4 stars

A treatise on influential teen movies from Andy Hardy to “The Hunger Games” films from a former writer for “Vanity Fair.” Rather than a broad overview of a lot of movies, Handy does a deep dive into some of the most important/influential including “Rebel Without a Cause,” the “Beach Party” genre, “American Graffiti, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the John Hughes oeuvre, “Boyz N the Hood” and “Mean Girls” among others.

Sometimes there might be too much information if a reader has never seen a particular movie/read the book(s) on which a movie/the movies is/are based, but the book is well done and written by someone who (mostly) appreciates teen movies (although it’s fairly easy to tell which of these movies Handy likes versus those he doesn’t much care for.) This won’t be for everyone but I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to catching at least one Andy Hardy movie sometime.

I loved this book. Honestly, I was mainly interested in Fast Times, the John Hughes films, Clueless and Mean Girls. That being said, even the parts about old teen movies like Mickey Rooney and Rebel Without a Cause were interesting. But for my money, the coverage of Fast Times and John Hughes makes this book worth the price of admission right there. Really great overview of the changing nature of teen movies as well as teen culture.

I received a free e-galley of the book in return for an honest review.

Prerequisites to enjoying Hollywood High by longtime Vanity Fair editor and writer Bruce Handy:

Were you ever a teenager?

Regardless of your current age, did you attend movies as a teenager that you felt resonated with you?

Do you have a mild interest in movies?

If you answered yes to all three, this book is for you.

Bruce Handy masterfully weaves the history of movies about and geared toward teenagers, beginning with Mickey Rooney movies and concluding with Twilight and the Hunger Games series. He does a phenomenal job of examining the sociology of teenagers in each movie era and what was happening in America in those generations.

Hollywood High is an engaging book that doesn't deal with pedantry or Film School professorial arrogance. Although Hardy is a Baby Boomer, he writes with empathy for former teenagers of younger generations.

Furthermore, in The Afterword, Hardy is humble enough to admit that he has made no grand conclusions about teenage movies. I appreciated that from a modern author.

I also tip my cap to Hardy for not engaging in what he calls "presentism." He doesn't look back at these movies from a 2024 perspective. Minorities basically didn't exist in teen movies until John Singleton's Boyz in the Hood. Some John Hughes movies have aged terribly. Others have not aged well because teen girls were just meant to be "sexually conquered." While Hardy notes all this bad taste, he provides sociological evidence that this is what white middle and upper-class teens with expendable income in those eras wanted, and film critics (himself included) failed to pay attention. I appreciated that as well. I always tip my cap to authors like Handy, who realize that most of their readers are thoughtful and don't need sermonizing.

Hollywood High is a five-star book that will play well on both Amazon and GoodReads collective star reviews.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have always been a fan of film history books so when I saw this title as an option for request on netgalley I knew I had to read it. I was not dissapointed, Handy takes through the history of the term "teenager" and explains all the way that the movies (from 1930s onward) reflect the lives of the teens that were living at the time (1950s movies are very different than present day ones in how they depict teenagers.) An excellent book that should be on any film lovers list.

I studied television and film in college and when I saw this book, I knew I needed to read it. I've always been fascinated with how television and movies play a huge part in our culture. I think Handy compiled a very detailed account of the history of Hollywood shows and a look at the ones that stand out in America. I loved it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.