Movies I Watched in School

I didn't see this for the first time in school (I saw it for the first of many, MANY times at home) but I do recall watching it in 1st or 2nd grade. My childhood self thought that I looked like Jane Banks (?); I secretly wanted my classmates to comment on the "resemblance", and I remember feeling slightly disappointed that nobody did (?!).

I barely remember this movie; the only time(s?) that I saw it, I was in elementary school. (I believe it was put in to entertain kids at recess time on some rainy day.) One of the few things that I DO remember is that my childhood self (sort of) enjoyed the first part of the movie, but found most of the rest of it rather boring. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it as an adult.

For some reason, we watched this in my 6th grade "gifted" class. At the time, I LOVED it and considered it my "favorite movie", along with... 'Rocky 5.' (My 11-year-old self thought that Tommy Gunn was really hot.) What an odd pair of movies to consider one's favorites...

We also watched this one in my 6th grade "gifted" class. I barely remember it, but I remember thinking it was "okay." (I finally watched it a second time in 2015 and had more-or-less the same opinion, though I did genuinely enjoy the first movie -- which I saw for the first time in 2015.)

Apparently, this was my 6th great homeroom teacher's favorite movie; I remember him proudly sharing that with us before he showed it to us. At the time, my 6th great self thought it was VERY moving; however, I haven't seen it since, and today I barely remember it.

I was kicked out my freshman Honors English class for writing "joke" answers about 'The Princess Bride' on a test (to some questions that I didn't know the real answers to). That teacher was very sensitive.

I'd already seen the 1982 version of 'Annie' about 4949484 times before watching it for the 4949485th time (along with all of the other students) in my freshman English class. My classmates were VERY snarky, but (even though I genuinely enjoy this version of 'Annie') I thought their comments were hilarious. Watching movies in school could be fun from time to time...

I don't remember what grade I was in, or which school I went to, when I watched this, but I KNOW that I watched it at least one time in a classroom environment. I believe it might have been during my freshman English class (the regular one; not the "Honors" English class that I got kicked out of). I'm pretty sure my classmates didn't like it very much (poor 'Hans Christian Andersen').

I also watched it at least one time at home. The scene I remember most of 'Hans Christian Andersen' is the one where the students sang that "Two plus two is four, four plus four is eight, eight plus EIGHT is sixteen..." song (which I just learned now, upon googling the lyrics, is called -- of all things -- "Inchworm").

My freshman English class watched this one, too (I'm pretty sure that we also read the play). I think it was my one and only viewing of 'The Miracle Worker'. My classmates must have been all captivated because (unlike most movies I watched in high school) I don't really remember any snarky comments from them. I enjoyed watching it back then, too, and would probably watch it again someday if I had the opportunity.

I'm about 85% sure that we watched 'Much Ado About Nothing' in my (regular) freshman English class (I also watched it at home) but, memory-wise, nothing really stands out about my classroom viewing experience. (Good movie, though!)

Yet another movie that my freshman English teacher had us watch (we also read the play, of course; thankfully, we did NOT put on a production of it).

I was stuck watching this one in my sophomore English class (later, I found out that we were supposed to get *permission slips* signed to watch it; I missed the day they were handed out, so I never got a permission slip, but I wasn't sent to the library or anything, so apparently my teacher paid oh-so-much attention to who did or didn't turn in slips. I don't think my parents would have refused to sign a permission slip; however, had I known what was in store, I might have *pretended* that they refused!) Anyhow, that was 20 years ago, but I still remember a lot of VERY dreary scenes -- and I vividly remember Macbeth's chopped-off head being bounced on a stick (*shudder*) and the creepy shot of "blurred vision" that came afterward. Ugh!

I haven't seen the movie since... which is MORE than fine with me!

I also watched 'Swing Kids' in my sophomore English class (it definitely wasn't the only time I watched it, but I can't remember if that's where I first saw it or not). It's another movie that I genuinely enjoyed; but I was also very amused by my classmates' (mostly snarky) observations (of course, almost all of them roared with laughter at the final scene; even back then, I felt a little embarrassed for poor "Willi" while watching that scene, so I can't say that I blamed them).

