Teen Hangout Movies Through The Decades
As I grow older, I have been branching out more with the media I consume. Yet I have those specific things that I turn to when I need a bit of the familiar for comfort. One of those familiar film friends for me is that of the teen party/hangout movie. Even discovering a new one feels like visiting an old friend. But why?
As a teen, I was fairly insular, happy to go to the movies by myself or hide away somewhere reading a book. But I still appreciated a good hangout with a group of friends. And while I rarely partied, the ones I did attend were pretty fun and fond memories. The music, the conversations, the drama, and, of course, the laughter.
Thankfully, Hollywood knows well to tap into this and let us live vicariously through the zany antics that play out, usually over just one night. And while my examples didn't start releasing until the 1970s, the period of the films has been covered well back to the 1950s. Let's take a trip through some of the most notable by decade they took place in!
1950s: PORKY’S
Writer/director Bob Clark loved a good period piece. Set in 1954, this hang out tale from 1981 takes us from school to the drive-in to the infamous Porky's, where the friends on display are trying to party and gain access to women and alcohol, well before they are of age. Out of the stories talked about, this is possibly one of the more mean-spirited ones, but we do get to see some guys overcome initial prejudice to become friends.
1960s: AMERICAN GRAFFITI
Before George Lucas took us to a galaxy far far away, he took us to California's central valley circa 1962. This one-night bop involves relationships starting and ending, gang initiations, and drag racing, all leading up to our leads getting ready to leave for college. It truly became the template for the ultimate hang out movie with threaded storylines, a killer soundtrack, and taking place over one evening, as well as including a "Where are they now?" type recap at the end.
1970s: DAZED AND CONFUSED
Richard Linklater's ode to high schoolers hit at the perfect time. My dad graduated high school in 1974, 2 years before this took place, and it hit home video around 1994, as I was heading into high school. This was the perfect bonding experience as it allowed for open conversations around the high school experience and its extracurricular activities. Given that my dad was known as the King of Boogie at his school, it's safe to say he was well versed in those extracurriculars. This is another one tapping into the one nighter formula from AMERICAN GRAFFITI.
1980s: VALLEY GIRL
While a lot of these films involve tight knit friend groups, they really tend to shine when our characters are forced to break free and embrace the new. In this joint, we get that with a city punk falling for a valley girl after meeting at a party. They both dabble in each others’ worlds, both the party scene and musical tastes, as well as see how different their living arrangements are.
1990s: CAN’T HARDLY WAIT
Being in the class of 1998, this movie was the closest to home for me, and has been one of my favorites ever since I first saw it. Taking the template from AMERICAN GRAFFITI, we have multiple groups of friends coming together at a graduation party. Will Preston tell Amanda that he's been infatuated with her since freshman year? Will Kenny successfully find out how to make a ho call him Big Papa (Rest in peace!) And will William finally gain revenge on the ultra jock Mike Dexter? We have one night full of Smash Mouth, Love Burger (well done), and corrupted foreign exchange students to make it all happen.
2000s: SUPERBAD
As a teenage virgin boy, the idea of getting laid drives so many of their motivations. Or at least it did for me—and for Seth and Evan, too (Rogen, Goldberg, and our two movie protagonists). They need to get to a party, procure alcohol for said party, and survive all the harrowing antics along the way. Just for the possibility of having sex. Yes, this movie is accurate as to how guys talk and think. However, most of us won't have to deal with as many extreme measures during our high school careers, let alone one evening. But yes, we've all had a friend that dressed like Aladdin and thought it looked cool.
2010s: BOOKSMART
While Jonah Hill starred in SUPERBAD, his sister Beanie Feldstein stars in this ladies-centric journey to the ultimate party to prove that Molly and Amy aren't two sticks in the mud and can actually have a great time. Sure, they see another side of their teacher and vice principal, but they also get to let their hair down on a yacht, murder mystery, and ultimately, the desired party of all parties. Touted as the girls version of Superbad, but this one focuses less getting laid, and more on just fighting for their right to party.
