Patrick Fergus
@Fergus5Fergus
College is often considered some of the most important years of your life. A time of self-discovery and independence, and hopefully, a period to find out what you want to do for the rest of your life. Typically, college movies provide a glimpse into epic parties and a complex social life. In more dramatic cases, they showcase self-growth and maturity, like in the classic Good Will Hunting. Whether you’re looking for a good laugh or an accurate portrayal of adjusting to adult life, I’ve compiled the six essential films that truly encapsulate the theatrics of the college experience.
6. Legally Blonde
One for the legal eagles out there, this definitive comedy follows Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) and her unlikely admission to Harvard. Pegged as another typical dumb blonde, Woods is dumped by her boyfriend Warner because he wants someone “more serious.” In an attempt to win him back, she attends the lauded law school but quickly realizes that he will never take her seriously no matter what she does. This motivates Woods to become a talented and respected lawyer, even earning the top internship along with the most touted students in her class. Witherspoon shines as the aspiring attorney, perfectly embodying her character’s cleverness, charm and determination. The film gives a unique twist on the college admissions process, with a personal favorite scene of mine showing the admission officers watching Wood’s eccentric admissions video. Witherspoon and the rest of the cast deliver a heartwarming and quintessential film about breaking down stereotypes and the value of pure determination.
5. The Social Network
This David Fincher picture chronicles the engaging rise of Mark Zuckerburg and the creation of Facebook. While a sophomore at Harvard, Zukerberg creates a website called Facemash, a website that allows male students to rate the appearance of their female classmates. This eventually leads to Zukerberg creating the now global social media site, but along the way, he makes numerous enemies. The second half of the film deals a lot with business and the legality of Zuckerberg’s actions, but the scenes filmed on Harvard’s campus is a perfect portrayal of a college atmosphere. The scenes in Zuckerberg’s dorm especially represent exactly the type of aura that any college movie needs. The movie also does a great job of showing the importance of making connections while in college, as Zuckerberg used a vast network of relationships to build his media empire. I don’t need to praise the acting, screenplay, score or cinematography, as The Social Network is regarded as one of the best movies of the last 20 years, securing eight Oscar nominations in 2011. No doubt a dramatization of real events, the film still delivers two hours of thrilling tension, and is chock-full of spectacular performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield.
4. Pitch Perfect
The world of collegiate A Cappella isn’t one that I thought would be a great source of comedy, but I was decidedly
wrong. Becca, played by Anna Kendrick, has been seemingly forced to attend the fictional Barden University by her father, and is uninspired to go to class or join any clubs on campus. She loves music, and reluctantly auditions for The Barden Bellas, the all-female singing group. Becca butts heads with leaders Aubrey and Chloe, but the team eventually comes together for an incredibly entertaining final performance at the national tournament. This raunchy comedy has everything from a hilarious script to catchy songs, including Kendricks famous rendition of the original tune When I’m Gone. Rebel Wilson is a master of physical comedy as Fat Amy, and steals virtually every scene that she’s in. The movie touches on the importance of student groups and campus activities, and the close-knit group of young women the Bellas become is the dream of any first-year student hoping to make lifelong friends.
3. Good Will Hunting
A janitor at MIT is secretly a mathematical genius but hangs out with some questionable friends in South Boston.
After a professor discovers the “masked rouge”, he tries to unravel the mystery of Will Hunting, played by Matt
Damon. It’s not until sitting down with psychologist Sean Maguire, portrayed by the late and great Robin Williams,
that Hunting starts to open up about his past struggles and the reluctance to utilize his brilliance. Hunting’s
journey to find his own identity and purpose shows the importance of a student’s relationship with a professor or mentor, as Maguire guides him in finding his true motivations and desires. The movie also tackles the intricacies of college dating, as Hunting tries to balance his love and work life. Directed by Damon himself, along with co-star Ben Affleck, the movie delivers some of the greatest dialogue and acting performances in film history, and any scene that features Damon and Williams together is pure perfection.
2. Rudy
There are few films as inspiring as Rudy. Based on a truestory, the plot follows Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, a small
town steel mill worker who dreams of playing college football for the University of Notre Dame. With neither
the money for tuition nor the grades for a scholarship, and little to no support from his family, Ruettiger sets out to
prove everyone wrong. In an incredible final scene, Rudy is carried off the field by his teammates after sacking the
quarterback on the final play. Sean Astin delivers a terrific performance as the leading man, and both Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn shine in their film debuts. This triumphant story comments on the complicated world of college sports and the admissions process but shows that hard work leads to achieving goals that many thought weren’t possible. This one has a special appeal to sports fans, but anyone can enjoy such a moving narrative.
1. Animal House
What else could it really be?
This John Belushi classic has kept audiences laughing for generations. Upon its release, Animal House became a
surprising smash hit, and today is one of the highest grossing comedies of all time. A stacked cast featuring
Belushi, Karen Allen, Tom Hulce and Kevin Bacon pits two dueling fraternities head-to-head, Delta Tau Chi and
the Omega house. The former is a group of misfits that main characters Larry and Kent become pledges for,
while the latter illustrates the stereotypical preps and jocks of Greek life. The movie is packed with memorable scenes, from the shout performance at the toga party to the Delta house trial. At an ideal hour and a half, practically every absurd gag hits the mark, including heaps of classic quotes, such as “seven years of college down the drain.” Nearly 50 years after its release, Animal House remains the go-to college flick, so what else is there to say except….
Toga! Toga!
Each of these movies offer a glimpse into distinct aspects of college life. Hilarious comedies and thrilling dramas alike, there’s a college movie out there for everyone. Some honorable mentions that just barely didn’t make the list are Old School, The Waterboy, Revenge of the Nerds and Whiplash. If you haven’t had the pleasure of checking out any of these great flicks, carve out a couple of hours and enjoy some classic college fun!