Unlike many of the movies that I saw in school, I actually watched this one again as an adult. And while my older self can see why it wasn't the most critically-acclaimed film ever made, I still thought that it held up pretty well... cheesy last scene and all. ;-)

As for this TV movie (starring Richard "John Boy Walton" Thomas), I watched it in my sophomore social studies (or "World History" or whatever it was called) class. Nothing stands out as particularly awful about the movie, but I remember finding it very, very... uninteresting.

A TV movie starring Nancy McKeon about a girl with schizophrenia. We watched it in my sophomore health class (along with several other Lifetime channel-esque movies and specials; sadly, this is the only one that I specifically remember). Of course, my classmates were very "kind" (and not at all snarky) about it. Which made it pretty fun to watch in their presence. ;-)

This is one of the MANY movies that my high school choir teacher played one time (back in my sophomore or junior year -- possibly my freshman year, but I think most of the videos came later) when she didn't feel like teaching (or whatever reason that she had for playing a video seemingly every other day). I secretly sort of liked it at the time, but I remember feeling slightly ashamed about liking it even back then. I'm pretty sure that my adult self wouldn't enjoy the movie as much; but I haven't seen it since that time in high school, so who knows...

I don't remember which year, but I KNOW we watched this in one of my high school choir classes (not to sound like a broken record, but I remember my classmates both enjoying it and making some slightly amusing observations). I think I watched it in at least one other class in high school, too, but I don't recall for sure.

I saw this for the first time in the theater; later, it was yet another of the MANY videos that my high school choir teacher played when she didn't feel like teaching. Even though I loved the film, I also remember (as with most movies we watched) appreciating my classmates' many "witty" observations about it...

Yet another movie that my choir teacher played during class instead of teaching (at least she tried to keep the movies "music" related?). I think we actually watched both 'Sister Act' movies in choir class -- but I have a slightly stronger recollection of watching this one (and my classmates being pretty into it, although I don't recall a lot of the snark that often came with watching movies in school).

I originally watched both 'Sister Act' movies at home, though.

I know that one of my teachers played this in some math class during my sophomore or junior year. I *loathed* almost all of my math classes and have blocked most of them out (though, in this case, I have faint memories of my classmates blabbing amongst themselves and not paying attention to poor Donald; at least I'm pretty sure they didn't mock him, which would have been just wrong). So, sadly, I remember almost nothing about 'Donald in Mathmagic Land'; however, anything that stars Donald Duck is automatically awesome, so I definitely wouldn't mind seeing it again someday!

I watched both this movie and its sequel in my junior (sophomore?) year French class and don't remember very much about either of them, but I do know that I slightly preferred the sequel. I also remember my teacher (who was young and tried to be "cool") childishly making fun of the Ugolin character's name and calling him "ugly."

See "Jean de Florette."

Blech. I watched this one for the first time during my junior year of high school (during some combined English/social studies class) and don't remember much about it other than that I found it VERY boring! The presence of Tom Cruise didn't exactly help; even back then, he was one of my least favorite actors (and I like him that much less now; as for Jack Nicholson, I have a somewhat more favorable opinion of him than I do of Cruise, but I also thought even back then that his performance -- and "big scene" -- in this movie were over-rated. Then there's Demi Moore, who's never been anywhere remotely close to my favorite actress herself...)

I was stuck watching the movie a second time at home shortly after I saw it in school. I enjoyed it *slightly* more the second time, but only because I was on a huge Kevin Bacon kick at the time (for the record, I still enjoy Bacon as an actor). I don't recall who he played in this movie (probably some thankless character) but I'm pretty sure he had at least one scene that I thought was just as good as Jack Nicholson's "big scene" (which made me especially annoyed that Nicholson got all the acclaim).

Anyway, now that I think about it, the home viewing might have come first and the school one second. Either way, I haven't seen the movie since high school... and I don't plan on seeking it out any time soon.

We watched this documentary in that same combined English/social studies class (that is, if I recall correctly; I know I saw it in *some* class, and I'm pretty sure it was that one). I didn't mind watching it -- and I remember finding some parts of it interesting -- however, I also remember that I didn't pay the most attention (and thus, I can barely recall anything about it now, 20 years later).

