Movies about teenagers have been popular for quite some time. Showing teenagers dealing with problems that come from that period in someone’s life, the cinematic subgenre led to recurrent tropes present in these types of movies, such as the prom queen and king, cheerleader competitions, the unpopular kid falling for the most popular person in school, etc.
Netflix recently released a new ’teen movie’ with Rebel Wilson, Mary Holland, and Justin Hartley titled Senior Year. In the film a cheerleading incident puts Stephanie in a coma. After twenty years, she finally wakes up, and not only is her mentality of a teenager in the body of a grown woman, but she thinks she is still in 1999. The comedian plays Stephanie as she gets out of the coma, while Angourie Rice plays her as her teenage self. The movie was not exceptionally well received, with a lot of criticism over its humor (or lack thereof).
The central aspect that made the movie more enjoyable was its throwback references to the period in which the main character was a teenager. From the movie posters on the walls to the slang used, every small detail takes the audience back to 20 years ago. Senior Year is a funny story, one made even more so from these delightful moments which should appeal to anyone who experienced the ’90s and 2000s. Here are the best throwback scenes from the movie.
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8 Valedictorian Speech
Netflix
There are few elements more utilized in high school dramas than the valedictorian speech at the end of the movie. A great way to end a story, showing how much the protagonist has grown since the narrative started, Senior Year couldn’t have ended any differently. And, of course, there is dance choreography on stage afterward.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Cheerleading Movies
Sports movies depicting teenagers were a must in the early 2000s. From rom-coms, like She’s The Man, to even Bend it Like Beckham, there was no shortage of movies where teenagers were battling their inner demons in a sports film. There was even a movie franchise that quickly became popular showing teenagers competing in cheerleading competitions, Bring it On (which still produces films today, with a thriller version recently wrapping filming). Senior Year has a clear homage to those movies, having rivals competing against each other (even if they are on the same team). Intricate choreography, well-known songs, and drama are fundamental factors for these stories, and Senior Year has all of them.
6 Magazine Cutout Mood Board
Some throwback moments were a part of people’s daily life. Before the world knew what Pinterest was, mood boards were done with magazine cutouts. There is a very cute moment when Stephanie decides on all the changes she will have in her life by naming them and using cutouts as imagery of her desires. The character even does this once again after waking up from the coma.
5 Fashion Montage
The main character (as in most movies from that period) has a few makeovers throughout the story. At first, she is a teenager wanting to be popular, and then she is an adult who still wants to be popular in high school. Her looks involve low-rise jeans, colorful butterfly hairpins, pigtails, (a lot of) lip gloss, and platforms making her appear as if the fashion came straight from the ’90s.
4 Blockbuster
In the streaming era that allows people around the world to have recent releases and millions of options to watch daily, physically going to a store to rent a movie feels like ages ago. Nevertheless, the idea of renting movies for a slumber party or just a typical Friday night still gives people nostalgia. So, Stephanie’s dad appearing in a Blockbuster uniform felt on point for this feel-good movie. Blockbuster will probably be something generations correlate with the anticipation to watch a recent release and a reminiscence of times when there weren’t any streaming platforms available.
3 The Soundtrack of Senior Year
The soundtrack shows its origins in more than one scene of the film. Avril Lavigne, Mandy Moore, and Nelly are only a few popular singers from that period in the movie’s soundtrack. In every scene where music is talked about, or the soundtrack is playing, there is a reference to great hits from the late ’90s and early 2000s. Blasting Christina Aguilera was a must-do, and in the movie, it is no different. The soundtrack is an important part of not only contextualizing the narrative but also incorporating the feeling of living in that time.
2 Britney Spears’ Homage
At one point, Stephanie wants to help her fellow cheerleaders raise morale — and by that, she means to do more sexual dance moves to more explicit songs. So, the movie recreated pop singer Britney Spears’ “(You Drive Me) Crazy” video clip. The dances and facial expressions are on point, as well as the dance routines. The clothing is perfect and makes the whole homage complete, combined with the makeup and hairstyles that scream early Britney.
1 Clueless Cameo
A quick scene between the main character and the woman she idolized as a teenager has to be the best throwback to that time period of the movie. Deanna was a prom queen who married young and lived in the perfect house in town. Played by none other than Alicia Silverstone, known for her iconic role in the cult classic 90s movie Clueless, this cameo was not expected, but it definitely made viewers smile. There are few actresses as iconic for this period than Silverstone, and the movie did a great job revealing who she was and exploring this throwback.
