13 Going On 30 (2004): Birthday

Thirty, flirty, and thriving. One of the best rom-coms of all time, and it all revolves around a birthday. It’s the 80’s; Jenna Rink is turning 13 and desperately wants to be one of the cool girls. She and her “nerdy” (aka adorable) best friend Matt disagree over her desire to be in with the in-crowd, but he ultimately supports what Jenna wants. After her birthday party is a major failure she locks herself in the closet and wishes that she was 30 and living her best life. She wakes up and finds that her wish has come true. She’s now 30, a successful magazine editor in New York city in the early 2000’s. However, on the inside, she’s still a 13 year old 80’s kid. This movie is cute and charming and a wonderful birthday film. We see Jenna’s party but also there’s a wonderful sleepover scene and the thriller dance. This is the perfect sleepover movie. Fun fact, this was the first PG-13 movie I was ever allowed to see because my ridiculously strict parents took age restrictions seriously. This only led to me becoming obsessed with horror movies by 15 because I was a rebellious child. But anyway, if you’re looking for a birthday movie, look no further.

Netflix available? No

Hulu available? No

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 8 birthday candles

Footloose (1984): Prom

This film is the best and I will fight anyone who disagrees. It has a young Kevin Bacon, cheesy 80’s music and dancing, and a town that has banned dancing. What more could you want? When Ren moves from Chicago to farm country he decides to shake things up and show the town’s reverend and lawmakers that the ban on dancing isn’t smart or fair. With Ren’s help the teens of the town decide that they need to fight the town’s ban on dancing and rally together to throw a prom. This movie has some classic white 80’s dance moves, tractor jousting, and the classic frustrated gymnastics scene. I think this movie is a prom classic and it is an absolute must-watch. Definitely add this to your prom watchlist.

Netflix available? No

Hulu available? No

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 7 corsages

 

Not Another Teen Movie (2001): Prom

So this film is a spoof of She’s All That, among other famous teen comedies. It mocks some of the sillier, illogical aspects of teen movies of the 90’s and it does so very well. Is it the best movie of all time? No, but if you’re a teen rom-com junkie, you will definitely appreciate the references. Plus it stars a young Chris Evans who is perfect as usual. Because this film is spoofing 90’s classics of course it all leads up to ~*the prom*~, the greatest night of your life (according to high school movies). This movie is funny and stupid and I think it’s a great watch to get ready for prom, especially if you need some cynicism after binge watching a bunch of teen rom-coms.

Netflix available? No

Hulu available? Yes

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 6 corsages

 

 

She’s All That (1999): Prom

This movie sucks, but for some reason I love watching it. It’s so 90’s and such a teen rom-com that I can’t help but watch it at least once a year. It’s a modern adaptation of Pygmalion. Freddie Prinze Jr makes a bet with his friends that he can take the biggest loser in the school and transform her into the prom queen. He picks Rachel Leigh Cook, who like, no matter how nerdy still looks like Rachel Leigh Cook and is beautiful. BUT she’s artist and a feminist, GROSS. This movie is really dumb, but it was made in earnest and I appreciate it for what it is. This film ends with the prom and the entire thing builds up to the prom. Plus, the fact that there’s a makeover makes it perfect for your prom watchlist. if you have such a thing.

Netflix available? No

Hulu available? No

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 7 corsages

Prom (2011): Prom

Okay so I have a feeling had I been younger when this movie came out I maybe would’ve moderately enjoyed it. But watching it as a grown-ass lady whose married and owns a house… this movie is really hard to get into, because I know for a fact that prom isn’t the be all end all. This movie follows the seniors at a high school who are getting ready for prom. Nova is head of the prom committee and is excited to throw the “best night of their lives”. When an accidental fire destroys all the prom decorations she’s forced to work with the schools bad boy who doesn’t care about prom to save the dance. It’s really cheesy and pretty silly, but it’s a harmless enough movie. I think the actors did fine with what they were given. But one thing this movie has going for it is that it is all about the prom. It really lives up to its title. There’s story lines involving asking someone to prom, getting prom dresses, prom planning and decorations, and then obviously the prom itself. If you’re looking for a movie to get you in the prom spirit, then look no further because this movie is the one for you.