Another movie that I watched in that (junior year) combined English/social studies class. I *might* have *also* watched it earlier, during my 8th-grade social studies class (but it's possible that I'm confusing it with 'Gettysburg'. All I know for sure that I watched BOTH movies in school at some point ... and that I barely paid attention to either of them.)

I didn't truly appreciate 'Glory' until college, while I was in the middle of a Cary Elwes "actor kick" (i.e. watching every movie of his that I could find, something I tend to do with certain actors from time to time). Elwes was the reason I actually chose to watch the movie again (this time, outside of a classroom setting) and though he doesn't have a large role, I didn't mind too much, since I actually paid attention to the movie the second time around -- and was able to appreciate all of the performances and everything else about this very well-made film.

See my comment on 'Glory'. I paid so little attention while this played during one of my high school (middle school? both?) classes that I can't even fairly give it a star rating (unlike 'Glory', I never watched it again later), yet it technically counts as a movie that I "watched" in school (or, at least, a movie that played in the background as I secretly wrote one of my stories, or whatever I was really doing at the time).

A TV movie based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I don't remember which class I watched it in, but I think it was also that combined English/social studies class (or at least that would be my guess, since that was definitely the class where we read/studied 'The Great Gatsby'). As for 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair', I remember very little about the movie, other than that I found it odd (but liked it well enough).

My high school radio teacher showed this one sometime in either my sophomore or junior year. My classmates enjoyed it. I did not (disclaimer: I was about 16, so even though I've never had any interest in watching it again, if I ever do, for all I know, my adult self will love it).

This was another movie that, for whatever reason, we watched in my high school radio class. I remember thinking that it was both boring and grating (and though I haven't seen the movie a second time, I'm not exactly in a hurry to seek it out; I'm usually willing to give movies that I thought were "boring" a second chance if the opportunity presents itself, but I've never had much of a tolerance for "grating". Plus, westerns just generally aren't my thing.)

My junior year of high school was just filled with movies; I even took a "film" class! (Or "Hollywood Studies", or whatever it was called.) I enjoyed some of the movies that we watched in film class; this was NOT one of them. I don't remember much about it now -- except for that Moe Greene (?) character getting shot in the eye, and Talia Shire's VERY.GRATING. screaming.

I'm sure 'The Godfather' is well-made for what it is and all; but more often than not, I'm just not very fond of movies/stories about the mob. There are a few (sort-of) exceptions (I liked 'Goodfellas' better than I thought I would, for example; and some episodes of "The Sopranos"... passed the time). Still, even though 20 years have passed since I watched it (and there's always the possibility that I'd feel differently about it now) 'The Godfather' is another movie that I really don't have ANY desire to watch a second time.

This was another one of the movies that my teacher (or whoever selected the films for her) chose to show during my junior-year film class. I barely remember it (and, again, I'm not much of a "Western" fan in general) but I do recall thinking that this one was "alright." I know that some people found the music distracting, but in my case, I think it's actually one of the things that I liked *best* about the film...

Now this was a (short) film that we watched in my junior-year "film" class that I liked very much! I think I watched it at least a couple of times after high school, too; however, it's been ages, and sadly I don't remember much about it, other than that it involved Laurel and Hardy trying to carry a piano up some stairs. I should definitely seek it out and watch it again; I can't say that my adult self would enjoy EVERY thing that I liked in my high school years (though, by junior year, my tastes had more or less evolved to my adult tastes) but I have a feeling that 'The Music Box' is one film that I'd find as charming now as I did back when I first saw it.

We watched this one in my junior-year film class, too; and I didn't just like 'Chaplin', I LOVED it. Robert Downey, Jr. became my new "favorite actor" at the time (at least I didn't decide that I was "so over" Kevin Bacon or anything fickle like that, since I was 16; I still enjoy both actors). Downey really is great in this; and I'm sure I'd still enjoy the movie (which I watched at least a couple of times after high school) today, though it's been quite awhile since my last viewing...

(*Edit: I finally watched 'Chaplin' again in 2015; and, yes, I did enjoy it!)

And here's another one that I watched in my junior-year film class. I enjoyed it at the time, but I haven't seen it since, and I remember VERY little about it now.

