Sit down and watch

Now I don't think I spend an absurd amount of time watching movies, but it is one of my favorite activities and I try to keep in touch with pop culture. I still find myself shocked when I hear a friend of mine say, "What's Sabrina? Like 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch'?" or "Umm, I only saw half of 'Casablanca,' when I was really little."

And the one that makes me want to put something sharp through my ears: "Oh, I've never seen 'Star Wars.' "

This is inexcusable, so I decided to make a list of movies about teenagers every person (boy or girl, good or bad) must see before graduating from high school.

1. Sixteen Candles (1984)

Director: John Hughes

Starring: Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, Haviland Morris, Anthony Michael Hall

I think girls like this movie because they see themselves as ordinary and want someone to think more of them. And boys like it because ... well, just watch the movie.

2. Mean Girls (2004)

Director: Mark Waters

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey

C'mon, who doesn't have a Regina George in their life? Everywhere I go there is someone like her. Thank you, Tina Fey, for being so honest about high school and life.

3. Pretty in Pink (1986)

Director: Howard Deutch

Starring: Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, James Spader

Again Hughes, and again Ringwald. Not my favorite movie, but Spader is hilarious. I wish the whole movie was about him.

4. The Breakfast Club (1985)

Director: John Hughes

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason

The plot is kind of ridiculous, yes, but I can't think of another high school movie where the stereotypes and cliques are perceived so accurately.

5. Rushmore (1998)

Director: Wes Anderson

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams

This is the most underrated movie about teenagers. If you only pick one movie on this list, pick "Rushmore." I don't even know how to promote it. It makes me speechless. Just watch it and you'll see.

6. The Graduate (1967)

Director: Mike Nichols

Starring: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross, William Daniels

This movie has been around for a while and it's a classic, so I'm just going to come out and say something that we've all been keeping in for a while. This movie is disgusting. He's supposed to go out with this girl but then sleeps with her mom and then later continues to go out with the girl. That's gross! But you should still see it; it's good.

7. Wayne's World (1992)

Director: Penelope Spheeris

Starring: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere

No, Wayne and Garth are not teenagers, but really at heart they are. It's still Myers' best film.

8. Back To The Future (1985)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson

This list needs at least one sci-fi film, and who doesn't love time travel? If you feel the urge to watch the sequels, go ahead, but I'm not promising anything.

9. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Director: John Hughes

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, Ben Stein

Seriously, some of you still haven't seen it? OK, I forgive you. There's still time. I'll tell you why we all have to watch this movie: Ferris is too big and too important for something like high school. Which does serve its purpose -- don't get me wrong. But there is more to life than school.

10. Election (1999)

Director: Alexander Payne

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell

How appropriate that it's right after "Ferris Bueller." Some people like to see "Election" as the "Ferris Bueller" sequel. Broderick returns to high school, but this time as a teacher. Maybe Ferris felt like he missed something in his youth.

11. West Side Story (1961)

Director: Jerome Robbins

Starring: Marni Nixon (singing voice of Maria), Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno

Even if you don't like musicals, it's just one of those you have to see. It's like "Gone With the Wind" -- bite the bullet and watch it.

12. Hairspray (1988)

Director: John Waters

Starring: Sonny Bono, Ruth Brown, Divine, Deborah Harry, Ricki Lake, Jerry Stiller

To fully appreciate the musical you have to see the original. Just be prepared.

13. Footloose (1984)

Director: Herbert Ross

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Sarah Jessica Parker

He just wants to dance.

14. Dirty Dancing (1987)

Director: Emile Ardolino

Starring: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach

They just want to dance.

15. Clueless (1995)

Director: Any Heckerling

Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd

A satire about Valley Girls that popularized "I'm outtie." If you think Rudd looks familiar, he's in "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

16. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Director: Gil Junger

Starring: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Larry Miller, Allison Janney

Wanna see a magic trick? ... Oh, that's sad. One of Ledger's finest and funniest films. And you can get to know a Shakespeare play without ever reading it!

17. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Director: Stephen Herek

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin

It's so excellent my mom loves it.

18. Meatballs (1979)

Director: Ivan Reitman

Starring: Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch

I don't think anyone should go a summer without watching Murray in "Meatballs." Whenever you feel down on yourself, just know, "It just doesn't matter." At least YouTube has the "It just doesn't matter" speech -- it's hilarious.

19. Dead Poets Society (1989)

Director: Peter Weir

Starring: Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles

Probably the saddest movie on this list. Williams is great as usual, but the person to watch in this film is a young Charles, who went on to do Aaron Sorkin's "Sports Night." A very underrated actor and a very underrated TV series.

20. The Spider-Man Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)

Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco

A lot of people diss "Spider-Man 3," and this is wrong. Watch it again, this time as a comedy. You'll see.

21. Juno (2007)

Director: Jason Reitman

Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman

Provides every girl with two important life lessons: 1) Don't get pregnant, and 2) don't let Bateman hit on you.

22. Old School (2003)

Director: Todd Phillips

Starring: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn

Yes, this movie is about a college fraternity and not about high school kids. I included it because Ferrell and his "frat pack" teach us an important lesson: You're never too old to be young.

So, whenever you're in the mood for a movie and you don't know what to watch, just check this list. You may not like them all, but they're movies about us -- they're situations and characters we can relate to. Maybe taking a break and watching other teenagers go through high school will help you make it through the year. And one last word of advice: please watch Star Wars. I don't even think I have to put it on the list.

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Madeleine Bundy is a senior at West High.