Mia’s Movie Madness: ‘Old’ teen romantic films are more entertaining than today’s

By MIA ARANDA

Buttery popcorn. Savory candy. Comfy seats. Entertaining films. These are all words that pop into my mind when I think of where the best moments of my childhood came from: the beloved movie theater. 

All of my life I have been an avid moviegoer along with my dad, whom went frequently as a child, as well. He would always take me to see the latest movie the night it came out, and we would go to the gas station right before our movie to buy more candy than we actually needed just because it was cheaper than from the actual movie theater. 

A perfect example to exhibit my family’s extreme love for films would have to be them taking me to see “The Muppets” Thursday night it came out, in which the film started close to midnight. I was always one of the youngest kids at late night movie showings on school nights which truly displays how eager my family has always been to see movies right away. 

Between seeing everything from action to comedy to drama, I have established that my favorite film genre is “old” romantic teen love, and by “old,” I perceive that as anything before the 2000s. 

I consider the majority of old romantic teen films to be better than in the present day mainly due to the fact that the advancement of technology has narrowed interaction with one’s crush or significant other at school.

Back in the day, teens would have to walk up to their crush in order to get closer to them whereas today, teens can interact with their crush on social media and through messages. Texting your crush allows you to revise and edit your nervous words before clicking send and can be appreciated later on to observe your past conversations that made you feel overjoyed. However, there is more of a chance that tones will be miscommunicated through text, which can unintentionally convey the wrong message. 

Face-to-face communication is not valued today as much as it was back then when it was one of the only choices of communication. If you talk more with your crush in person, you will be able to observe the little clues that reveal how they truly feel about you, such as if they remain eye contact with you or not. Later in life, when you are settled in with your loved one, you will think back to those moments where you interacted with your crush and hopefully appreciate your efforts to get closer with them.

Romantic gestures were much more engaging and entertaining when teens would actually show their love to their crush, such as Heath Ledger singing Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” to Julia Stiles in the school’s stadium in Gil Junger’s iconic teen film “10 Things I Hate About You.” These movies teach people how to be more romantic and overall put you in a good mood, even if you are a single pringle like me. 

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy today’s love stories, like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “Tall Girl,” and Noah Centineo never fails to make my jaw drop in awe when watching a romantic movie of his, but my heart simply melts more when watching old romantic teen films. Scenes like John Cusack blasting Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eye” from a boombox in front of Ione Skye’s house to declare his love in “Say Anything” or Patrick Swayze lifting Jennifer Grey at the dance in the iconic lift scene in “Dirty Dancing” make me bawl my eyes out in affection and could never compare to today’s films in my mind. 

To think about how our society today is already accustomed to using their phones on a daily basis, more than just for simple communication, makes me lose hope for the delight chemistry between lovers in films like “Pretty in Pink” and “Titanic.” 

If you are interested in watching one of the beloved cheesy teen romantic films that I adore with all of my heart, then consider the following: “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Pretty in Pink,” and “Grease.”

Lea este artículo en español aquí: https://laplaza.press/2019/11/08/las-locuras-de-peliculas-de-mia-las-peliculas-romanticas-para-adolescentes-viejas-son-mas-entretenidas-que-las-del-dia-de-hoy/