

Ferris has that natural charm that makes him instantly likeable and funny. I also loved Alan Ruck's character, Ferris' best friend Cameron. The two together were a perfect pair and served up a lot of laughs for me. The film reminded me also of the cartoon show, Phineas & Ferb, have you ever heard of it? Their sister spends every episode trying to get them caught for the trouble they cause, but fails every time.

One of my favourite parts was how Ferris breaks the fourth wall by talking to us as the audience. That sort of thing just really tickles me. I love the Deadpool comics and he does it all the time. Honestly this was just a really enjoyable film and I can see myself watching it again soon. Here's a quick clip of my favourite scene, Ferris, Sloane and Cameron trying to talk their way into a fancy restaurant.

I'm shocked that Ferris Bueller's Day Off isn't part of the IMDB Top 250, but I would put it in a list of films everyone needs to see at least once.