Back to School 6—Dramas

Going back to school in the movies can be lots of fun—but it can also be deep and meaningful. So in our overview of back to school films, let’s look at some of the better dramas that explore the school experience: if your thoughts for telling a school-oriented story veer to the dramatic, stay tuned.

There are so many good school dramas, but I’ve narrowed it down to three that are of particular interest if you’re studying this genre: Dead Poet’s Society [1989], by Tom Schulman, October Sky [1999], by Lewis Colick, and Akeelah & the Bee [2006] by Doug Atchison.

First, let’s start with a film that’s become a bit of a classic on its own—Dead Poet’s Society. This is a film set in a well-to-do private boy’s school. Todd, a new student at the school, like his roommate Neil, is having a hard time living with his parents’ expectations. Todd’s want him to take the right classes so he can go to an Ivy League school and become a lawyer, and Neil’s parents are exerting the same pressure on him to study to become a doctor. Neither by is drawn to their parents’ career choices. When they encounter a charismatic teacher who gives them permission to NOT always do what they’re told, both boys blossom… until one of them can’t take the pressure. The film won an Academy Award for its writer and is a really good one to study if drama is your bag.

October Sky is a personal favorite of mine. It focuses on Homer and three of his friends who go to high school in a coal mining town—where nearly all of the boys graduate and go down into the mines, where they spend their working lives. Homer’s older brother is a football star and so will get to go to college on a scholarship, but though Homer tries, he’s just no good at football. His big interest? Rockets. So for a science project, he gets his three buddies to help him and they start building rockets. Soon they’re going to the state science fair where scholarships are available for smart kids. Throughout the film, Homer clashes with his father, who’s a coal miner supervisor, but they’re eventually able to make peace. And the kicker? This is based on the real story of a NASA rocket scientist. This is a touchingly beautiful film and good for studying to look at the emotional side of telling your high school story.

Akeelah, the title character in Akeelah & the Bee, also has a difficult family life in South Central L.A.—a poorer area in the city. She’s very independent and doesn’t want help in studying for the spelling bee, but is persuaded to let a former contestant, now an English professor, help her prepare. This is a small, character-driven film that’s a good model for how to tell a “small” story that is big on emotional impact.

Drama—it can be moving and inspiring… could you write a drama that would live up to those goals?

Next Week: The Outsider

Copyright © Diane Lake

14Oct18

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