Senior Year is one of Netflix's newest movies starring Rebel Wilson as Stephanie Conway. The film focused on Stephanie, a high school student, who fell into a coma for 20 years after a cheerleading stunt went wrong.
When Stephanie eventually woke up, she goes back to high school to finish her goal of becoming prom queen. But as Stephanie found out, life in high school decades from the '90s and 2000s were drastically different. Since Stephanie is mentally living in the '90s and 2000s as an almost 40-year-old, there were a handful of iconic shoutouts that made '90s babies love the movie.
The 'You Drive Me Crazy' Music Video
Viewers may have recognized a few of the cast members of Senior Year from other popular movies like Pitch Perfect and MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy. Viewers also recognized a major '90s moment that revolved around pop queen Britney Spears.
While creating a dance sequence, Stephanie imagined she and her friends were in the Britney Spears music video for "(You Drive Me) Crazy." The scene quickly changed from a basement to the identical set of Britney's music video. Everything from the outfits to the dance routine was copied and it brought pop fans back to when they first saw that music video.
An Appearance From '90s Queen Alicia Silverstone
Actress Alicia Silverstone is a popular actress known for her rise to stardom in the '90s. Fans who loved Silverstone in Clueless would love the movie Senior Year because of all the '90s shoutouts.
In the movie, Silverstone portrayed Deanna Russo. Deanna Russo was a former high school prom queen and lived the picturesque life that Stephanie dreamed of having. In the end, Deanna wound up being Stephanie's driver and she assured Stephanie that getting the title of prom queen didn't mean a person was bound to have a perfect, carefree life.
Blasting Mandy Moore In A Convertible
Before Mandy Moore gave amazing performances as an actress, she was a pop singer, most known for her 1999 song "Candy." In the music video, Mandy danced with friends in her room and the parking lot before hopping into her convertible.
During this time, driving in a convertible with friends blasting pop music was quintessential '90s magic. In Senior Year, Stephanie did the same thing while on her way to school, which was nostalgic to watch.
High School Hairstyles & Hair Accessories
In the '90s and early 2000s, what set a person apart from the next at school was their hair. Hair accessories, colors, and styles were as important as fashion accessories like jewelry or purses. This was seen greatly in teen romance movies that were big for the '90s and 2000s.
In Senior Year, hair accessories were not left out. Stephanie was fond of wearing butterfly hair clips, ribbons, side bangs, and a crimpy hairstyle, which were all incredibly popular during this period.
Vintage Fashion Choices In Modern Day
In the '90s, iconic film actresses on the big screen were beloved for their sense of style. In this period, baggy jeans, matching skirts, and Lisa Frank were all the rage. To pay homage to that time frame, Stephanie wore the same.
As a teen in high school, Stephanie wore her cheerleading uniform to class, but when she went back to school as an adult, she wore the same clothes she wore as a teen. From colorful necklaces to layered prints — every '90s baby could relate to Stephanie's style.
That Vintage Prom Dress
Unfortunately for Stephanie, she never got the chance to go to her senior prom as a teenager because she fell into a coma before the dance. Since her mother passed away years prior due to cancer, Stephanie was shocked to find out that her mom left her a beautiful prom dress for the big day.
Years later when Stephanie went to prom as an adult, she wore the dress that her mother wanted her to wear. While other students wore dresses that were a little more current or modern, Stephanie gave a shoutout to her youth and the decade.
A Shoutout To 'Deep Impact.'
In the '90s, movies like Armageddon and Deep Impact were influential for the time. Knowing this, it was a great shoutout to have Stephanie and Seth's first date be at the movie theatre watching Deep Impact.
The 1998 drama-action movie starred Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, and Elijah Wood among others. The movie revolved around a comet heading towards Earth and the space force doing everything it can to protect humanity. It's a dark movie for a first date but it was one of the more popular movies of the '90s so it was a great nod in Senior Year.
Homemade Choreography With Friends
Senior Year isn't the best dance movie on Netflix but gave a hypothetical high-five to all the '90s and 2000s dance movies that came before it.
In the '90s, it was popular and common to create dance routines for a beloved song. It was also accepted to copy dance routines from music videos and to later perform them with friends. Creating dances to songs is popular nowadays thanks to TikTok, however, it was huge in the '90s. Stephanie was seen creating dances and teaching those around her for school performances.
The Hold Nelly's 'Hot In Here' Had On The Early 2000s
In 2002, Nelly's "Hot in Here" was the ultimate sensation. Fans of the rapper made up dances to the song and couldn't get it out of their heads. Because of the mature content, parents weren't fond of their kids listening to this song but it was too popular to escape.
This battle was shown in the film. Stephanie created a cheer routine to a remixed version of Nelly's "Hot in Here," which upset the principal of the school and most of the parents of the kids.
Juicy Velour Tracksuits
Fans of Senior Year would love other movies that revolve around identity changes or high school drama. When Stephanie came out of a coma, she was destined to be the person she always dreamt of being.
The first outfit she wore outside of the hospital was a matching pink velour tracksuit. The 2000s, especially, were a big time for velour tracksuits — a time where everyone could be comfortable yet fashionable at the same time.