Paramount/Everett; Buena Vista Pictures/Everett; Everett Prom is basically theMet Galafor high schoolers. Think about it: Everyone is dolled up to the nines, there's usually a random theme, and it's all one giant spectacle (just look at the evolution of promposals). Hollywood has illustrated this rite of passage in every way possible — from sparks flying to climactic moments of truth to, well, literal flames (we're calling you out,Carrie). Ahead, EW has picked 19 iconic movie proms, showcasing film teens' most memorable nights to remember. This ripped-from-Shakespeare teen movie follows the romantic exploits of sisters Kat (Julia Stiles) and Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). In the prom scene at the very end, Kat's relationship with Patrick (Heath Ledger) is upset by the machinations of their high school's resident sleazebag (Andrew Keegan); Bianca's romance with Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is solidified when she beats up said sleazebag on behalf of both Cameron and Kat. —Mary Sollosi When four high school friends vow to lose their virginities before graduation, prom night is certain to play an important role in their quest. The prom itself inAmerican Pieis fairly anticlimactic as far as the completion of the boys' mission is concerned, and one of them, Jim (Jason Biggs), deliversan impassioned speechabout how meaningless the whole enterprise was to begin with. At the afterparty, however, all four boys fulfill their pact. —M.S. Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Traveling all the way back to 1955, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) crashes his parents' first date and nearly erases himself from existence. To undo the damage, he has to make sure mom and dad seal the deal with a kiss at Hill Valley's Enchantment Under the Sea dance. So, he grabs a guitar, joins the band to win the crowd with the Penguins' dreamy "Earth Angel," and then gives the '50s a rock & roll preview withone of the most iconic renditionsofChuck Berry's"Johnny B. Goode."—James Mercadante This entire raunchy comedy centers around prom, so it's only natural that it's the best prom ever. The school-sponsored party is totally fine — there's a fancy photo booth, trendy balloon letters ("P-R-O-M"), and good music — but it's the after-parties that made us want to go back to high school, stat. It starts at a fellow student's lake house (one that also boasts a killer pool), with anafter-after-party at what has to be the most lenient hotel of all time. The school's seniors take over an entire floor, with the party taking up dozens and dozens of suites and even spilling out into the hallway. And yes, there are beer pongs aplenty. —M.S. While many of the prom scenes on the list are romantic finales to sweet teen comedies,Carrietakes a more disturbing approach. When Carrie (Sissy Spacek), an outcast with telekinetic abilities, is named prom queen (by a rigged vote), she enjoys her moment of glory very briefly before she is drenched in pig's blood by the mean popular kids who set her up to win. It doesn't end well for the bullies — or anyone else at the prom, for that matter. Did we mention Carrie has telekinetic abilities? —M.S. Twentieth Century Fox This 1999 teen rom-com (named after theBritney Spearssong) starsMelissa Joan HartandAdrian Grenieras neighbors who pretend to date in order to make other people jealous. Their scheme works, but at the prom (where else?), they realize that they were meant for each other all along, and they ditch the dates they had worked so hard to win. —M.S. Amy Heckerling's iconic 1982 movie, based onCameron Crowe's nonfiction book of the same name, comes to an end with all of its characters at the prom.Sean Penn's stoner Jeff Spicoli is delayed by an impromptu lesson from his arch-nemesis, history teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), but he arrives at the dance just in time to deliveran energetic performance of "Wooly Bully."—M.S. When Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) moves from Chicago to the small town of Bomont, he learns that dancing and rock & roll have been outlawed there since a fatal car crash killed the local reverend's son. Ren and some of his new, pro-dancing friends arrange for a prom just outside the city limits, and they all bust a move toKenny Loggins' iconic title track. —M.S. The prom scene in the third and finalHigh School Musicalmovie takes the form of a musical number performed as part of an East High drama production about the Wildcats' senior year. The song,"A Night to Remember,"takes Troy (Zac Efron), Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), and their friends from picking out their outfits all the way to the prom. —M.S. Doane Gregory/Twentieth Century Fox Devil's Kettle High's spring formal sorta sucked for Needy Lesinsky (Amanda Seyfried): Her boyfriend (Johnny Simmons) cheats on her with her best friend, Jennifer (Megan Fox), who ends up eating him alive. Plus, the band who set this whole disaster in motion is on stage performing their ubiquitous one hit wonder. Though