This is the season of all the kids going back to school including all the ruffians going to college or university. I was never a ruffian.....and I have some swamp land to sell you:) I loved my university years even though I never want to relive them since my liver couldn't handle it. I almost went with Animal House which is iconic. I have yet to see Dead Poet's society..I know, me bad girl and I almost went with Good Will Hunting but, I didn't. So these are my 3 that I picked for this week that I think you may enjoy. Head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves to see what the others have chosen.
1. GIRL CRAZY-1943
Don't we all decide to sing and dance in the halls of our college with a huge famous band to raise money for the college they love. This is essentially the plot but the plot is not the point when you have the great Judy Garland, the ADD Mickey Rooney and the Tommy Dorsey orchestra with Busby Berkley directing the finale (Garland hated Berkley so he was replaced). The singing is great and the dance sequences are precise and very Busby since he made the overhead shots famous and still used today in homage to his musicals. He was in the military so he used his expertise to choreograph a large amount of dancers into precise dance movements which are mesmerizing.
2. WHERE THE BOYS ARE-1960
What is college without spring break? 3 gals, one serious and sweet, the other sweet but weird and the third blonde and slutty, venture off to Florida for spring break where their main goal is to meet the man of their dreams. Believe it or not one of the men is permanently tanned George Hamilton where future nun, Dolores Hart becomes involved with. The fun and frolic actually takes a serious turn when slutty gal is beaten up by a jerk and then gets hit by a car. The gals come to her aid and one finds out what love truly means. I believe this film, where the movie, and the song (sung by Connie Francis who also co-starred) became a hit, started the college crowd to venture to Florida every spring break.
3. A BEAUTIFUL MIND-2001
This movie may also be a popular choice this week but I had to pick it because I love Russell Crowe who brilliantly acted the part of the off the wall real life professor...John Nash. You see the young, brilliant man enter Princeton with his friend, played by Paul Bettany( actually Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly met and fell in love on set and have been married several years now) and struggle with his fellow classmates, teachers and his own peculiarity. You see him fall in love and marry and finally end up teaching at the college. It's a shame that the real Nash's died in a car accident a couple of years ago. Jennifer Connelly won an Oscar for her role (not sure if she should have but that's another story). If you have not seen it, I don't want to say anything more but it does have its surprises. Also note that this is a Hollywood biography so they left out some major facts (adultery, divorce) but just enjoy the film for its telling of a man with some serious issues.
What films can you think of?
OK I do love Animal House...
Have you ever been in a food fight?
Wow. I've seen all three. And two of the ones you didn't pick. Never saw Animal House.
ReplyDeleteGreat that you saw all three
DeleteHi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI have seen the last three of these college movies but, as you might expect, avoided the Judy Garland musical loaded with pop/big band standards, although I have been many other Mickey Rooney movies including his entire Andy Hardy series.
Every Time I watch the trailer for Where The Boys Are (1960) I am reminded of Spring Breakers (2013) starring James Franco and Selena Gomez and how the two are light years apart in their depiction of good girls, bad girls and spring break fun. Even Animal House seems tame compared to the orgies we witness in Spring Breakers.
I love Jennifer Connelly but I tend to agree with you that there was nothing particularly Oscar worthy about her performance in A Beautiful Mind. I forget who else was nominated that year and might have been more deserving of the award. Do you remember?
Animal House is one of my favorite movies of all time, but only the first hour or so. By the final reel I was scratching my head and wondering if they had replaced the writers and director because the brilliant comedy I had been watching up to that point completely fell apart. I was involved in a couple of Animal House style food fights at Penn State. (I'm lucky I didn't wind up in the State Pen. :)
Thank you, dear friend BB!
I knew the musical was not your bag. I think Connie Fancis was quite good in the film and she can belt a song
DeleteI knew Animal House would sneak in there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite would be Real Genius. If it's on, I'll find myself sucked into it every time. Funny movie.
I have never seen that movie and will look it up
DeleteI love that you went with A Beautiful Mind, I wouldn't have thought of that. I haven't seen the other two.
ReplyDeleteglas you liked my pick
DeleteInteresting selections. I saw two of them and they were A+!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Glad you liked them and saw 2 of them
DeleteAn interesting mix of titles. I like Girl Crazy, love Judy in it, but can only handle Mickey for so long. Gifted genius though he may have been Berkeley was often a cruel relentless taskmaster and Judy wasn't the only star who had issues with him. The film has some terrific songs.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Where the Boys Are, both movie and song. I don't know that I'd say Yvette Mimieux's character was a slut just a bit on the randy side. The pairing of Paula Prentiss and Jim Hutton is so perfect, they had a great yin and yang. Great fun until that dark turn but it's well directed enough that it doesn't ruin the picture.
