World School - Food in Movies - 9 1/2 weeks 1986

The world of school food in movies is one that is both strange and familiar. On one hand, there are the iconic scenes of kids trading lunchables in the cafeteria or eating their weight in pizza during a study hall. On the other hand, there are the more realistic portrayals of kids eating whatever they can find in the vending machine or skipping lunch altogether.

Regardless of which side of the spectrum you fall on, there is no denying that food plays a significant role in the world of school movies. From the classic teen comedies of the 80s and 90s to the more recent coming-of-age dramas, food is often used as a tool to help tell the story.

In the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, food is used to show the contrast between Ferris’ life and that of his classmates. While Ferris is living it up in Chicago, his classmates are stuck in school eating a boring lunch of Salisbury steak. The scene not only drives home the point that Ferris is living a much more exciting life than his peers, but it also provides some comic relief.

The Breakfast Club is another classic 80s film that uses food to help tell the story. In one scene, the five main characters are sitting in detention and decide to share their lunch with each other. As they do, they begin to open up and share their stories. The scene is significant because it shows how food can be used as a way to connect with others.

More recent films such as The Fault in Our Stars and Lady Bird also use food to help tell the story. In The Fault in Our Stars, Augustus and Hazel share a plate of french fries at a restaurant and the moment is significant because it’s one of the few times that Hazel eats something other than hospital food. In Lady Bird, food is used to show the contrast between Lady Bird’s life at home and her life at school. At home, she eats simple meals like grilled cheese sandwiches, but at school she has to eat the more sophisticated food that her classmates are eating.

So, what does all this mean? It means that food is an important part of the world of school movies. It can be used to show the contrast between different lifestyles, to provide comic relief, or to simply help tell the story. No matter how it’s used, food plays a significant role in the world of school films.