Top 30 Rewatched Teen Movie Moments

Lindsay Lohan in a teen movie opposite Jamie Lee Curtis is guaranteed fun. The 2003 “Freaky Friday” adaptation keeps the same core premise as the original, spotlighting a mom and teen daughter who are at odds until they switch bodies. There are countless memorable scenes, but the one that sticks out the most is when the duo first realize what’s happened to them. Anna as Tess hilariously freaks out, while Tess as Anna tries to keep calm. They even decide to run into each other to switch back, with no success. It sets the stage for the rest of the movie, and it’s hysterical watching these two act as one another.

Those of us who grew up with Lizzie McGuire definitely wanted to be her, especially during her trip to Rome. The movie sees her, Gordo, and their class head to Italy, where she meets Paolo and steps in for his singing partner Isabella — who happens to look just like her. During a show at the colosseum, she learns that he’s actually a fraud, and they expose him for lip syncing. The karma alone is deeply satisfying. It’s made extra amazing by her triumphantly performing “What Dreams Are Made Of,” first with Isabella and then alone, in front of a crowd including her loved ones. The number never grows stale — and neither does belting it out alongside them!

Chris Parker gets much more than she bargains for when she agrees to babysit for the Andersons. While on the run from some criminals, Chris, Sarah, Brad, and Daryl find themselves on the stage of a blues bar. Since no one gets out of that place without singing the blues, Chris leads her crew through an impressively catchy improvised tune about their night. She tells the audience about all their vehicular misadventures, and for a brief moment she’s able to make light of their nightmare of a night. We just wish we could’ve heard what the men chasing them probably had to sing to get out of there.

Amy and Molly are proud to be heading towards the schools of their dreams after graduation. They’re less thrilled to discover that refraining from partying was not what got them there, and they realize that they need to go out on their last night with their classmates. One of the most mesmerizing moments during this is Amy in a pool with her crush, where viewers are able to feel the magic right through the screen. Between the music, cinematography, and emotions, the entire scene perfectly encompasses bubbling feelings of love and anticipation. Though things quickly end up devolving, we could watch it forever.

Viola’s transformation into her twin brother Sebastian is an absolute pleasure to watch. She adopts male mannerisms, expands her soccer skills, and navigates her feelings for her roommate. All of the swapping, chaos, and hilarity comes to a boiling point at the big game, where Illyria plays Viola’s old school, Cornwall. The real Sebastian is forced to play, before his sister taps in and comes clean on the field in truly epic fashion, making sure there’ll be no confusion. Everyone – including their parents – are shocked, and the principal is humiliated. Best of all though, Viola ends up playing as herself, leading her team to victory, and it’s pitch perfect.

During the summer after high school graduation, Lloyd Dobler shoots his shot with Diane Court, even though the two couldn’t be more opposite. Despite their obstacles, they fall hard for each other. When they spend the night together for the first time, Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” is playing. Later, in order to appease her father, Diane breaks up with Lloyd. It’s all memorable, but the rewatchable pièce de resistance comes when he tries to win her back by playing that very same song on a boombox outside of her window. It’s a hopelessly romantic gesture, and the scene has since transcended the movie in pop culture. We love every second of it.

Joel is an overachieving and, let’s just say it, boring and naive high school student. But when he cuts loose, he really goes off. Although this eventually leads to destruction in various forms, it all starts off innocently enough in this scene. When his parents are out of town and he’s got the massive house to himself, he plays ‘Old Time Rock and Roll’ and lip syncs and dances along. Donning his underwear, socks, and a shirt, he doesn’t hold back and has a blast. The moment has been endlessly recreated through the years, it’s by far the most well-known moment from the movie. Is it any wonder we’ve watched it more than once?

Molly Ringwald was the it girl of the 1980s, delivering a plethora of unforgettable scenes across several movies. One of the best comes at the end of “Pretty in Pink,” where she lets her classmates know they didn’t break her. Having fallen for rich boy Blane and been hurt by him, she could throw in the towel. But instead, she goes to the prom in a makeshift dress, arm in arm with her best friend Duckie. Her appearance shows Blane the error of his ways, and they share a passionate kiss. It’s a powerfully perfect way to cap off the film, and doubles as an ‘80s teen movie moment we won’t soon forget.

Although this moment happens in Brad’s mind, it made a huge impact, having certainly been replayed by more than a few viewers over the decades. While he’s working, Brad sees his sister’s best friend, Linda at the pool with the group. Soon though, we see her through his eyes in a fantasy, as she seduces him in a red bikini that doesn’t stay on for too long. The moment is definitely NSFW, and the stark contrast with the reality of the situation is pretty comical. It’s a bit that will live on in many minds for many years to come, to say the least.

