12 A+ back-to-school movies

It's back-to-school season, so whether you're a high school freshman or a college super-senior, help prepare yourself with our required-watching list:

12. "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999)

With an over-protective dad, an angsty older sister and a mysterious crush, this '90s film has all the necessary high school ingredients.

Classic high school moment: Heath Ledger singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" over the school loudspeakers? What girl could resist that?

11. "Napoleon Dynamite" (2004)

The year 2004 was distinct for two reasons: Nearly everyone was listening to Green Day's "American Idiot" and also suddenly quoting this bizarrely great movie called "Napoleon Dynamite."

Classic high school moment: Napoleon shows off his sick dance moves:

10. "Grease" (1978)

Grease, the original "High School Musical," still holds up after more than 30 years. Also, it's the show the senior class will be probably putting on this year because they did "Little Shop of Horrors" last year.

Classic high school moment: John Travolta tears it up at prom:

9. "Rushmore" (1998)

Wes Anderson's first, and in this writer's humble opinion, best film is about a super-precocious student named Max Fischer, played by Jason Schwartzman, who faces a challenge he can't charm his way through when he falls for a teacher. Bill Murray co-stars.

Classic high school moment: Matt's list of extracurricular activities. Talk about an overachiever:

8. "Brick" (2005)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as an outcast searching for his missing ex-girlfriend in the terrific lesser-known film noir where high school can literally kill you. Director Rian Johnson went on to direct "Looper" and is also slated for two of the next three "Star Wars" movies.

Classic high school moment: This exhilarating chase sequence will give you an idea of what you're in for:

7. "Easy A" (2010)

Emma Stone's breakout film. And if you aren't watching for Stone, watch it for Amanda Bynes in one of her funniest roles as the school's Christian queen bee.

Classic high school moment: This doesn't take place at school but it's still a very important moment in the film:

6. "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982)

Always placed in the same mental category as "Dazed and Confused," this teen sex comedy is a standout, especially for Sean Penn's breakout role as slacker student Spicoli:

5. "Dazed and Confused" (1993)

Where "Fast Times" has Sean Penn, "Dazed and Confused" has Matthew McConaughey. This is the film where the actor's coined "Alright alright alright" phrase originated.

Classic high school moment: Just keep L-I-V-I-N:

4. "Clueless" (1990)

At No. 4 is the timeless story of Cher, a shopaholic trapped in her own bubble who decides to start doing good for others. This ideal sleepover film manages to make the most popular girl in school into a relatable, lovable main character.

Classic high school moment: Cher nails a school presentation:

3. "Mean Girls" (2004)

Probably one of the most quoted films of the millennial generation, "Mean Girls" tells the story of one very terrifying cult: the high school clique. Lindsay Lohan plays a new student who tries to dismantle "the plastics," and the rest is hilarious, fetch, history.

Classic high school moment: Nothing says high school more than this break down of who sits where in the cafeteria:

2. "Breakfast Club" (1985)

In this John Hughes classic, five high school archetypes, who would never be seen with each other otherwise, have to spend an entire Saturday together in detention. This film, which feels more like a straight play than a movie, is an '80s classic and is simply a necessity for anyone going through high school.

Classic high school moment: "Does Barry Manilow know you raid his wardrobe?":

1. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986)

The best high school movie barely takes place in a high school. In "Ferris Beuller's Day Off," the title character does what many of us are too afraid to do: He fakes sick and plays hooky. What ensues is a whirlwind of a day involving parades, car heists and run-ins with the school principal. If anyone deserves our No. 1 spot, it's Ferris.

Classic high school moment: Nothing captures high school like this essential Ben Stein taking attendance: