Graduation, of course, is on the horizon for so many, my son and nephew included, and the bittersweet feelings are thick right now, as is the nostalgia. What better way to tap into that than watch some movies centered around graduation? Or at least have a graduation scene in them? It all works.
In that vein, I thought it would be fun to look at a few classic graduation movies of the past almost-century, These kinds of movies are fun this time of year, even for those of us who don’t have a graduation ceremony looming.
All right, without further ado, here we go…
Say Anything (1989)
We’re leading off with the Cameron Crowe classic about opposites attracting. My high school civics class watched this movie on VHS about a month before graduation, and I remember being slightly bored at the time, probably because I had just come off a sorta-relationship with a guy I had absolutely nothing in common with, but Say Anything has really grown on me since.
Since You Went Away (1944)
Yeah, I’ve talked about this one a lot, but there’s a graduation scene about halfway through, so here it is again. And Jane gives Bill her class ring as a going-away present at the train station.
Legally Blonde (2001)
We all know how this one shakes out. Elle Woods goes to Harvard Law to get her boyfriend Warner back, Warner is a heel, Elle distinguishes herself in the courtroom, and she becomes valedictorian at her graduation. It’s fun. It’s also amazing how a good movie holds up over the decades, and Legally Blonde is almost twenty-five. Read my review here.
American Graffiti (1973)
George Lucas’s paen to his salad days in Modesto should be required viewing for any graduate just for its definite exuberant melancholy. And the cast is amazing, of course.
Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary (1941)
Andy’s about to graduate from Carvel High School, and he’s thrown himself into his senior year activities. So much so that he might not pass English and might not graduate. Help is on the way, though, so all is not lost. This film is not only a lot of fun, but it marks the film debut of Kathryn Grayson. Read my review here.
Son-In-Law (1993)
Pauly Shore is, of course, a force unto himself, but I had to include Son-In-Law. Yeah, it can be dumb as all get-out, but it’s also stupidly fun. Every grad needs at least one guilty pleasure.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
High School Musical. ‘Nuff said.
The Hard Way (1943)
This movie hits the ground running. One of the impeti of The Hard Way is that Helen is sick and tired of having to skimp and scrimp. She can’t even afford an eight-dollar dress for her younger sister, Katie, who’s about to graduate from high school. Incidentally, the building used for Katie’s school would become the future Stars Hollow High because both titles were filmed on the Warner Bros. backlot. We also get to see a tree Rory and Dean would someday make out under. Read my review here.
Crossroads (2002)
Another guilty pleasure movie, Crossroads is, of course, about Britney and her friends going on a road trip to California right after graduation to audition for a record label. Naturally, the only one who’s really suited to the music biz is Britney, whose character writes poetry in a secret notebook and sings, funnily enough, like a pro. No, it’s not the best movie, but at least Britney’s cover of “I Love Rock and Roll” isn’t too shabby. Read my Substack review here.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (1945)
Based on Betty Smith’s classic novel, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is the story of a very poor family living in the tenements. They might not have much and life might be hard, but that just inspires them to dream more and work more. It’s not ruining too much to say there’s a graduation scene at the end of this sweet film, and it’s a big payoff after what the characters have gone through.
Lady Bird (2017)
One of the few movies set in Sacramento that was actually filmed there, unlike some we can mention (looking at you, Jane Austen Book Club), Lady Bird follows a precocious girl who just wants to get the heck out of the River City. Once she’s out, will she miss it? Graduation is almost a blip in this movie, because it’s probably not all that important to the title character.
First Steps (1985)
This TV movie is based on the true story of Nan Davis Huckeriede, an Ohio woman, who, on the night of her high school graduation, was in a car accident and left paralyzed from the waist down. Four years later, with the help of a special computer and a complicated system of braces and electrodes, she was able to walk across the stage to receive her college diploma from Wright University.
What are your favorite graduation movies? Comment below! Thanks for reading, all, and I hope to see you on Wednesday for anoher post…
Say Anything (DVD and Blu-ray), Crossroads (DVD), Since You Went Away (DVD and Blu-ray), Legally Blonde (DVD, Blu-ray and streaming), American Graffiti (DVD and Blu-ray), Son-In-Law (DVD), Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary (DVD), High School Musical 3: Senior Year (DVD and Blu-ray), The Hard Way (DVD), A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (DVD and YouTube), and Lady Bird (DVD and Blu-ray) are available to own from Amazon. First Steps can be seen on YouTube.
~Purchases made via Amazon Affiliate links found on this site help support Taking Up Room at no extra cost to you.~
If you’re enjoying what you see on Taking Up Room, please subscribe to my Substack page, where you’ll find both free and paid subscriber-only reviews of mostly new and newish movies, documentaries, and shows. I publish every Wednesday and Saturday. You can also subscribe to my Club 15 Tier, which gives you at least one extra Taking Up Room post every month for a small fee.
Taking Up Room 