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Recommended Films and Series highlighting the theme of returning to academia

Prepare for your return to school with these films and series that embody the thrill, apprehension, and the full spectrum of emotions that Back to School (BTS) can evoke.

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Returning to the Classroom: Entertaining Cinema and Streaming Content that Celebrate Academic...
Returning to the Classroom: Entertaining Cinema and Streaming Content that Celebrate Academic Comebacks

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Transitioning to a new school can be an exciting yet daunting experience for many. Luckily, the world of entertainment offers a wealth of resources to help us navigate these challenges. Here are some movies and shows that delve into the theme of starting school and offer valuable insights.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a unique take on the Spider-Man franchise, featuring multiple Spider-People from different dimensions joining forces to save their worlds. Although not directly related to starting school, the movie showcases the importance of teamwork, resilience, and finding one's place in a new environment.

Wonder, based on the book of the same name, follows Auggie Pullman, a young boy with a facial difference, as he starts fifth grade at a mainstream school for the first time. This heartwarming movie is streamable on Amazon Prime Video, rated PG, and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy and acceptance.

Arthur's First Day is a show about Arthur, a character who is excited to start fourth grade but becomes worried when he learns his friend Buster is in another class. The show follows Arthur's journey of gaining confidence and making new friends, offering a relatable portrayal of starting school anxieties. It is streamable on PBS Kids and is rated G.

Emily's First 100 Days of School is a short movie about a young rabbit named Emily who learns her numbers from one to 100 on her first day of school. A simple yet educational watch, it is streamable on YouTube and is rated TV-G.

100 Things To Do Before High School is a Nickelodeon show about three childhood friends who decide to make the most of their time in middle school before heading to high school. This lighthearted series is streamable on Amazon Prime Video and is rated TV-G.

Inside Out explores Riley's emotional struggles as she navigates a new school, new friends, and a new life. The movie takes viewers inside Riley's head, allowing them to witness her emotions struggle to help her navigate her new life. It is streamable on Disney+, rated PG.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an animated film based on the popular graphic novel series about a boy named Greg Heffley trying to survive middle school. The movie is streamable on Disney+ and is rated PG.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse also features Miles Morales, a new Spider-Man character who struggles to adjust to his new life at a challenging private high school while also navigating a multiverse collision that brings various Spider-People to his world. The animated film, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2019, is streamable on Amazon Prime Video, rated PG.

Legally Blonde follows Elle Woods as she heads to Harvard Law to try and win back her terrible boyfriend. After struggling to be accepted and seen for who she truly is, Elle saves the day, ditches the jerk, and graduates with honors. The movie is lighthearted and great for a fun movie night with tweens or teens. It is streamable on Amazon Prime Video, rated PG-13.

Super Monsters Back to School is a short episode on Netflix where Lobo's cousin Vida moves to town and Lobo shows her around, followed by Vida's first day at a new school. It is rated TV-Y.

Matilda the Musical is a film adaptation of the Tony award-winning musical, based on the novel "Matilda" by Roald Dahl. The story follows Matilda and her tumultuous childhood, her time at school, and her eventual happy ending. It is streamable on Netflix and is rated PG.

Never Have I Ever is a series about Devi, who is dealing with a lot of transitions after the unexpected death of her father and her subsequent paralysis. After recovering, she is determined to make her sophomore year of high school better, but faces challenges including academic pressure, family expectations, and complicated romance. The show has lots of diversity and is a great one to watch with teens, but get ready for lots of talk about sex. It is streamable on Netflix, rated TV-14.

Wednesday follows Wednesday Addams as she is sent to Nevermore Academy, a Hogwarts-esque school for society's outsiders. Wednesday must learn to master her psychic abilities, stop a murderer, and get a long with her bubbly roommate. The show is streamable on Netflix, rated TV-14.

How to Eat Fried Worms is based on the classic book and follows the story of Billy, who finds himself squaring off with the school bully and winding up in a contest to eat fried worms. The movie is streamable on Amazon Prime Video, rated PG.

Curious George: Back to School features George in eight episodes learning about school and discovering new things, set in a school setting. It is available for check-out from the Seattle Public Library and is appropriate for all ages.

In Big Hero 6, Hiro Hamada, a young robotics prodigy, enrolls in a prestigious tech school to find a new purpose after the death of his older brother. The animated film is streamable on Disney+, rated PG.

School of Rock follows Dewey Finn, a struggling musician who poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school to try and pay rent. At first, Dewey has no interest in actual teaching, until he discovers his students' musical talent and secretly forms a rock band with them. The movie is streamable on Amazon Prime Video, rated PG-13.

An Extremely Goofy Movie is a Disney+ show where Goofy's son Max is headed to college, and Goofy follows him to college to get his degree. The show features standard Goofy silliness and a positive message about the importance of family. It is rated G.

Mean Girls follows Cady Heron as she navigates the complex world of teenage cliques in a public high school. The movie is streamable on Amazon Prime Video, rated PG-13.

Beyond these movies and shows, notable additional titles about transitions and starting school include "Adolescence" (Netflix limited series), a UK drama exploring youth complexities and the loss of adolescence, promoted for secondary schools to facilitate conversations about growing up and change.

Other coming-of-age movies on Netflix, such as "Fatherhood" (about a man raising his daughter) and "Enola Holmes" (about a young woman stepping out of her brother’s shadow), demonstrate broader themes of growth and change around school-age years.

Monsters University is a prequel to Monsters Inc. and tells the story of Mike and Sully as they start college, competing to become scarers at Monsters Inc. The movie is voiced by Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and Helen Mirren and is streamable on Disney+, rated G.

High School Musical is a Disney+ show about Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, who meet and end up cast in the school musical, causing tension with the drama kids. The story has a happy ending with the whole school coming together for a final dance number in the gym. It is rated TV-G.

Harry Potter begins his magical journey at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The movie is streamable on Amazon Prime Video, rated PG.

  1. Starting school can be challenging, but movies and shows can provide valuable insights and inspiring narratives about the experience.
  2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse showcases the importance of teamwork, resilience, and finding one's place in a new environment.
  3. Wonder is a heartwarming movie that showcases the importance of empathy and acceptance, based on a book of the same name.
  4. Arthur's First Day offers a relatable portrayal of starting school anxieties and follows a character's journey of gaining confidence and making new friends.
  5. Emily's First 100 Days of School is simple yet educational, as a young rabbit learns her numbers on her first day of school.
  6. 100 Things To Do Before High School is a lighthearted series about three childhood friends making the most of their time in middle school before heading to high school.
  7. Inside Out explores a character's emotional struggles as she navigates a new school, new friends, and a new life.
  8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is based on a popular graphic novel series about a boy named Greg Heffley trying to survive middle school.
  9. Legally Blonde offers a great choice for a fun movie night with tweens or teens, as it follows a character's journey to achieve success in law school and find herself.
  10. Super Monsters Back to School is a short episode on Netflix about a character adjusting to a new school, rated TV-Y.
  11. Matilda the Musical follows a girl's tumultuous childhood, her time at school, and her eventual happy ending, based on Roald Dahl's novel.
  12. Never Have I Ever is a series about a girl dealing with transitions and challenges after the death of her father, including academic pressure, family expectations, and complicated romance.
  13. Wednesday follows a character's journey to Nevermore Academy, a Hogwarts-esque school for society's outsiders, where she must learn to master her psychic abilities, stop a murderer, and form relationships.

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