15 Back-To-School Movies and TV Episodes to Finish Summer Break

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15 Back-To-School Movies and TV Episodes to Finish Summer Break

Summer break is coming to an end. Back in the day, there was a little bit of heartbreak as August approached. Gone are the fun times with friends, sleeping in, playing outside, getting ice cream, playing video games, finding awkward short-lived love, and all the other tropey stuff. Instead, it’ll be nervousness, stress, and boredom, being glued to a desk. It’ll be time to go back to school

While many of you could have obtained fond memories or baked-in trauma from your schoolish pasts, the one thing that remained constant was entertainment, especially movies or episodes from your favorite shows that encapsulated the back-to-school experience (well, for Americans, at least).

As the summer comes to an end, why not bring up feelings of nostalgia and relief that you won’t have to experience returning to school ever again? Here are some of the best movies and TV shows that bring you back to school.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1982 Fast Times at Ridgemont High The high school comedy still provides some laughs when viewed through a 1980s lens. This was not only Sean Penn's breakthrough role as Jeff Spicoli, but also the last time Penn looked like he was having fun in a movie. STOUT CRACKED.COM MALE

School of Rock

Back to School Movies and Episodes 2003 School of Rock A dejected rocker turned substitute teacher enriches his students with the power of rock and roll, inspiring them to win a battle of the bands contest so he can pay rent. A fun school movie turned into a Broadway musical! CRACKED.COM

Back to School

Back to School Movies and Episodes GL 1986 Back to School One-liner comedian Rodney Dangerfield is an old man! Going to college! With his son! Oh, man, the shenanigans that will happen as Dangerfield gets higher education, with cameos by Kurt Vonnegut (yes, the author) and Oingo Boingo. CRACKED.COM

Recess "The New Kid"

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1997 Recess The New Kid The second episode of the cartoon it actually the first to feature the entire main cast, as Gus starts his first day at Third Street Elementary School to meet the gang and overcome the stigma/caste system as the New Kid. CRACKED.COM

Monsters University

Back to School Movies and Episodes The Right Scare For The Job SCARER it I MU 2013 SCARE and I Monsters University The sequel to Monsters Inc. takes us back to when Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan were in college. On top of seeing what monster-based fraternities are like, we get to see how Sully and Mike go from rivals to besties between classes. CRACKED.COM

Matilda

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1996 Matilda A film based on a great children's book, featuring a nasty principal, a lovely teacher, and a child with telekinetic powers that loves to read. It sounds like it would be a great horror film, but it's a kid-friendly, cartoony flick. CRACKED.COM

Kindergarten Cop

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1990 Kindergarten Cop Just remember your time in kindergarten- only imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger as your burnt-out teacher (who turns out to be an undercover cop). A movie with Play Doh, naps, and headaches that aren't tumors. CRACKED.COM

Mr. Holland's Opus

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1995 Mr. Holland's Opus A story about a teacher who wanted to be a composer but invested his time with his music students. A feel-good movie that does a great job of being sentimental without crossing over into corniness territory. CRACKED.COM

10 Things I Hate About You

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1999 10 Things I Hate About You This update of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew has a fun cast consisting of Julia Stiles, the late Heath Ledger, and more. Lots of parties, poems, high school tropes, dances, and romances. CRACKED.COM

Gilmore Girls / "The Lorelais' First Day At Chilton"

Back to School Movies and Episodes 2000 Gilmore Girls The Lorelais' First Day At Chilton This episode of the comedy-drama not only touches on the tropes and pains of the first day at a new school, but adds the conflict of being embarrassed by your mom. Not bad for being only the second episode of the entire seven seasons. CRACKED.COM

Freaks and Geeks / "Carded And Discarded"

Back to School Movies and Episodes INATIONAL 2000 Freaks and Geeks Carded And Discarded The entire series conveys the rough pecking order in high school, but this episode hits all the marks. Neal, Sam, and Bill try to impress the new girl by getting fake IDs to go to a concert at a local bar. CRACKED.COM

Election

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1999 Election PICK FLICK Satirizing politics and school life, this movie follows a strung-out Matthew Broderick dealing with an overbearing, overachieving student played by Reese Witherspoon. You'll never look at student body elections the same way again. CRACKED.COM

Buffy The Vampire Slayer / "Welcome to the Hellmouth"

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1997 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Welcome to the Hellmouth The pilot episode of the cult favorite show features Buffy Summers starting over in a new town and in a new school, but still doing her old thing: killing vampires. A great series premiere. CRACKED.COM

Fresh Off the Boat / "First Day"

Back to School Movies and Episodes 17 Off the Boat First Day 22 It's Eddie's first day at high school, and he decides to join the football team against his mother's wishes. A good episode of a good show about Taiwanese-American family in 1990s Florida. CRACKED.COM

The Breakfast Club

Back to School Movies and Episodes 1985 CHAMPIONS U The Breakfast Club The blueprint for the teen movie and an iconic film of the '80s, it follows all of the school archetypes of the time as they serve detention. Admit it, you have Don't You (Forget About Me) running through your head now. CRACKED.COM
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