Tonight I went with my family to Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". My family and I have long awaited the release of this movie, with much bated breath.
It was enjoyable in certain aspects (for example, I much enjoyed the 80s music and the performances by Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller were marvelous), but the story is outrageously overdone. I felt like I was watching "It's Kind of a Funny Story" and "Garden State" all over again. Frankly, with many movies coming out lately, I feel like it's all the same thing playing over and over again.
Saying this, although I should be getting tired of this same story ad nauseam, to some extent it still fascinates me. Movies that portray the high school experience the way this movie does show a culture that is lost to teenagers today. Admittedly, individual high school experience relies on many different factors, such as public or private school, social status, urban setting, wealth of area, etc. But (from talking with my parents extensively about their high school experiences), it seems that the culture of high school has changed dramatically. Organized into three neat little bullet points, the main things that have changed it seems are:
1) Social life
2) Social status/hierarchy
3) Relationships
{Disclaimer of sorts: Everything I say here is my own opinion and how I view things, from talking with an older generation and my own experiences. I am aware that
LIFE is different for all of us. If you feel differently or have had a different experience, I would love to hear about it and discuss it with you.}
The last one, relationships, I believe is less about then and now, but more how it is portrayed in movies versus real life.
First of all, social life. I feel the main difference in social life between 25 years ago and now is a pressure for organized activity that had less of a presence then. Teenagers today are always busy. Personally, I know that my schedule is always crammed with a million different extra-curriculars and things to do. My to-do list is always overflowing and most of the time I don't feel like I have enough time to do it all. Juxtaposed with my dad's life at a private Catholic high school, where he ran track and nothing else. I've heard countless stories about all the cool record stores and great concert venues he frequented and explored with his friends and all the crazy, spontaneous adventures kids got up to back then. I hear these, I watch movies like Wallflower, and then I look at my life. I think, when do I get to be a kid? Why am I, and everyone I know, always running around in a flurry of to-dos, school, sports, responsibilities, and little-to-no social life? My parents, too are baffled at the changed values of teenagers.
Not to say that there isn't any irresponsibility. There's a scattering of drugs, sex, what not, like there always has been. But there's no in-between. That's what I find interesting. There's no plain, spontaneous fun. Teenagers today find fun in organized sports and activities. There's much less "real-world" in our lives, per se.
To some extent, I have to say that I covet the freedom of a teenage existence like that of my parents' generation. There's no way to say which is best, and perhaps I would hate having so much free time. Nevertheless, it's an interesting comparison and an evolution that I think is worth studying.
(UPDATE* My dad pointed out that perhaps so many movies depict high school like they do because it's his generation who experienced that way who are the ones making films right now. I like his point; that seems like a logical factor.)
Secondly (and this one may be only in movies), social hierarchy. This one, or at least the way it is portrayed in many coming-of-age movies, is much different. Today, there are no lunchroom fistfights. No "meet me outside at the bike racks, 3:15." No relentless hazing of freshmen. Perhaps it's a problem that has gradually petered out due to stricter rules, punishments, anti-bully propaganda; perhaps it is the stuff of fiction. But if that is really the way it was back then, kids are much more civil and accepting to each other now.
Scenes in Wallflower such as freshmen being forced to walk down the hallway crouched over, Logan Lerman's nasty name-calling classmate, and many other instances of peer abuse once again reminded me of how tolerant high school students are today. Instances like these in movies just seem so off-target to me that I have to believe that it is not a true example of high school in any generation. For the longest time, I thought that huge football-playing bullies who stuffed people in lockers were never really a wide-spread occurrence.
Then, only last week, I watched 21 Jump Street (the movie with Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, not the original show), and my stance was a bit wobbled. When Tatum's character, once a popular jock, gives Hill all sorts of tough-guy advice like, 'punch anyone who tries to fuck with you on the first day because you have to establish your coolness', he is surprised when the 'cool kids' are now tree-hugging, Honors-taking, peace-loving two-strappers. The social hierarchy and the importance of status that he grew up with have now all disolved.
By the end of the movie, I couldn't decide wether this reversal of roles was a punch at movie portrayal of high school or real history. I still haven't decided and can't pull from personal knowledge to determine it. So, what do you think? From your familiarity with movies and your own experience, is this a fact or merely a good story setting?
Finally, relationships. On this one, I would love to hear a lot of input. Because what do I have to go off of besides movies like this one and my own relationships? Do you think friendships were like this when you were in high school? Were yours like this? All I know is mine are not. I have a feeling friendships like this are very carefully crafted, catharsis-inducing plots made by screenwriters to make you feel for their characters. I know that personally, I cannot count the number of times I've watched a drama like this one and marveled at the deep level of understanding the two main characters have for each other and wondered how every conversation they have is so freaking meaningful. My friends and I are much more chill than that. Everything we do together does not need to be either a great, eye-opening adventure or a dramatic, emotional discussion resulting in a personal revelation. Maybe it's just me.
In short, the debate of wether movies about high school depict real life, that of earlier generations, or are just made up continues.
Sorry I didn't talk much about the movie, but honestly, there isn't much to talk about. I do recommend it, there are some wonderful performances in it and the dilemma between the main characters is gripping.
It is sad, funny, interesting, intriguing, exhilarating and fun. And it was just like every other movie. I think Patrick (Ezra Miller) said it best: "My life has officially become an after-school special."