I like A Beautiful Mind but can't say I love it. Excellent performance by Crowe. Jennifer Connelly fills the requirements of her role well but it's a standard supportive wife part certainly not worthy of an Oscar win over the Gosford Park women or Marisa Tomei in In the Bedroom.
Animal House of course is a perfect storm of idiocy that shouldn't work but does. I remember seeing it in the theatre when it was out, packed house and they were practically rolling in the aisles.
My first this week is a movie I can't pass on TV without stopping to watch, it's such infectious fun. The others are more somber.
Back to School (1986)-When business tycoon Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) discovers his second wife is cheating on him he gives her the boot and decides to visit his son Jason (Keith Gordon) at college. Discovering that the stories Jason has been feeding him about his success both in school and on the swim team aren’t true and he’s considering dropping out Thornton decides to enroll and offer support. Problem is Jason is a misfit with one oddball friend Derek (a purple haired Robert Downey Jr.) and Thornton the gregarious, party hardy type who sees studying as an inconvenience which he foists off on his employees until one of his professors catches on and threatens him with expulsion. Thornton’s under the gun but everyone including the sultry classics professor he’s fallen for (Sally Kellerman) pitch in to help. What distinguishes this from other college comedies is that Dangerfield’s character is so darn likable.
The Paper Chase (1973)-James Hart (Timothy Bottoms), first-year law student at Harvard Law School feels the pressure of keeping up with all of his studies, especially when he engenders the enmity of contracts professor Kingsfield, the toughest teacher in the school (an Oscar winning John Houseman). Things don’t get any easier when he starts dating Kingsfield’s daughter (Lindsay Wagner).
The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)-On a bus heading to their different but nearby colleges uptight Jerry meets the free spirited but insecure Pookie Adams (Liza Minnelli) and they become friends. When Pookie shows up on Jerry’s campus they become more intimately involved but her increasingly neurotic behavior puts a strain on their relationship. Billed as a comedy but really a mediation of loneliness and the struggles to mature. Liza is compelling, sad and raw.
Groovylicious Time Warp-The Strawberry Statement (1970)-At a San Francisco college in the 60’s during the time of campus unrest and the counterculture, student Simon (Bruce Davison) is content to view all the upheaval from the sidelines until he meets the committed Linda. Becoming aware of the things they are protesting he becomes a leader and foments violent action during a sit-in leading to a confrontation with the police. Very much a document of its time with dialogue to match this tied for the Jury Prize at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival.
I am so late in responding....I think Mickey Rooney was a poster child for ADD/ADHD. I'm joking about the slut thing..poor Yvette Mimieux. I have not seen your last 2 picks but they sound quite good. I enjoyed Back To School since Rodney Dangerfield makes this movie. I own The Paper Chase and almost went with that.
DeleteSeen all but the first this time. Animal House has to be snuck in haha A Beautiful Mind is a really good one too. Van Wilder would get on my list.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen Van Wilder but glad you saw most of my films
DeleteA Beautiful Mind is an excellent choice. Of course, nothing beats Animal House. Haven't seen the others.
ReplyDeleteAnimal house is classic
DeleteA Beautiful Mind is an excellent choice. Of course, nothing beats Animal House. Haven't seen the others.
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
ReplyDeleteTechnically, 'DEAD POETS SOCIETY' is not a college movie. It's a prep school -- so, really, like a private high school for boys going off to college in the next year or two. It still goes on my list though because... I only follow the rules I agree with, and it's one of my Top Ten favorite movies ever.
Joel's 'THE PAPER CHASE' is a good choice. I didn't really care for 'A BEAUTIFUL MIND' (something about Russell Crowe rubs me the wrong way) and I actually lived a better version of 'ANIMAL HOUSE', so that doesn't make my list. (Everyone's always shocked when they discover I'm no fan of 'Animal House'.)
I'm really surprised Judy Garland had the power to get Busby Berkley replaced. If anything, I'd have thought the power structure went the opposite way.
Hmmm... I haven't seen it in awhile but how about 'BREAKING AWAY'? Yeah, it's more about bicycle racing than university life, but I think it still qualifies. I freakin' love, Love, LOVE that movie!!
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I still have to see Dead Poet's Society and I love the bending of rules or sometimes breaking so yippee! I love Russell Crowe but he has rubbed more than one person the wrong way. I think it's great that you had your own and more improved Animal House. By the time Berkley was on this film, he was a mess....an alcoholic and had a hit and run that the studio covered up. He rubbed many the wrong way and so he was on his way down by the time this film was being made. Breaking Away is another film I still have to see.
DeleteI have been in food fights--in elementary school. I loved A Beautiful Mind--what a great movie.