Yet another junior-year film class movie that I watched, and liked well enough, yet barely remember...

Ridiculously, this was yet another movie that we watched in my junior-year film class. At least my teacher didn't select this one (at some point during the course, my classmates and I had to get into groups; then each group chose a movie to show to the class and do a report on or something. This was one of the "group" choices.) My teacher *did*, however, make a ridiculous comment while we were watching, about how Pauly Shore was "the new Charlie Chaplin" or somesuch (I don't even think she was being sarcastic, but who knows).

"Ridiculous" is really the best word to describe a movie such as 'Son in Law'.

And this was the movie that "my" group chose to show during my junior-year film class. *I* didn't actually choose it; however, I was much too shy to protest (or suggest something else), so I just went along with everybody else in my group when we proposed it to the teacher.

Now, had I been a more outgoing 16-year-old, I might have said "No! NO Spike Lee movies!" (Let's just say, I've never been a Spike Lee fan.) Instead, I watched 'Malcolm X' with my classmates and... did not care for it (I don't remember any specific reason why, but I *do* know that boredom played a huge factor.) I suppose I preferred it to 'The Godfather' and 'Son in Law' (though the latter, which I didn't even like, might have been slightly more entertaining) and I certainly preferred it to 'Macbeth' -- but those are about the "nicest" things that I can say about 'Malcolm X'.

Seeing as how my feelings about Spike Lee haven't changed since my high school days, this is another movie that I haven't watched again -- and don't plan to seek out any time soon.

Another movie (chosen by one of the "groups") that I watched in my junior-year film class. Why? I'm not sure. I didn't LOVE it, but I liked it better than a lot of the other movies that we watched in that class. The strong cast undoubtedly had something to do with what made the movie enjoyable (I'm "meh" on Bridget Fonda, but I liked -- and still like -- the other three leads.)

That said, I tried watching this one a second time just a couple of years ago, and... well, the word "meh" once again comes to mind (only this time, that's how I felt about the movie in general, not just about Fonda). In fairness, I got called away after the first half hour or so; and I just never had a chance to return to my second viewing. So I suppose the movie might have picked up again had I kept watching (especially since it's "local" to me).

One of these days, I'll try yet again, and hopefully I'll finish my third viewing (or watch enough to decide that I ... don't want to finish, if that turns out to be the case.)

Not only did we watch 'Singles' in my junior-year film class -- we also watched 'Reality Bites'. Wasn't that COOL of my teacher? (Actually, this was another one of the movies that the groups chose, but she did give her approval...)

At the time, I sort of liked this one (albeit in a guilty pleasure-ish sort of way). However, I watched it again at some point as an adult, and it definitely DIDN'T hold up very well the second time around (or really, third, since I think I also watched it with my sister shortly after I saw it in school). Maybe it's the presence of Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo; the first time I watched 'Reality Bites', I barely knew who they were, but by the time I watched it as an adult, I'd seen both of them in other movies -- and had long since decided that I can't stand either of them. Steve Zahn (far from my favorite actor, but occasionally tolerable) is also very annoying here. As for Hawke and Ryder, I've liked them both in other movies, but here their characters really aren't much better than the others (though Hawke's is at least mildly more entertaining, especially his "I'm Nothin'" song -- which I don't think is very prominent in the movie, but I remember it very well from the soundtrack, which I for some reason checked out from the library a couple of times during the 90's).

The silly title doesn't help matters much. Overall, this isn't the *worst* movie I've ever seen, but it's also far from the best.

I first watched 'Some Like it Hot' in my junior-year film class, too (my teacher chose this one, not the groups) and found it very enjoyable. I've only seen bits and pieces since then, and I've forgotten a lot of the movie (it *was* 20 years ago that I last watched it in its entirety). The movie should be easy enough for me to watch again someday, though, considering that I own it on DVD!

Yet another movie that I watched in my junior-year film class. I'm pretty sure my teacher selected this one, too -- and that she intentionally showed it shortly after she showed 'Some Like it Hot', to spotlight Jack Lemmon (who was probably her favorite actor or something).

