The first teen movie I saw was John Hughes's early film, Sixteen Candles. I was but a preteen at the time and I don't think the dilemmas of sixteen year old Samantha meant much to me. It is by no means a spectacular film but it's sweet and it marked the beginning of fame for the red-haired goddess (to some), Molly Ringwald. The film also starred Anthony Michael Hall in his many-times reprised role as the king of the geeks. John Cusack is one of his sidekicks. And if you care for Molly Ringwald I must refer you to the song of the same name by Vancouver band Spacekid. You won't be disappointed.

Pretty in Pink was much of the same, as Molly Ringwald played another have-not who dreams of the popular hunky guy. Again, against all odds, the guy is interested in her oddness. In fact Pretty in Pink explores what might have happened after Sixteen Candles. Sure it's sweet that she got her man, but how will she fit in with his jock friends.

For some reason I never saw or heard of Say Anything when it came out in 1989. It starred the older and less geeky John Cusack along with the amazing supporting cast of Lili Taylor, John Mahoney and Ione Skye. I think I appreciate it so much because most of the clichés of teen comic romances are absent here. Cusack's Lloyd Dobbler isn't a terrible geek or a popular jock, he's just a normal, nice guy. He decides to ask out brainy Diane Court and succeeds because no one else has the guts to ask her out. The story is odd and sweet and completely engaging. Lili Taylor is Lloyd's best friend, jilted by a guy named Joe who inspires to her to write 63 songs about Joe on her electric guitar. "That'll never be me, that'll never be me!"

And then came Heathers, the movie that would knock the genre on its teased and permed head. It has become a classic now but I don't think most people saw Heathers when it came out, even less understood its wickedly black comedy. Winona Ryder (in her only good role ever) stars as Veronica, who along with her three friends named Heather, rules her high school. When hunky Christian Slater (also in a singular good performance) comes to town everything goes wild. What did the film have to tell us about high school? That it is a strange and deeply dangerous place, one that you may emerge from, but not without serious bodily scars.

On first glance, the premise of Clueless is pretty dumb. I mean why do we care about a spoiled rich girl and her over-privileged Beverley Hills friends? Even if you were to miss that the film is a retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, the characters are so charming you can't help but love it. Alicia Silverstone's Cher is popular, well-dressed and well-meaning. Like Emma, she's a tireless matchmaker, believing she can help the ‘less fortunate’. By the end of the story she's learned the errors of her ways and ever fallen for her earnest and slightly dorky ex-step brother Paul Ruud. While Clueless is endlessly entertaining it doesn't have much to say about the high school experience.

We've been led to believe that the close of the 90s heralded the return of the teen flick, providing work for all those beautiful twentysomething actors. Although I enjoyed She's All Thatand 10 Things I Hate About You, if that's the best the genre has to offer at the turn of the millennium then it's in a definite slump. Both films involve a guy asking a girl out for less than honest reasons, a bet and cash. Of course the guy comes to love the quirky misfit but almost loses her when she discovers his real intentions. "Maybe that was how it was…at first!" he cries and it all works out. 10 Things was a bit more fun with its Taming of the Shrew theme which I thought came off well. But these films have regressed from 80s fare, codifying the sequence of events and stereotyping the characters. --Lara