Hollywood has a long-standing tradition of showing us the best and worst aspects of the lives that we lead. Whether it is singing/showtime in High school or the office environments we all dread, Hollywood entices us with images of our world, improved. The college years are no exception. For years Hollywood has been showing us both the good and the ugly side of college, and most of us, expect to find college like the movies when we arrive. It doesn’t always work out that way, but it won’t stop us from wishing that college couldn’t be just a little more like a movie. Here we take a look at some great movies that we wish were true in college:
Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Geeks are becoming the new cool throughout the world, but it doesn’t stop us all from feeling like we are at the bottom of the social ladder more often than we’d like. Even if nerds, in general, are no longer at the bottom of the heap, on bad days it can feel like time for justice to be finally served against the universe.
Of course, in this instance, we can be glad that most universities no longer have a ruling class, but when you are in a foul mood it can be nice to imagine that there is one for you to take down.
Legally Blonde (2001)
This story almost borders on the feminist in its tale of a woman’s climb to self-actualization. While this movie does involve students sitting in a classroom and studying, it still falls a little shy of the real college experience.
First-year students in prestigious internships, the persuasive power of studying and looks, and the showdown of the show make college seem like a breeze. Unfortunately, although Elle does get by pretty well on looks and beauty tips, most of us are going to have to submit to a lot of hard work to get our degrees.
Rudy (1993)
Rudy is a classic story that warms the heart and can help us feel that our college campus is the home of people who are only a few steps from greatness.
Unfortunately, college is a lot more like a ruthless real world than we want it to be. Although we would rather see the triumph of poor Rudy, maybe even in our own lives, whenever we enter our campus or step onto our football field, we are more likely to see people underachieving and getting knocked down by life.
Animal House (1978)
This movie is an all-time classic college movie. Nothing has quite risen to National Lampoon’s glory in immortalizing everything that we secretly wish college would be. Unfortunately, it only wishes. The real facts of academic probation, expulsion, and police involvement, make lousy movies, even if they are inevitable in daily life.
If anything, the movie has helped universities to create better rules to control their fraternities, meaning that the happy antics of the Deltas will remain immortalized only on the silver screen.
