You’ve done it: You’ve made it through another academic year. You may have even made it through so many academic years that you’re graduating from school! In any of these cases, there’s a possibility you’re in your feels right now.
Whatever you’re feeling about the end of the school year, and especially about graduating, there’s probably a movie that you can watch to help with how you’re feeling (or bring you a tear or a laugh that might be just what you need).
So, we’ve gathered our top picks of graduation-related movies:
Troy, Gabriela, and the rest of the East High Wildcats are focused on graduation and senior year events. They create and perform a spring musical based on graduation. But the happiness the seniors want is thrown into wack when their futures get in the way.
The movie explores getting what you want, even if you end up changing directions and going against the norm. And beyond that, the movie has arguably the best soundtrack of all three High School Musical movies and will feed any nostalgia you might feel for the series. Spoiler alert: the movie ends on the school’s football field at their graduation!
- Legally Blonde (2001)
When Elle Woods’ longtime boyfriend breaks up with her instead of proposing, she’s devastated; turns out he wants to marry a more “serious” girl. So Elle follows him to Harvard Law School so she can be a more “serious” girl for him. Instead, she realizes career fulfillment in the practice of law.
While Elle’s graduation doesn’t happen until the last few minutes of the movie, it reminds you to go for what you want in life and allow yourself to be surprised. The movie also hits a certain level of nostalgia and has truly iconic and quotable lines (when asked if Elle got into Harvard Law, her response is, “What, like it’s hard?”).
- Lady Bird (2017)
Lady Bird follows Christine, who calls herself “Lady Bird,” as she applies to colleges away from home and inches toward the end of her senior year.
The movie explores the relationships between parents and children. It could be cathartic to watch the angst of that type of relationship while navigating your own tough and changing relationships and anxieties about the future.
- Booksmart (2019)
Molly and Amy were absolute overachievers in high school and have reached the end of four years feeling like they missed out on quintessential high school experiences. So they decide to smush it all into one crazy night, the night before graduation. It’s a classic buddy, coming-of-age comedy where the two best friends fight halfway through the movie while on a night of adventures including drug trips and parties, and make up at the end.
While watching this movie can be heartfelt at any time, this could be a good alternative to going out. The day, weekend, or week of graduation is going to be crazy, so you might just need some time to relax. Watch this movie and remember that it’s ok to stay in.
- Monsters University (2013)
Monsters University is the prequel to Monsters, Inc. (2001), and it explores when Mike Wazowski and Sully first became friends in college and how they took their jobs at the Scare Factory. This is a silly alternative to a “typical” college or university movie, with a fraternity called “Roar Omega Roar,” and majors like “Scaring.”
The movie explores using your own differences to your advantage. And it looks at still pushing for your dreams even if they don’t end up the way you want them to.
- St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)
St. Elmo’s Fire is a brat-pack movie, following a friend group recently graduated from Georgetown University and how they are adjusting to post-grad life and new responsibilities. The movie shows a different perspective of post-grad: when not everything is going well, and you still have to work to figure life out.
- Accepted (2006)
Accepted is a comedy that asks, “What happens if you don’t get into college?” Its answer? Create your own fake school, of course. The movie follows that thought process with hilarious antics.
Perhaps this high school turned college movie will help your own confidence in school.
Honorable Mentions
- Spider-Man (2002), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
These movies don’t focus solely on high school graduation and going into college, but each of these movies includes a plot line about that time in Spider-Man’s life. These are good options if you want to watch a graduation movie, but you need something with a little more action to it.
Was a Movie Filmed at Your School?
A theme with this list is a high ratio of high school graduation movies to college graduation movies. This may perhaps be because the transition from high school to college is way more exciting and fun than the transition from college to adulthood. Nevertheless, there’s more for you if you’re graduating from college: While it may not exist for your school, do a quick Google search of movies filmed at your school. You never know what might be out there, and it might give you the little kick of nostalgia you need. Here’s a non-exhaustive Wikipedia entry of movies filmed at various universities, you can take a look at.
Wherever you are in your educational journey, take some time to pat yourself on the back for making it here. And take a moment to sit back and enjoy the show.
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