ReplyDeleteDead Poet's Society is great. So is Legally Blonde, but in a completely different way. I remember liking School Ties, but does it hold up over time? Not sure.
Hope you're feeling better!
I am feeling better...thank you. I have not seen Dead Poet's Society and Legally Blonde is one I will talk about. I have not seen School Ties and if it's on Tv I will one day
DeleteWow, for once I've seen all of these. And enjoyed all of them. A Beautiful Mind definitely had some great twists in it that I didn't see coming. And I'm glad you gave Animal House a mention. I still have a huge blue sweater that says COLLEGE on it, and the older I get, the less people understand it... but I don't care.
ReplyDeleteGlad you saw all these films and keep wearing that sweater!
DeleteI really, REALLY dislike A Beautiful Mind. Crowe is very good in it, but other than that I was not a fan.
ReplyDeleteI like Girl Crazy, though. The Mickey/Judy movies are sort of hit-and-miss, but this one hits more than it misses.
Oh...what don't you like about A Beautiful Mind?? I like all the Rooney/Garland movies even though no high school or college would ever be that way
DeleteStephen already pointed out Dead Poets Society is not college, so I won't go there.
ReplyDeleteI have only seen A Beautiful Mind. Didn't they do a remake of Where the Boys Are? (I believe it was appended with '84.) I haven't seen that one either.
This topic immediately brought to mind Back to School (which joel65913 already mentioned) and Apartment for Peggy. I love AfP for the post-WWII vibe of the world which I don't really see much anywhere.
I have not seen Apartment for Peggy and will place that on my list. Yes they did remake Where The Boys Are and it was horrible.
DeleteI totally drew a blank when I read your subject line and couldn't think of a single college movie. I can't believe I couldn't even come up with Animal House! This is a good example of why I could never manage being in this hop LOL.
ReplyDeleteHahahaaa some themes are difficult for sure.
DeleteI've seen all these, especially Animal House which I've seen a dozen times.
ReplyDeleteYeah!!
DeleteNo, no food fights for me, but I love Animal House. Saw it in the theatre when it first came out.
ReplyDeleteJust watched it again less than a week ago.
DeleteI haven't seen it in years but plan to soon
DeleteAnimal House!!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see that, but your other choices are great.
Yeah! Glad you saw the other too.
DeleteWhere the Boys are looks quite fun but my gad 'a walking talking baby factory' such ambition! AAnd I still haven't seen A Beautiful Mind but unfortunately I've seen bits so I know who Paul Bettany is in the film.
ReplyDeleteYes, the film is all about girls wanting to meet boys to marry so they can become little housewives. Ok so you know how the movie works but when I first saw it, I had no idea so it was a surprise to me.
DeleteHigher Learning
ReplyDeleteI will look this up
DeleteThe one I think of is "Good News" with June Allyson and Peter Lawford.
ReplyDeleteClassic which I still have to see
DeleteI HAVE seen Dead Poets' Society - whoop, whoop! I've seen a film that Birgit hasn't!
ReplyDeleteHahahaaaa you are so eight
DeleteI meant right....:)
DeleteI liked A Beautiful Mind, didn't see the other ones. For the life of me, I can't think of any movies based in college. The only school movie that comes to me is "To Sir with Love" that I saw years ago, but I know that was based in high school.
ReplyDeletebetty
It's hard to think up films but I bet you have seen others. To Sir with Love is a really good film...except when I saw Sydney Poitier dance
DeleteI almost picked A Beautiful Mind myself. I really liked it. Haven't seen the others but they sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteThey are good...hope you see them one day
DeleteI love Animal House too. I saw A Beautiful Mind and thought it was a good movie. Very powerful!
ReplyDelete~Jess
I think a Beautiful Mind is excellent
DeleteYou threw me for a loop with The Beautiful Mind, Birgit, after reading about the joyful, giggly movies. I liked The Beautiful Mind. It's one of those stories that has me awe of gifted people.
ReplyDeleteYes...I went mainly with frolic except for that film. I am in awe of his wife
DeleteA Beautiful Mind is an inspired pick here. Love that one.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, DH went to school at Bluefield State in WV, John Nash's birth city. I'm thinking, although I don't know for sure, that he even taught at Bluefield State. I think that's where he went to school. They named a highway after him. We never saw the movie, A Beautiful Mind, but I'd like to some time. My parents live just outside of Bluefield in small community across the Virginia state line. We recently watched Animal House for the first time. John Belushi was so wild in this movie. It's a shame he had a drug problem that cost him his life. So sad! Great movie reviews!
ReplyDeleteI saw a Beautiful Mind when I was very young and I was just soo bored.
ReplyDelete