Netflix available? No

Hulu available? No

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 10 corsages

Blockers (2018): Prom

So, can I just say what a pleasant surprise this movie was? Despite my deep deep love of Ike Barinholtz I was really expecting this movie to be average at best. I was really surprised to find a charming comedy about growing up and parents coping with letting go and trusting their kids to make responsible choices on their own. This movie follows three girls who have been best friends since childhood. They all decide that they want to lose their virginities at prom. When their parents find out, they go into panic mode and attempt to crash the prom to stop them from having sex. This movie had genuinely hilarious and fresh comedy as well as some great emotional scenes about how hard entering adulthood can be for both the teens and their parents. I definitely recommend checking this film out if you’re on a prom binge, but even if you aren’t this film is worth watching for other reasons.

Netflix available? No

Hulu available? No

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 10 corsages

High School Musical 3 (2008): Prom

Okay, so I was too old for this movie when it came out, so I watched this for the first time this weekend. And let me say…. it’s awful. I don’t know if watching it in your late 20’s just ruins the magic or if it’s really as terrible as the others and I’m just wearing nostalgia glasses for the first two. But this one, despite its $11 million budget is the weakest of the franchise. It doesn’t completely center around prom, but prom is a big part of the storyline. The film follows the wildcats as they work on their last school musical and make important senior year decisions like where to go to college and whether or not to break up with their significant others before college. I think, as much as the films quality isn’t great, it is a great prom movie. The scene where they’re all trying on tuxes and stuff is pretty enjoyable and then the end where Gabriella and Troy have their own prom is cute. I think this is a fun movie to check out to get ready for prom or just to wrap up the school year.

Netflix available? Yes

Hulu available? No

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 7 corsages

Prom Night (2008): Prom

The most glamorous night of a teenager’s life turns into a bloodba…. wait, haven’t I said this before? This is a lite remake of the 1980 film, but aside from the name and the setting, pretty much everything else is different. Donna is a high school senior whose entire family is murdered by her obsessive stalker. When he escapes on prom night, she and her friends are in grave danger. This movie is full on prom. It follows the prep, the date picking the girls up, the limo, the dancing, the hotel room. It’s got it all. Very few films are more prom than this movie. I definitely recommend checking it out if you’re trying to get in the mood for prom. Is it great?  No. Is it fun? Yeah. Is it prom? Fuck yeah.

Netflix available? no

Hulu available? no

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 10 corsages

Prom Night (1980): Prom

The most glamorous night of a teenager’s life turns into a bloodbath. This film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, one of the great scream queens. A young girl, Robin, is killed when her peers accidentally cause her to fall out a window while bullying her. Instead of telling someone, they all agree to keep it a secret and run away. However, someone saw them, and years later is seeking vengeance. Jamie Lee Curtis plays Kim, Robin’s older sister, who is subjected to watching her friends drop like flies around her. This film struggles to hold up, it’s a little slow and feels predictable now. But, it really is full of wonderful prom scenes and imagery so it’s not a bad film to throw on if you’re having a prom themed movie night. I definitely recommend putting it on your watchlist.

Netflix available? No

Hulu available? No

Xfinity available? No

Holiday rating: 8 corsages

 

Tuck Everlasting (2002): Spring

This is one of my favorite books, and I really like this film adaptation. This movie follows the Tucks, an immortal family that moves from town to town to hide the fact that they never age. When Jesse Tuck meets Winnie Foster, an upper class girl who is unhappy in her controlling home, the two begin to fall in love. When the family must escape the town, Jesse asks Winnie to make the difficult choice of also becoming immortal and coming with them, or staying where she is. This movie has some gorgeous scenes of nature and spring time. Plus Winnie’s lacy victorian dresses are beautiful and will make you ready for breezy spring air and pretty light clothes. I definitely recommend checking this film out to get in the mood for spring. To up the experience, open the windows on a warm day.

Netflix available? No

Hulu available? No

Xfinity available? Yes

Holiday rating: 9 spring flowers