The Adgate/Kelly household has spent our lockdown so far rewatching some of my fave HS rom coms. I thought I’d record my thoughts and opinions here. The movies are: She’s All That, A Cinderella Story, Clueless, Easy A, John Tucker Must Die, & 10 Things I Hate About You.

The best ones (imo) are based on works of literature - Clueless, Easy A, & 10 Things. I think it’s because they never underestimated the intelligence of their (mostly) teen girl audience.

Badgely as The Other Tucker is clearly an homage to 10 Things - Ledger’s haircut, I Want You to Want Me (Cheap Trick not Letters to Cleo), etc.

The movies I have the strongest memory of watching over & over are A Cinderella Story & John Tucker. Their soundtracks are time capsules to my early teen years. Alexa add “Dirty Little Secret” and I’ll Be” to my queue.

My favorite line in all 5 movies is “my apologies to Mark Twain” in Easy A. Followed closely by every single line in 10 Things. Followed by everything Jennifer Coolidge says in A Cinderella Story.

Best (most entertaining) parents: Tucci/Clarkson in Easy A. Dads in Clueless & 10 Things get honorable mentions.

Worst: McCarthy in John Tucker because “she definitely didn’t vaccinate Brittany Snow” - Jack Kelly

Jennifer Coolidge and Regina King carry A Cinderella Story. Don’t sleep on their performances in this movie. Also “waiting for you is like waiting for rain in this drought - useless and disappointing” hit me hard at 13.

The supporting actors in She’s All That are incredible - Dulé Hill & Paul Walker, USHER, plus Gabrielle Union (also in 10 Things!) Truly a joy to watch. (special shout out to Dan Byrd for A Cinderella Story & Easy A)

FINALLY my ranking of the love interests: Ledger in 10 Things, Badgley in John Tucker, Rudd in Clueless, Badgley in East A, CMM in A Cinderella Story, Prinze in She’s All That. (CMM ekes out Prinze for me due to the football game scene)

It was fun to warch all of these movies back to back for some comfort & nostalgia and to also see how some things have changed (technology, fashion) and some things have stayed the same (Heath Ledger is perfect)

In conclusion: please do not speak to me for the next few days unless it is about Heath Ledger’s luminous performance in 10 Things. Top tier movie, legendary actor.