I’ve always loved graduations. At my fifth grade graduation – which was a real thing – I was picked to deliver a three line speech about my elementary school experience. From then on, I grew to look forward to each spring, with its promise of pomp and circumstance and of course of polyester caps and gowns. Graduation is a time for celebrating, and what better way to celebrate than with a ridiculous rom-com movie and some wine?
She’s All That, the 1999 cinematic classic starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook is a top contender for my generation’s greatest teen film. For the uninitiated, the film is a take on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (and later, My Fair Lady) in which popular jock Zach Siler takes on a bet to make bespectacled artist Laney Boggs the prom queen. The film is genuinely funny and full of nineties references and faces (hello Lil’ Kim). But ultimately, She’s All That delivers a touching message about the importance of staying true to yourself and following your passion. While the movie may not be widely respected within the film community, it’s the type of happy graduation film that’s perfect to watch while you’re packing up for the next chapter of your life.
As much as graduations signify change, they also welcome excitement and an opportunity to try new things, so there’s a lot of similarity between a dry Riesling and any graduation. The acidity and the bright crisp sweetness of the wine complement one another in a way that makes for a refreshing and altogether exciting glass. As an added bonus, these qualities make Riesling an excellent companion to spicy foods. For any college graduate preparing to move into their first ever real world apartment, remember that idea when you order in your next delivery of particularly spicy Indian or Szechuan food and pour yourself a glass of Riesling.
And, of course, congratulations to the entire graduating class of 2015!
Header Image Courtesy Mirimiax
Colette Bloom is a writer living in New York. In the eighth grade, she read the first half of Atlas Shrugged but then it fell out of her backpack and the spine cracked and she figured it would be easier to just watch TV. Follow her on Twitter @cobloom.
