If you want to get into a heated, non-political debate with someone, particularly with people whose childhood or teen years occurred in the '90s, talk about your picks for the best teen comedies from the decade.
Guaranteed, there won't be much overlap. One or all of you will wonder how anyone forgot to mention insert-your-favorite-here.
With that said, check out my choices for the best teen comedies from the '90s. All of them are available to stream online, so it's time to recapture and relive what it feels like to have grown up during that era.
'Can't Hardly Wait'
Starting our list is a movie that focuses on a high school graduation party gone wild ... very wild.
Said party is open to everyone; it's not just exclusive to the popular crowd and the jocks. Everyone shows up, even the kids who aren't exactly high up the social ladder. Woven into the plot is the boy-meets-girl storyline that focuses on Preston (Ethan Embry) who realizes the party is his chance to pursue his romantic interest, Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt).
"Can't Hardly Wait" is a '90s movie that nods toward its '80s teen film predecessors and includes everything we love about the genre, including the geeks who break out of their shells.
Watch free on Xumo Play
'Clueless'
The director of the '80s film, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," Amy Heckerling, gae us a '90s icon in "Clueless." It kicked off a stream of new fashion (hello, colorful plaid mini-skirts and high-knee socks) and phrases ("As if!") and left an impact lasting to this day.
Alicia Silverstone stars as Cher, a rich and popular teenager who wants to do some good in the world. She does what she does best and plays matchmaker for two of her teachers and then becomes friends with new student Tai (Brittany Murphy).
For you literary fans, this is in fact an adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma." However, don't let its book origins turn you off or you'll miss out on a stone-cold classic teen comedy.
'Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead'
This dark but absolutely entertaining teen comedy stars Christina Applegate as Sue Ellen, the older sister of three younger, somewhat out-of-control brothers and one sister. Her mom has ventured off to Australia, leaving them behind with a babysitter (Eda Reiss Merin).
As can only happen in a teen comedy: Their babysitter dies. Instead of letting the proper authorities know, they go along with it. Sue decides to lie on her resume, landing a job in fashion. Of course, as we all know, what can go wrong will go wrong. It's a ridiculous premise that probably wouldn't land well today, but it's absolutely hilarious.
'10 Things I Hate About You'
"10 Things I Hate About You" has a lot going for it as a '90s teen comedy. You have a lot of famous faces in their before-they-became-superstars era). It also modernizes the Shakespeare play "Taming of the Shrew" with a healthy dosage of modern flair.
The story focuses on Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) and her mission to find her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) a boyfriend. See, their father won't let Bianca date until Kat does first. This seems like it will never happen since Kat is rebellious with a very sharp tongue.
So, Bianca's love interest, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), recruits bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) to romance Kat. Along the way, something surprising happens: Kat begins to maybe, kind of, sort of like Patrick.
Watch on Disney Plus
'Clerks'
Unlike most of the other teen comedies on this list. "Clerks" doesn't have a crazy premise. Instead, it's a hilarious depiction of the day in the life of Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) as they work in side-by-side retail stores. It simply follows the guys, their wacky customers, and their romantic interests.
Kevin Smith, the writer and director of the film (who also starred in it as the iconic character, Silent Bob), created the movie from the money he gained selling his comic book collection. And at the time, he also happened to work at the store where the movie was filmed.
Watch on Hoopla
'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'
![Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) theatrical trailer [FTD-0056] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SBsOzaI0NSM/maxresdefault.jpg)
Even if you haven't been to a high school reunion, most of us can relate to reaching those milestones in our life and wondering how we measure up to the rest of our graduating class. This movie follows two best friends, Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow), as they face their upcoming 10-year high school reunion — with plenty of flashbacks to their teen years.
Even though they moved beyond physical awkwardness (Romy had a weight problem and Michele needed to wear a back brace), they still don't have any success stories to tell. Their solution? Lie! A lot!
At the reunion, their lies spin out of control, leading to chaos and hilarity. This is a charming film you'll appreciate even more once you hit your own reunion milestone. Fun fact: A sequel is (finally!) coming soon.
'Dazed and Confused'
Indie auteur Richard Linklater is behind this '90s teen comedy that's actually set in the '70s (1976, to be exact). It takes place on the last day of high school, so it encompasses the typical experiences of teenage life, from dealing with disapproving teachers to attending parties to navigating love interests.
What elevates "Dazed and Confused" are all the actors involved The ensemble cast includes numerous before-they-were-famous stars, like Matthew McConaughey (this is the role where he famously says "Alright, alright, alright"), Ben Affleck and Parker Posey, to name a few.
They take us all back to a time that may seem far away but never so distant we can't relate to our former teenage selves.
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