No teen movie is complete without an epic prom night. They provide such rich symbolic material for filmmakers because they mark the moment characters transition from childhood into adulthood. Some are funny and awkward, and some are joyous celebrations. Others are even poignant reflections on the loss of innocence.
So, slip into that garish prom dress, straighten up that bowtie and clip-on that corsage, because we’re about to count down the best ever movie prom nights.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Weird and quirky comedy Napoleon Dynamite was a surprise hit with both audiences and critics and has gained a significant cult following in the years since its release. It even spawned a short-lived animated TV series.
The film follows the strange adventures of its eponymous protagonist (played by Jon Heder in his feature film debut) as he navigates high school in rural Idaho. The school prom is fittingly stilted, awkward, and features some hysterically awful dancing (and fashion).
Footloose (1984)
80s classic Footloose tells the story of rebellious teenager Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) who moves from urban Chicago to a small town in Utah to live with his aunt and uncle. He soon discovers that motivated by the proselytizing of the local minister (the great John Lithgow), the town’s council has put a ban on all dancing and rock music.
The film features some epically 80s dance sequences – including Kevin Bacon athletically rage-dancing in an empty warehouse. And it culminates in one of the most joyous prom nights in cinema history as the local teenagers dance in celebration of their defeat over the ban.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
A modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You was a critical and commercial hit and launched the careers of its young stars, including Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Julia Stiles.
Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) wants to ask popular Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) to their school prom, but her overprotective father (Larry Miller) has imposed a strict rule: Bianca can only date if her social outcast sister Kat (Stiles) is also dating. So, Cameron and Bianca hatch a plan to convince high school bad boy Patrick (Ledger) to ask out Kat.
Things seem to be working until the night of the prom, when arrogant Joey (Andrew Keegan), who has spent the movie sleazing on Bianca, reveals the plan to Kat. You can probably guess how it all ends, but the prom scene is still memorable for some great 90s outfits, as well as the moment Bianca punches Joey in the face.
American Pie (1999)
Teen sex comedy American Pie centers on a group of four high school friends who make a pact that they will lose their virginities by prom night. Although the film was a hit with 90s audiences and even spawned an entire franchise, many of its gross-out gags haven’t aged particularly well by 2020 standards.
The movie culminates at prom night, where the protagonists each fulfill their part of the pact – although not in the ways any of them would have expected. And while the movie has some funny – and possibly even poignant – moments, revisiting it 20 years after its first release makes you realize just how far popular attitudes towards issues like consent have shifted since the 90s.
Lady Bird (2017)
Teen coming-of-age film Lady Bird follows Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) as she struggles to come to terms with the complex demands of her looming adulthood. Praised by critics, the film marked the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig and was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture. Ronan also picked up a Best Actress nomination for her role.
After trying to ingratiate herself with the rich, popular clique at her strict Catholic high school in Sacramento, prom night marks a moment of self-actualization for Lady Bird. She ditches the popular kids and instead chooses to reunite with childhood friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) – an act that shows how she has come to respect herself and her past.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
The screenplay for 80s teen classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High was written by Cameron Crowe, adapted from his own gonzo book about his experiences going undercover as a student at a Southern California high school. So, while the film is ostensibly a comedy, it deals with some true-to-life issues confronting teens, such as drugs, abortion, and underage sex. It also features a great ensemble cast of future stars, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Forest Whitaker, Judge Reinhold, Sean Penn, and even a brief cameo from a young Nic Cage.
Ridgemont High’s prom night comes towards the end of the film and serves as a neat little plot device to demonstrate the ways in which the various characters have matured over the school year. Plus, you get to see perpetually stoned surfer dude Jeff Spicoli (Penn) jump on stage to sing the forgotten classic song “Wooly Bully” with the band.
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Written by John Hughes, teen rom-com Pretty in Pink is another enduring classic of the 80s. The film stars Molly Ringwald as Andie Walsh, a teenager from a working-class background growing up in suburban Chicago, and features a strong supporting cast including Jon Cryer, James Spader, and Harry Dean Stanton.
The movie has one of the best new wave soundtracks in cinema, including songs by The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and INXS, not to mention the hit song by the Psychedelic Furs that lent the film its title. Plus, the climactic scene at the school prom features Molly Ringwald in her iconic homemade pink dress, an image that has become almost synonymous with 80s teen movies.
Back to the Future (1985)
Seminal 80s sci-fi comedy Back to the Future features one of the more mind-bending prom night scenarios in cinema history.
After Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) travels back in time to the night his parents met at their high school dance, he must make sure he doesn’t accidentally do anything to jeopardize their romance. If he does, he runs the risk of wiping himself out of existence. Unfortunately for Marty, instead of falling for his dad (Crispin Glover), his mom (Lea Thompson) seems more smitten with him.
A movie with far more disturbingly Oedipal possibilities than its jaunty tone will have you believe, Back to the Future is nonetheless one of the most enduring and beloved movies of the 80s.
She’s All That (1999)
An update on My Fair Lady, iconic late 90s teen romantic comedy She’s All That stars Freddie Prinz Jr. as cocky Zachary Siler, who makes a bet with his friend Dean (Paul Walker) that he could turn any girl in school into the Prom Queen. As the subject of their experiment, Dean selects shy art student Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook).
The movie follows a predictable path to the climactic prom night, with Zachary eventually ingratiating himself with Laney, and the two falling for one another despite their differences, only for the secret bet to be discovered by Laney and yada yada yada. The true glory of this movie’s prom night isn’t in its significance to the forgettable plot, but rather the inexplicable moment the entire school suddenly breaks into a pre-choreographed dance to Fatboy Slim’s “The Rockafeller Skank.”
Carrie (1976)
The granddaddy of high school prom movies is Brian De Palma’s 1976 horror classic Carrie. The first film to be adapted from a novel by Stephen King, it stars a young Sissy Spacek as the titular teenager with secret telekinetic powers and Piper Laurie as her fanatically religious and abusive mother.
Social outcast Carrie believes she may have finally been accepted by her classmates after she is crowned Prom Queen. However, unbeknownst to her, the whole thing has been orchestrated as a prank to humiliate her. While she is on stage accepting her crown, bullies drop a bucket of pig’s blood over her head, resulting in one of the most iconic images – and prom nights – in cinema history.