“Juno” is a groundbreaking movie, with humor and edge that makes the tough topics tackled within it feel accessible. It becomes clear early on that we’re in for a lot of laughs and feelings. As the opening credits transition into plot, Juno tries to confirm whether she’s expecting through yet another pregnancy test. Needless to say, we learn pretty much all we need to know about the character’s spunk and personality right then and there. Throughout, Juno drinks SunnyD, gives the (also hilarious) store clerk attitude, going through denial before accepting what’s happening. Watching it play out never gets old.

If you know the premise of “The Fault in Our Stars”, you know it wasn’t destined to have a happy ending. Hazel and Augustus are both battling cancer, and they each waver between severe illness and apparent health throughout the film. While for most of the story, Augustus seems like just your average teenager, his wellness begins to falter near the end and he arranges a pre-funeral for himself when he knows that his time is almost up. It’s almost impossible to watch Hazel’s eulogy to him without shedding a tear.

If you read Stephen Chbosky’s novel, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, you probably spent a long time imagining the iconic tunnel scene. In the film adaptation, which was directed by the author, the moment takes your breath away, as Patrick drives through the tunnel while Sam stands up in the bed of the pickup truck. The fact that "Heroes" by David Bowie is blaring only adds to the atmosphere. It’s a magical moment that inevitably makes viewers think of their own adolescence and the moments where they could swear they were infinite too.

In “A Walk to Remember”, Jamie is a minister’s daughter who’s dying of cancer. But she hides this fact from Landon, the bad boy who she ends up befriending and falling for. As they get closer though, the two become inseparable, with Landon proving what a sweet and sensitive guy he can be. When he learns about her bucket list of things that she wants to complete, he helps her cross them off, including getting a tattoo and being in two places at once. Though there’s no happily ever after here, at least Landon helps Jamie to accomplish one of her greatest wishes - to get married in the church where her mother said her own vows.

In the third act of “A Cinderella Story”, a betrayed Sam confronts Austin in the locker room before his big football game - in front of all his teammates. She speaks her mind and lays it all on the line before going to watch from the stands. In the pivotal moment of the game though, Austin runs off the field to chase after Sam and show her how he feels. The fact that he does this in front of basically everyone they know makes the moment so much more impactful.

Despite the fact that she’s been underestimated by everyone in her life, Elle manages to thrive at Harvard Law School. Which is pretty impressive, since she only applied to be closer to the guy who dumped her! When she has a role in a major murder case however, she uses her particular brand of skills and knowledge to piece together the facts of the case in a way only she can. Of course you can’t shower after getting a perm! She manages to bring her team to victory, and help a sorority sister in the process.

At the beginning of “Easy A”, we’re introduced to our protagonist Olive Penderghast. Pretending she has plans in order to avoid camping with her best friend’s family, she stays home all weekend. While there, she receives a greeting card from her grandmother that plays Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" when you open it. And while she initially hates the song, she grows more and more fond of it as the weekend progresses - eventually belting it out while dancing along. Watching the evolution of her boredom is hilarious and makes for a great montage that lets us get to know this quirky character.

Almost every scene from “Grease” is iconic. But if we had to pick just one we’d have to go with the performance of “Summer Nights”. Danny and Sandy each tell their respective groups of friends their own version of what happened when they met at the beach, and it shows a comical and striking difference between which details girls want to know and the ones guys are interested in. The back and forth makes for a dynamic scene that’s become one of the most memorable in the history of cinema for a reason.

Pretty much all of Lara Jean and Peter’s love story in “To All the Boys I've Loved Before” is delightful to watch, but this scene has got to be the pinnacle of their romance. While on a school ski trip, their real feelings for each other are finally out in the open when they engage in a steamy makeout session in a hot tub. Sure, a damper gets put on things when someone films it and shares it with everyone they know ... but the moment itself makes us wish for a “fake” boyfriend of our own.

When we say that “Heathers” is a dark comedy, we mean seriously dark. While many satires have been made about the high school experience, not many are as biting - or brutal - as this one. In this scene, protagonist Veronica walks down the school hallway covered in dirt where she encounters one of the Heathers, Heather Duke. Heather tells her that she looks like hell, to which Veronica replies that that’s where she just came from. It’s a snappy comeback, and has become one of the most quotable lines from the film for good reason.

We all love a good makeover scene, and it’s hard to think of one that tops this moment from “The Princess Diaries”. Mia Thermopolis is a dorky teen living with her single mother in San Francisco until she unexpectedly finds out that she’s actually a princess. Before she can take on this regal role however, she has to go through some accelerated finishing school training and needs a makeover in order to look the part. We all know that Anne Hathaway is beautiful, but you can’t help but gasp when the new Mia is revealed.

