| There are several formulaic characteristics of
every teen movie. All of these films involve two teenagers of the opposite sex
who “fall in love” with each other and describe their constant struggles in high
school. Usually, the two lovers are extremely different from each other. Many
times, one is popular and the other is a pariah or there are racial differences.
The dating between these two individuals usually begins when one of their
friends makes a malicious bet (in order to mock the unpopular teenager). The
relationship is considered a joke until the two teenagers actually “fall in
love.” The movie climaxes when the unpopular youth realizes that a bet has been
placed and feels betrayed. But do not fear! These movies ALWAYS end happily with
the couple together. A perfect example of this is in She’s All That where the
most popular student in the school, Zack, makes a bet with his friends that he
can transform any girl in the school and into a prom queen. His classmates pick
the “nerdiest” girl, in the school, Laney, for Zack’s experiment. Predictably,
he eventually falls in love with the girl. However, one of his friends tells
Laney that a bet was involved, and she attempts to disown Zack. Again, all ends
well as they forgive one another and magically fall in love once more.
|