The iconic Disney Channel movie High School Musical holds a special place in the hearts of Millennials and Gen Z people everywhere. The first movie was released in 2006, and it starred Zac Efron as Troy and Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella.
The film takes us on a captivating journey of self-discovery and growth. This cultural staple tackles the themes of identity, peer pressure, and breaking social norms.
But nearly two decades later, does this TV movie still relate to today’s world? Spoiler alert: it does.
The movie opens with Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez spontaneously meeting at a New Year’s party and being forced to sing a song together, called “Start of Something New”, which is picked randomly from a karaoke machine. This moment sparks the beginning of their journey together, setting up the love story between them for the rest of the film.
For nearly two decades, High School Musical continues to teach us valuable lessons about life, even if some moments can feel a bit cringe-worthy. The movie takes a closer look at one specific character: Troy Bolton.
As captain of the basketball team, Troy is labeled as a jock, and he is expected to fit into this role. He never shows an interest in singing or anything else beyond basketball, until an unexpected opportunity offers him the chance to express his hidden talent and joy for music. By using Troy as an example of the universal struggle of detaching from stereotypes, the storyline brings a relatable high school scenario to life.
Troy doesn’t really start singing until Gabriella comes into the picture, which also causes conflict between Troy and his teammates, specifically his best friend, Chad. He starts missing practices and prioritizing his singing career for the benefit of being with Gabriella.
According to the stereotype, jocks and nerds are not allowed to mix. Gabriella and Troy’s friends disapprove of their relationship, which causes them to come together to sabotage their friendship to maintain the stereotype.
This situation teaches us the valuable lesson that you don’t need to follow cultural expectations, especially if you intend to harm someone in the process of following them. Troy and Gabriella go through a stage of identity crisis. Troy’s friends purposely force him into saying hurtful things about Gabriella, and this is a perfect example of the consequences of peer pressure.
On one side, we have Troy trying to figure himself out, and on the other side, we have his friends bullying him for wanting to sing. They also disapprove of him “prioritizing” a girl over the basketball team, which is not the case at all. A lesson this teaches us is to never criticize someone for wanting to explore new interests or accuse them of betrayal.
High School Musical is seen more as a nostalgia movie, rather than a source of valuable lessons about life. Many may rewatch this movie and never stop to understand the messages it’s giving us. It is full of cliche songs and cringe-worthy moments, but at certain sincere moments, it shows us the importance of compassion and empathy.
I encourage you to watch (or rewatch) this movie, but this time, make sure to focus on the messages it is trying to convey. I know I definitely see this movie from a different perspective now than when I first saw it, and I hope that you will do the same.
