Who doesn’t love a good high school movie? It’s got a hero, but what we love is that the women are the real star. It is set in a young, relatable world, and some of these are so iconic that they have truly stood the test of time. Shanzeh Chaudhry ranks her favourite movies with strong female leads, for The Current.
1.Mean girls (2004)
Of course, I’m going to start with the most iconic and original teen movie of all time. This movie is one of the first that displays the realities of being a teenage girl in high school. It’s narrated from the perspective of a girl who’s been homeschooled till she moves and starts going to school. Her experience isn’t what she expected, and entering “Girl World” is not as easy as it looks. The process from the innocent new girl to shiny hard plastic is a journey of backbiting, stealing boyfriends, and lying about the health bars that help you “lose weight”. The movie shows the process of how corrupt the high school system is and the lengths girls would go to fit in. Personally, I feel like the movie tried its best to give an idea of the full high school experience, which was accomplished, as it is the most popular teen movie, 17 years later.
2.Shes the man (2006)
This movie was honestly so inspirational that I just had to add it to the list. It relates to the common sexist attitude and expectations towards females. A girl with a passionate love for football will go to all most any lengths (no matter how absurd) to prove that women can play football just as good as men, maybe even better. Even if it means posing as her twin brother and trying out for a university soccer team. Despite the message, it was just a generally funny and entertaining family movie. We watch our main character, Viola, juggle between her double life of being a university boy and being the “lady” that her mother and society expect her to be. It promotes feminism and inspires girls to stand against society’s expectations if it means doing something they’re passionate about.
3.A Cinderella story (2004)
We’ve all watched the Disney classic “Cinderella”. In the animated version of the film, the main message it was trying to put across was to always be kind despite evil in the world. This version is a bit more modern and relatable to girls in their teens. Our main character, Sam, lives with her evil stepmother and sisters after her father dies in an earthquake when she is eight years old. She works for her stepmother in her father’s diner to save up to go to her “Dream college, Princeton”. She has a secret texting relationship with an anonymous guy, who we soon find out is the glamorous high school football star Austin Aims. They both bond over their dream of going to Princeton and all their problems and concerns for their future. Sams bravery and patience, despite her struggles, are really motivational and admirable. This movie really is a lovely romance, with a touch of nostalgia that really hits home.
4.The Princess Diaries (2001)
‘Mia Thermopolis’ is your average high school teenager, who can’t speak in public to save her life and dreams of a car for her sixteenth birthday. Her life takes a twist when her long-lost grandmother shows up and turns out, she’s the Queen of a tiny country called “Genovia”. Which, yes, makes Mia a princess! After her father (the king) passed away a year before, Mia is the only rightful heir to the throne. All this information comes crashing into Mia’s life, changing it completely. Suddenly, the girls who would once make fun of her and the boy who practically didn’t even know she existed, started trying to weasel their way in her life. She has to go through a series of “Princess training courses” but most importantly, she has to decide if she’s going to take on the role of “Princess” and as “Future Queen of Genovia”. Mia’s sarcastic and witty personality definitely adds a comedic touch to the movie. It really seems like every girl’s dream; to wake up one normal day and find out you’re the princess of a whole country! We watch as Mia transforms from a regular introverted American girl to high-class royalty!
5.She’s All That (1999)
High school star, Zac Siler is forced to go to extreme lengths to protect his reputation after getting dumped by his cheerleader girlfriend. He makes a bet with his friends to turn Laney Boggs, “the introverted weird girl”, into prom queen in just six weeks. After a lot of convincing Zac finally get Laney to go out with him. What started off as a silly bet turned into a blossoming romance. We watch how slowly Laney opens up to the world and how Zac realises that popularity isn’t everything. It’s a classic case of opposites attract. They both show each other a different perspective. I personally love how we slowly see the characters develop and along the way spark a romance that they didn’t expect at all.
