10 Most Inspirational Teen Movies Of All Time
2. Pump Up The Volume (1990)
“Feeling screwed up at a screwed up time in a screwed up place does not necessarily make you screwed up.”
Recently arrived in Phoenix and lacking anyone to connect with at school, introverted Mark Hunter can’t get hold of his friends back east with the short wave radio set his father gave him… so he begins talking to no one, eloquently venting his adolescent angst and political nihilism on pirate radio to what he initially believes is empty air.
His voice disguised, Mark takes on the character ‘Happy Harry Hard-On’, a sex-obsessed malcontent with an inspired line in biting, challenging yet vulgar invective. Blamed for a teen suicide, ‘Harry’ finds the FBI and the FCC closing in on him as he works to expose the institutional malfeasance that affects him and his classmates.
It’s not just in his head, however: the high school is as corrupt as his youthful rebellious streak wants to believe it is, the principal expelling problem students to keep up the GPA but keeping them on the books to keep the government subsidy rolling in.
Samantha Mathis provides able support: but like a Lenny Bruce or Bill Hicks set, this is a one man show. Christian Slater made himself one to watch with Heathers the year before. Had Pump Up The Volume made more money, it would have made Slater a megastar. He carries the film with his performance, all amped up, wiry charisma and intense sincerity.
The film is much more than a string of exciting, dynamic monologues to microphone, but you’d be forgiven if all you remembered of the movie was one long, unbroken call to arms for disaffected youth worldwide. Talk hard...