I’m pretty sure we all had a fair share of films that we loved as a kid; whether it be that classic animated movie you fell in love with, a Disney musical you never knew resonated with you until you got older, a sequel of a friendly green ogre, or that one treasure your whole family loves. Growing up on the east coast of the US, my family relied on Blockbuster (a movie rental store) and Red Box (a movie rental stand, kind of like an ATM that gives out DVDs instead of money) for movies before Netflix became the movie hotspot. I was able to find films that I still love to this day, so let's take a field trip to my childhood and take a look at the movies that made me who I am today.
1. Lemonade Mouth (2011)
I stand by my statement when I say that this was the Disney Channel’s best movie. As a kid in America, the Disney Channel was THE biggest thing I looked forward to after school. Aside from cartoons and kid-friendly sitcoms, the Disney Channel produced lots of great movies made for TV, like pop culture classics High School Musical and Camp Rock. Unlike those two films, Lemonade Mouth never got a sequel. Of course, the younger me was furious and patiently waiting as a child, but as a teenager I appreciate Lemonade Mouth so much more for what it is.
Lemonade Mouth is about five spunky outcast teens who meet during detention, end up forming a pop-rock band, and start a revolution in their sports-dominated school for all the other freaks who didn’t do sports. It was like the Breakfast Club met Disney and rock-and-roll. It’s such a perfect mix I wish that this movie was more of a classic, angsty teen comedy-drama shot with film instead of digital. I can only dream, and Disney needed to keep things PG, of course. But even though Lemonade Mouth had a kid-friendly plot, the message of the movie taught me to stand up for what I believe in and also showcased a lot of issues and conflicts teens face that are still relevant to this day, like family pressure, identity issues, relationships, and even grieving.
Overall, Lemonade Mouth is timeless, relevant, fun, spunky, and even has a killer soundtrack (I recommend the songs “Determinate”, “Here We Go”, and “She’s So Gone”). Definitely a must-watch if you haven’t seen it.
2. Sky High (2005)
Fitting in can be hard… especially in a high school for teenagers with special powers where you're divided into two camps: heroes and sidekicks. Sky High is a 2005 film about Will, the son of two of the greatest superheroes in the universe, trying to navigate high school, friendships, girls, and himself. His life may sound amazing, but the thing is, Will has no powers, meaning the son of the greatest heroes of all time was labeled a mere “sidekick”. I won’t spoil too much, but I think you can imagine the plot by now.
Sky High in three words would be: fun, heroic, and heartwarming! If you are looking for a superhero movie with action-packed scenes and the best visual effects, Sky High might not be the best option for you, but it is still entertaining and a great movie overall! Sky High takes a more coming of age teen comedy route, which is something quite rare for a superhero movie, which makes it refreshing to watch. This film on paper is stereotypical with the same 2000s teen tropes thrown all over the place, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Looking deeper into the movie, Sky High makes use of those tropes to talk about peer pressure, acceptance, young love, and even bullying, to make an enjoyable family-friendly comedy!
3. School of Rock (2003)
What happens when a broke, jobless, middle-aged rock-and-roll headbanger fakes being a substitute teacher in an elite private school to get his new elementary students to join a battle of the bands? Well, you get School of Rock.
This movie is like a game of cat and mouse, filled to the brim with comedy, rock-and-roll, manipulation, and Jack Black. It is everything from heartwarming to silly, nerve-racking to chill, inspirational to stupid, and rock to roll. What really brings this movie together is the chemistry between Jack Black and the kids. In the scenes where it gets more serious, you can really feel that gushy heartwarming wholesomeness of the movie.
What I love the most about this movie, apart from the final battle of the band's performance, would be the message I got from the story: be comfortable in your own skin. Throughout the movie, the kids learn to take risks, speak up, and to be themselves– no matter what society (or their parents) think. I tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible because if you haven’t seen it, you need to as soon as you can! (Also, this is the only movie on the list that is currently available on Netflix, so really you have no excuse.)
There are so many more movies out there that shaped me to who I am today, but these three are the ones I love the most. Thank you for reading and I hope this encourages you to take a field trip down memory lane too. You might just be shocked how much your favorite movies as a child influenced who you are now.
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