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Graduation Movies To (Not) Psyche You Up |
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Written by Julia Lua
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These movies are a
fantastic, albeit pessimistic reflection of what it is like to be finally graduating
from the gruelling academic syllabus and into real life, where we ought to work
our ass off at some position with an overrated job title.
Not to dampen your
spirits, eager graduates of 2008, but...
 Reality
Bites (1994)
Fresh out of school and without the
boundaries of a timetable to abide by, the movie follows four recent graduates
leading dreary lives after college. Ethan Hawke's character tackles a slew of
dead end jobs with meagre wages. Vickie (Janeane Garofalo) slogs in the day as a sales
associate with The Gap and engages in one night stands after working hours in a
bid to allay fears of loneliness although it drives her crazy fretting about
the possibility of contracting AIDS. Sammy (Steve Zahn) is afraid his parents
will learn that he's gay. Leleila (Winona Ryder) makes a video of her friends
drifting through the boredom of life after graduation, harboring serious hopes
of using it as an entry into the entertainment industry.
Moral of the hour:
Our problems don't disappear along with obtaining the mortar board.
 How
to lose a guy in 10 days (2003)
Oh bummer. With a Masters in Journalism from
Columbia, the
main character Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) blindly walked into a fashion
magazine job that does no appeal to what she is genuinely concerned with -
Politics and Poverty.
But at least she gets to have herself some fun with Benjamin
Barry (Mathew McConaughey), the suave and chiselled advertising executive, all
for the sake of her next article ‘ How to
lose a guy in 10 days?' She uses him to bear the brunt of things women do
wrong in a relationship: wearing identical pink Titanic Tee-shirts, screwing up
his boys' night out and changing his bathroom toiletries to all things pink and
fluffy.
Unknown to scheming Anderson, Barry has been enduring her antics for
the sake of snagging the diamond advertising deal - if he shows his boss that a
girl can fall head over heels in love with him in 10 days, the deal is his. The
final showdown between the two career-focused lovers takes place at the
company's inaugural party.
Moral of the hour: We all become sneaky and
conniving people because of excessive studying. The silver lining is that we
might chance upon someone equally appalling and fall in love.
American
Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale stars as investment banker
Patrick Bateman, a yuppie with a privileged upbringing and education (Harvard).
He obsessively ensures that he excels in every single thing in life, however
insignificant it may be. He goes through thorough bath routines of cleansing,
exfoliating and moisturising.
He compares business cards with friends, right
down to the paper quality and watermark. His dressing has to be top notch and
impeccable, from tie knots to square pockets and pens.
Whenever someone appears
more superior than he is, he panics and frets, even contemplating killing them.
Beneath this picture perfect individual lurks a cannibal, a rapist, a murderer
and a possible (definite) psycho.
Moral of the hour: Just when you
thought you have single-handedly gotten into the elite class of
Manhatten, wield your credit cards and swear off your so-called
inheritance, you realize you are actually psychotic.
 Garden State (2004)
Upon hearing the news of his mother's
death, Andrew (Zach Braff) returns to his parents' home after 9 years of struggling
for fame and fortune in Los Angeles.
Seeking psychiatric treatment and heavily reliant on anti-depressants, he
hasn't quite gotten over his mother's high expectations of him.
Years ago, her
constant pressure led him to do the ultimate - he pushed her and she became paralysed
from waist down.
Now back in his hometown, he is left to confront the broken
relationship with his dad and forge new friendships with new acquaintances,
including the lovely Sam (Natalie Portman).
Moral of the hour: Just when you thought
your parents can't give anymore trouble than they have already given you, their
lonely middle-aged friends complicate matters.
The
Graduate (1967)
Graduate Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) hits
a moral low when he is seduced into an affair by his parents' friend, Mrs
Robinson (Anne Bancroft).
Instead of finding employment and carving a career
niche for himself, he becomes embroiled in a tumultuous affair with her. When
his parents pressured Ben to date Elaine (Katherine Ross), a student of UC
Berkeley and also the daughter of Mrs Robinson, he falls for her. Eventually,
the affair was discovered. He seeks to straighten things out and a surprise
ending ensues.
Moral of the hour: Stop living in your
parents' shadows. It will save you a lot of panic attacks, emotional turmoil
and drama.
You guys will soon star in your very own
graduate movie soon. Hooked sincerely hopes it's nowhere near psycho acts,
affairs, low-paying jobs and dates from hell. HOOKED
Images courtesy of Google Images
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