Thursday Movie Picks: High School Reunions

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This week's theme from Wandering Through the Shelves is movies with high school reunions. I've never been to one and I'm not sure that I even care enough to attend mine when it happens. I hated high school that much. In fact, I'm having a hard time coming up with movies this week too. I haven't seen the big ones like Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion and Peggy Sue Got Married. Here's what I got: 

 1) American Reunion

 This movie had its problems but it managed to be far better than American Wedding and did a great job at capturing the nostalgia of the first two American Pie movies. I especially like the use of songs from the original. MILF for life...

 2) Zack and Miri Make a Porno

 I actually didn't care for this movie much at all, but the high school reunion scene, the one that gives Zack and Miri their bright idea was one of the highlights. 

 3) Just Friends

 Okay, so this wasn't technically a "high school" reunion, but it did involve friends from high school meeting up again. Only it was for Christmas. As far as rom coms go, this one wasn't bad. 

Comments

  1. joel65913June 30, 2016 at 9:10 AM

    I've only seen Zack & Miri and like you didn't care much for it, Elizabeth Banks deserves better. Just Friends is in my queue to see but I'm leery of American Reunion because I didn't like American Wedding but if you say it's better I'll give it another look.

    By the way I'd recommend Peggy Sue Got Married. It's really so much more than a reunion movie. That's just the touchstone Coppola uses to start his story.

    I had a tough with this one as well. I came up with two right away and then watched something I thought would work well but was ghastly and then remembered a doc I liked on the subject.

    Lifeguard (1976)-Lifeguard Rick Carlson (Sam Elliott) loves his work and his laid back Southern California life. But when he attends his 15 year high school reunion he starts to feel he is stuck in a rut. Restarting a romance with his school sweetheart Cathy (Anne Archer), now a divorced mother of a young son, he becomes even more confused about his future.

    Prodigal Sons (2008)-Fascinating documentary by Kimberly Reed who returns home for her high school reunion to an uncertain reception…when she left town years earlier she was a man. Looks equally at her interaction with her former classmates and her estranged family, her adopted brother, who has been permanently disabled in a car accident, has a surprise of his own-his birth mother was the daughter of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth! At times very sad but always interesting.

    Spring Reunion (1957)-Returning to his hometown to sell his house one-time “Most Likely to Succeed” footloose wanderer Fred Davis (Dana Andrews) has no intention of attending his upcoming 15th year reunion until he runs into successful but lonely real estate agent and the “Most Popular Girl” Maggie Brewster (Betty Hutton), his former girlfriend. As they take tentative steps towards each other their different perspectives might ruin their chance for happiness before they are even sure they have one. Subdued meditation on failed dreams was the troubled Hutton’s last feature film as well as one time silent movie queen Laura La Plante’s final bow, she plays Betty’s mother.

    Dishonorable Mention- Back in the Day (2014)-Moderately successful actor Jim Owens (Michael Rosenbaum) returns to Indiana for a high-school reunion. During the course of the time he’s home he acts like an idiot and so do most of his friends doing stupid and outlandish things. I watched this specifically because it seemingly fit this week’s theme so well but it was so moronic I had to list it with a caution and look for another actually good movie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 30, 2016 at 11:55 AM

      lol I love the dishonorable mention. I've never seen any of them. American Reunion is soooo much better than American Wedding. It's actually memorable, for starters.

      Delete
  2. BirgitJune 30, 2016 at 11:29 AM

    I have not seen any of your films but I am not into this theme at all. Like you, I have no desire to go to my High School reunion...ever. I have seen snippets of American reunion so I will see this one day but not sure about the others

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 30, 2016 at 11:54 AM

      High school wasn't the greatest for me, I have no need to revisit it. lol. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

      Delete
  3. Sonia CercaJune 30, 2016 at 11:49 AM

    Finally a film I've seen! I haven't seen American Wedding in such a long time, but I remember enough to say that American Reunion is way better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJune 30, 2016 at 11:53 AM

      lol, that's all I remember from it too, ie: absolutely nothing and too much Stifler.

      Delete
  4. DellJune 30, 2016 at 12:36 PM

    As you know, we're a double match. We almost had a complete match because I was including American Reunion until the last minute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 1, 2016 at 6:54 AM

      That would've been great if we got all three. I don't think that's ever happened to me before.

      Delete
  5. KhalidJune 30, 2016 at 1:58 PM

    I agree. American Reunion did a great job of capturing the nostalgia of the first two films and a good reunion movie too.
    Cant say I particularly care for any of these other films.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 1, 2016 at 6:54 AM

      I liked that they used a lot of the same songs from the previous movie. That was my favorite part hearing Lit, Third Eye Blind, and Blink 182 again.

      Delete
  6. thevoid99June 30, 2016 at 6:53 PM

    American Reunion I do like as it was fun seeing those characters again as I wouldn't mind a sequel as I just love Stifler for being who he is. Zack and Miri Make a Porno is good fun while Just Friends is just hilarious.

    ReplyDelete
  7. m.brownJune 30, 2016 at 11:34 PM

    Hahaha...I just read Dell's picks and obviously, you guys are totally in the same boat here. I also dug American Reunion (well, the first time I saw it), but the other two are solid comedies as well.

    Though, to be honest, I didn't exactly get all the love for Zack and Miri. I liked it, sure, but felt like everyone else was watching a way better movie than I was.

    Ryan Reynolds in a fat suit = pure gold.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 1, 2016 at 6:53 AM

      I don't remember Zack and Miri getting a ton of love? I saw it on the same day as I saw Role Models and that one was so much funnier.

      Delete
  8. Katie HoganJuly 1, 2016 at 6:53 AM

    Not a fan of the American Pie films, just never really laughed. Not seen the other two either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 2, 2016 at 8:20 PM

      I never bothered with all the direct to DVD sequels, but the first two American Pies were amazing to me.

      Delete
  9. KatyJuly 2, 2016 at 4:02 PM

    Just Friends is such a funny movie. It's probably my favorite Ryan Reynolds movie. His timing in that is so great.

    ReplyDelete
  10. MyerlaJuly 4, 2016 at 2:59 PM

    Haven't seen any of your picks except for American Reunion but I can't recall a thing about it...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kevin PowersJuly 6, 2016 at 7:37 AM

    I so wish I'd picked Just Friends. I LOVE that movie. The other two are awesome as well. Good job!

    ReplyDelete

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