I didn't love 'Grumpy Old Men', but I found it moderately enjoyable; my classmates also seemed to like it well enough, although they were certainly snarky about it (on that note, while I generally enjoyed it when my classmates snarked on movies, I remember even back then thinking that such comments as "Is she supposed to be pretty?" re: Ann Margret were more annoying than entertaining. Silly shallow classmates.)

Anyway, I didn't see (parts of) 'Grumpy Old Men' again until almost 20 years later (this time around, not only did I get to hear the dialogue in German -- I watched the movie *in* Germany!).

This is one of the many movies that we saw in my high school (junior year) humanities class (where we watched almost as many movies as we did in film class). I remember that my classmates were at their snarky best while watching -- and that I found both their comments and the movie rather enjoyable. I think I watched it one other time shortly afterward with my sister, and I think we were amused by it that time, too.

Despite all this, I barely remember anything specific about the movie (other than that silly "T&A" song, and a lot of drama) but I definitely wouldn't mind watching it again someday, should the opportunity arise...

(*Edit: I finally streamed the movie on Amazon in 2015, and it still holds up pretty well... as a guilty pleasure, of course!)

I watched this film in my junior-year humanities class, too. I didn't hate it, but my 16-year-old self didn't really "get" it, either, and I can't say I remember much about it overall. I do think it's a movie I'd probably enjoy more as an adult -- so one of these days, perhaps I'll give it another try.

Another movie that I watched at some point during my junior-year humanities class. I remember that I enjoyed it, although I didn't think quite as highly of it as many of my classmates, who regarded it as an absolute masterpiece. I haven't seen it since, and I honestly barely remember any of it now. I wouldn't necessarily make a point to watch it again, but I wouldn't refuse to watch it, either.

This was yet another movie that I watched in my junior-year humanities class; I liked the lead actors, and found it somewhat intriguing, but I remember thinking back then that it was also very "weird" (a little too much so). However, if I ever come across the movie again, I'd actually make a point to watch it a second time -- especially since I know a little bit more now about Vincent Van Gogh's tragic life (and because there were definitely parts of the movie that I liked, even in my high school days).

Ugh, of all things to watch in school!

During my junior year, I was a teacher's assistant in a special-education class, where I accompanied one of the students to a (non-special education) art class a couple of times per week. That's where I first watched this VERY aptly-titled movie (for some strange reason, the teacher showed it; I think it was during a class party, or after a final or something).

Though I've NEVER liked Jim Carrey, I originally found this movie to be a *smidge* more tolerable than the 'Ace Ventura' movies (and some of the comments and observations from fellow students watching "helped" enhance my first viewing experience; of course, some of them genuinely seemed to think it was the most hilarious thing ever, but there were also a lot of snarky comments).

So my first viewing of this movie might have earned something like a 1.5 rating (not terribly impressive, but better than the simple .5 I'd grant the 'Ace Ventura' movies!).

However, not long ago, I watched the stupid thing again, for the first time as an adult -- and this time around, I don't think I even SMILED, much less laughed. (I might have groaned a few times.) Jim Carrey just ISN'T. FUNNY, and neither is this movie (actually, upon my second viewing, I think even the high school students that I first watched this with were too old for its brand of "humor").

It's still not as bad as the 'Ace Ventura' movies, but I refuse to give 'Dumb and Dumber' anything higher than a single star (and I'm even less interested in its pointless, 20-years-later sequel).

I'm pretty sure I watched this one in both middle school *and* high school (possibly even in one of my college classes, too!). My younger self found it somewhat boring (my classmates never seemed very interested, either) but there were parts that I enjoyed. I haven't seen the movie since my school days, and I'm not really sure how I'd feel about it now...

I'm also certain that I watched 'Last of the Mohicans' in at least one classroom setting (possibly even two), but I can't recall if it was in high school, college, or both. (I do know that I thought it was well-done, but my high-school and/or college self also found it a little bit... dull, and thus didn't pay very close attention.)

Here's one of the few movies that I remember watching in college (outside of the film class that I took there). I'm pretty sure that I watched it during a speech (debate?) class (WHY, I don't know) and, athough I don't recall specific scenes or characters very well, I do know that I enjoyed the film.

My comment about 'Lifeboat' more-or-less applies to this movie, as well (just add a great Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack to this one) -- down to the part about watching it during (of all things) speech class.