Needy gets to take matters into her own hands, it only lands her in a psychiatric unit. Not exactly a Cinderella story, but it makes for a killer popcorn climax. —J.M. A24 Prom is a turning point for Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan). While dress shopping with her hyper-critical mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf), the pink-haired teen findsthe dress— and with it, a painful epiphany: Her mom loves her, but doesn't like her. But on prom night, Lady Bird surrounds herself with people whoactuallyenjoy her company. Instead of skipping prom with her too-cool-for-Dave-Matthews-Banddate (Timothée Chalamet) and his judgmental clique, she heads straight to her best friend Julie's (Beanie Feldstein) house. Together, they patch things up and restart the evening as each other's dates, dancing the night away under the hawk-eyed gaze of a nun chaperone while "Crash Into Me" plays. —J.M. Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) shows up late to the Spring Fling dance because she was busy winning a Mathletes competition, but she arrives just in time to be named Spring Fling queen. Ina memorable acceptance speech, she breaks up the crown she's been given and tosses the pieces to different students in attendance, saying that they all look beautiful, and reminding them what an empty honor the tiara really represents — it's just plastic, after all. —M.S. Mary Evans/Paramount Pictures/Fox Searchlight/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection We all need a friend like Pedro (Efren Ramirez)! When Napoleon (Jon Heder) gets ditched at the school dance by popular girl Trisha (Emily Kennard), his buddy gives him the green light to pair up with his date, Deb (Tina Majorino), for a dance. Thanks to Pedro, we got the most awkward two-step shuffle — and one of the film's many quotable gems:"I like your sleeves. They're real big."—J.M. Drew Barrymorestars in this teen rom-com as Josie Geller, a copy editor who goes undercover at a local high school to report on the truth of what's going on in the lives of teenagers. The former geek goes to the prom (the theme of which is famous historical couples) dressed as Rosalind fromAs You Like It, and is elected prom queen only to reject the title and confess her deception ina dramatic, tearful speech. —M.S. John Hughes' class-conscious romance sees wrong-side-of-the-tracks Andie (Molly Ringwald) fall for Blane (Andrew McCarthy), a preppy rich kid whose cruel friends sabotage their relationship. After first deciding to skip the prom, Andie sews together two hand-me-down pink dresses for the fashion statement of her wildest prom dreams and goes to the dance "to show them they didn't break me." Walking in on the arm of her best friend, Duckie (Jon Cryer), she shows them all right — and wins Blane back, too. —M.S. This 2011 ensemble teen movie revolves around the prom, as Nova (Aimee Teegarden) and her friends make decorations as part of the planning committee, debate what to wear, and obsess over whether their crushes will ask them to the dance. Despite her father's initial disapproval of Jesse (Thomas McDonell), a bad boy with a heart of gold, Nova goes to the prom with him, and all the drama leading up to the dance proves worth it in the end. —M.S. Buena Vista Pictures/Everett Prom with a date just doesn't hit the same as showing up with your best friend. Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) — joined at the hip, per usual — strut into prom together in '80sMadonna-inspired fashions, finding their own little corner to trade snarky play-by-plays on their "so unhip" peers. Since it's the last night of their senior year, Romy makes the move to ask the prom king (Vincent Ventresca) for one dance. He agrees but cruelly leaves her hanging until the night's swan song (Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time"). But don't worry, they get the last laugh when they reclaim that soured anthem ina campy, fantastical performanceat their 10-year high school reunion. —J.M. This high school-setPygmalionends with the prom. The artsy eccentric–turned–popular girl Laney (Rachael Leigh Cook) attends the dance with the wrong guy (Paul Walker), having fallen out with Zack (Freddie Prinze Jr.), the big man on campus who gave her a prom queen-worthy makeover. When Zack finds out that Laney's date is planning to seduce her after the dance, he tries to put a stop to it — but luckily, Laney doesn't need any help fighting him off. After she deafens her date with an air horn, Laney and Zack reconcile and dance alone in her backyard. —M.S. The first installment in the wildly popularTwilightsaga ends with a romantic prom scene. Shy, awkward, and clumsy Bella (Kristen Stewart) has her foot in a cast and is not thrilled to be at the dance, but her vampire beau, Edward (Robert Pattinson), insists that she would regret missing it. They dance to Iron & Wine as the vengeful vampire Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) — unbeknownst to either of them — watches. —M.S. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
