School's Out!

I'm not a big Degrassi fan, so maybe that's why I found this to be such an interesting movie.

I watched Degrassi when I was in my early teens, my Father thought it was a good way to teach me some things about life. I thought the show was good, but I was never a big fan. I got to know the characters over the years, I saw them grow, but I didn't really feel for them very much.

The other week I got to see the movie. I wont talk about anything other then the story line, because that's really all I noticed.

It really wasn't anything like the show, but what the show had done for me is build up the characters, give them a lot of depth. In other movies you get to know the characters for a very short time. I knew these characters for all their teenaged years.

The movie totally ruins nearly all their lives. This gave me a very weird, interesting feeling. I never really cared for the characters, so I didn't feel sad. But I didn't expect all this to happen, I really enjoyed it.

Or maybe my mind is just twisted.

Degrassi School's Out is the wonderful climactic end to the Degrassi series, which was centered around a bunch of regular teenagers going to Degrassi

High School. School's Out is chock-full of drama and heartache, not to mention sex and alcohol. It's actually a really realistic representation of most teens' summers right after graduating from high school. It's also refreshingly natural, everyone looks the age they are supposed to be, and every female isn't some

beauty queen poster girl for breast implants. It's actually altogether quite a poignant film, particularly if you've seen the show that preceded it. It makes you really want to know what happens after it ends. Great movie.

When the original Degrassi series were airing they were known to tackle teen issues that no one else dared. They didn't just talk about drug abuse they had people suffer the consequences. In "School's Out" the gang from Degrassi once again go through some tough times.

Representing the end of the Degrassi shows, this one does clue up on a nice note (someone gets married), however, everything isn't "fairy tale-like" for everyone. If you want realism, you'll love this movie. If you want something that's feel good don't bother.

I watched this for the first time since it was originally aired at the time it was done. Since that time, I have watched all of the Degrassi shows to the present. Wisely, the writer chose not to include every student but focus on core characters. This made the film sharper, with a lot more cohesion to the plot. The characters in Degrassi always seemed real and this film highlights that. The acting is very good, the actors at times are seemingly ad-libbing their lines. It was a groundbreaking film also, apparently the first time an expletive was used on Canadian television. Think about it: What was the U.S. version of Degrassi? Saved By The Bell! In Degrassi, the characters made mistakes and lived with them. This film highlights the time after high school. It does it admirably. I have nothing but praise for this production. They could have made it a fairytale film, marrying a few couples off and watching as everyone else prospers. They chose to depict real life. They did a great job.

I picked this video up at the Library because I have heard of it through the Kevin Smith movies (he always refers to the show in his movies). Though I never have seen any of the show, I figured, what the hell. I have to say, this is a good video. I am very interested in seeing more of the show.

The plot is this: All the kids graduate and go through one crazy last summer. Pregnancy, drunk driving, infidelity, and teenage marriage are all in the mix, along with some awful 90's music. All and all, a very neat way to show what happens when you grow up.