In a lot of ways, “Love, Simon” is reminiscent of classic movies of the genre, recalling John Hughes hits from the ‘80s. The major difference though is that our main character is gay, making this the first movie by a major studio to focus on an LGBTQ+ love story. After coming out to everyone in his life, all that’s left is for Simon to be reunited with the mystery guy he fell in love with online. At first, the audience is primed for disappointment as he sits on the ferris wheel alone. But when Bram joins him and they eventually kiss, we were all cheering along with glee.

Often, dream sequences are used as something of a cheap ploy in movies - tricking the audience into thinking what they’re seeing is actually happening. But “Bring It On” opens with a cleverly written scene where we learn just about everything we need to know about Torrance Shipman through her subconscious. It certainly helps that the cheer the Toros perform in Torrance’s dream is probably the catchiest and most memorable in the entire movie, giving us the real inside scoop of what cheerleaders actually think of themselves. Also, haven’t we all had nightmares about being naked in front of the entire school?

“Clueless” is considered by many to be the greatest teen movie of all time and it ropes you in almost immediately with an epic opening montage. We see Cher living the teenage life that most can only dream of as she swans around Los Angeles with her friends. Her voiceover about her morning routine is what lets us know definitively that we’re not dealing with your average suburban high school tale, as Cher walks us through how she picks out her daily outfits. Sure, this movie is from 1995, but this computer system is something we’re still lusting after decades later.

As far as high school romances go, it’s hard to beat Kat and Patrick’s from “10 Things I Hate About You”. It’s tempting to say our most rewatched moment of this movie comes when Kat reads out her poem in class, but we have to pick Heath Ledger’s performance of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". This grand gesture on the school bleachers shows that Patrick is willing to put his heart on his sleeve in the name of his love for Kat, despite the fact that he’s been pretty stoic up until this point. The fact that we lost Ledger too soon makes us watch this scene with an added level of wistfulness.

We’ll never be able to hear "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" and NOT think about this scene. By the end of “Dirty Dancing”, Baby has come into her own and is no longer the shy and insecure teen who we met at the beginning of the story. Her romance with Johnny has blossomed and the two are now in a romantic partnership as well as a dance partnership. Despite her initial lack of coordination, Baby has learned how to let go and trusts Johnny for the epic lift in the routine. It’s a feel good moment that makes viewers feel like they can do anything they set their minds to.

Throughout “Sixteen Candles”, Sam laments the fact that her crush, Jake Ryan, basically doesn’t know she exists. That’s why this scene is the perfect fantasy fulfillment for every lonely teen out there who dreams that the one they love will end up feeling the same way. Jake shows up at the church after Sam’s sister’s wedding and picks Sam up even though it’s pretty much the last thing she was expecting. They go back to his place, where he has a birthday cake for her, and they kiss in one of the best last scenes in any teen movie.

“Romeo and Juliet” is considered to be one of the greatest love stories ever told, and Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 adaptation made it appealing for a new generation. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes shine in the titular roles, making their chemistry apparent from the very first moment they set eyes on one another. Luhrmann has them meet in a whimsical and memorable way, spying each other through a fish tank at a bustling costume party. This is love at first sight at its very finest. It’s no surprise that the two are kissing soon after.

When Cady finds herself at an Illinois high school after growing up in Africa, she quickly befriends Janice and Damian, who give her a run down of North Shore High’s cliques. The ones they warn her about are The Plastics, a group of three girls who call Regina George their queen. Cady ends up falling in with the crowd despite Janice’s advice, which is how the drama of the movie kicks off, but her first meeting with them will always make us laugh. It also gave us several iconic and quotable lines.

John Hughes teen classic "The Breakfast Club" masterfully switches between comedy and drama. In one of the most serious scenes from the film, the group of teens gets real about their home lives, sympathizing with one another about the varied issues that they all face. John Bender (AKA The Criminal) comes from an abusive home, and gets heated when describing his relationship with his father. Bender has maintained a cool exterior for most of the film, but in this moment he breaks down and lets it all out, showing that he’s just as vulnerable as the rest of them.

Can you think of a better opening scene to a movie than this one? When “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” kicks off, we see our titular hero lying sick in bed, or so we think. We quickly learn that he’s conning his parents, and goes on to explain his life philosophy in a few short minutes as he gets ready for his day out on the town. It’s funny, it’s ingenious, and it inspired a whole generation of teens to get creative with how they fake sick. No matter how many times we see it, this intro always makes us laugh.

What teen movie moment do you never tire of? Let us know in the comments!