Countless movies capture the exhilaration and horror of high school, but only a select few resurrect those qualities for high school reunions. On a new Be Reel, we reminisce on this delightful and harrowing subgenre, featuring “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” (1997), “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and “Central Intelligence” (2016). There’s one universal takeaway: even one night of reliving high school sends grown adults off the deep end.
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With “Romy and Michele” celebrating its 25th anniversary this month, today’s episode makes for a fine occasion to reappreciate the genius of Mira Sorvino’s unique comedic performance, as well as parse the film’s brilliantly surreal, yet almost intentionally slapdash universe. Afterward, we relish in the bizarre beauty and squandered promise of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Peggy Sue Got Married.” (Yes, we talk about Nicolas Cage doing *that* voice for several minutes.) And when it comes to “Central Intelligence,” we debate the merits of a recent action-comedy hit and wonder when Dwayne Johnson will finally find a script that asks something of his talent. For those screaming, “why aren’t they talking about ‘Grosse Pointe Blank‘ (1997)?!,” our archives have you covered. And for those screaming, “why aren’t they talking about ‘Beautiful Girls‘ (1996)?!,” why are you screaming that? (We discuss Ted Demme’s townie dreamworld briefly in the episode’s closing minutes.)
Be Reel is part of The Playlist Podcast Network which includes Bingeworthy, Deep Focus, Yellowstoners, The Fourth Wall, The Discourse. We can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the Spotify embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.