When someone watches a movie for the first time, there is a real chance that it can have a lasting impact on their lives. As leaving for college can be one of the most introspective periods in a young person’s life, it’s the perfect time to watch movies that are likely to resonate with what they are going through.
“Dead Poets Society” (1989)
The prestige of academic clubs in college paired with today’s hustle culture make it easy to overlook the important parts of life that don’t have a measurable payoff. In “Dead Poets Society,” Robin Williams plays John Keating, a teacher at a boys’ preparatory school, who uses unorthodox teaching methods and poetry to encourage his students to make the most of their youth and “seize the day.”
Inspired by his teaching, the students start to read and write poetry as they break away from the school’s strict regulations to appreciate art, choose their own career paths and pursue love interests. While the film can get heavy at times, it’s full of meaning and inspiration that has allowed the film to stand the test of time.
“Legally Blonde” (2001)
This endlessly-quotable comedy stars Reese Witherspoon in one of her defining roles as Elle Woods, a sorority president. After Woods is dumped by her boyfriend, she works to attain a near-perfect LSAT score, which she uses to attend Harvard Law School with her ex-boyfriend in hopes of winning him back.
Witherspoon is iconic in her oblivious-yet-kind role as she continues to thrive in law school while improving the lives of those around her, learning to value her independence in the process. The film is entertaining from beginning to end, with a college breakup acting as the center of the plot.
The “Before” Trilogy (1995, 2004 & 2013)
Discovering new places, meeting strangers and making genuine connections are among the most life-changing events you can experience in your early 20s.
This idea is explored in Richard Linklater’s film, “Before Sunrise,” in which a single night shared between two strangers continues to affect them for the next nine years, leading up to the following film, “Before Sunset.” While there is a third film in the trilogy, the first two are the strongest representations of these ideas.
Jesse, played by “Dead Poets Society’s” Ethan Hawke, meets Céline, played by Julie Delpy, on a train passing through Vienna. The two begin talking on the train, before Jesse convinces Céline to walk around Vienna with him until he leaves the next morning. They spend an entire night getting to know each other, and the film is mostly driven by dialogue with few actual events occurring.
This allows the film to focus on the authenticity of connection, making their short relationship come to a painfully realistic end when they realize that they will probably never see each other again. This makes for an engaging story, resulting in the events of the second film.
Nine years later, Jesse has become a successful author after writing a novel about his night with Céline. When he’s being interviewed about his book in her hometown of Paris, Céline shows up to see him. They walk the streets of Paris, discussing their lives and recounting their night in Vienna. Jesse finds success using the events of a single night, and as he admits to Céline later in the film, in the hopes that she would read the book and find him.
If both films are considered together, it becomes clear how individual experiences can change the course of one’s life for the better. It explores the incredibly rare, exciting possibility of rediscovering a connection and appreciating it more when given the rare opportunity of a second chance.
“EuroTrip” (2004)
“EuroTrip” puts a comedic spin on the lack of direction high school graduates feel before they go to college. As soon as Scott graduates, his girlfriend breaks up with him, and he learns he was being cheated on the whole time. He learns this through what is arguably the film’s most famous scene, in which Matt Damon makes a cameo as the “new” boyfriend and performs a song with his band called “Scotty Doesn’t Know” at a party while Scott is in the audience.
Scott decides to get over his breakup by traveling to Europe to meet his longtime pen pal in Germany. He takes his friends with him, traveling to multiple countries on a low budget. The raunchy comedy follows the group through Europe with almost nothing going according to plan.
