Stephen King and Brian De Palma were commenting (in their twisted and gruesome way) on the hype and intensity that lead up to prom and the disappointment which many feel when the night isn't the prom they'd hoped for. Nowadays films seem to be the exact opposite: while watching the movie I couldn't help but be reminded of 1999's She's all That
in which loser-girl-turned-prom-queen actually turns out to be the cutest, most interesting and, ultimately, most popular girl around. In the end of She's All That the audience is reminded, as it usually is, that prom night is magical and amazing.
It should be clear by now to everyone that there are people out there who really love the prom and all it represents, who cherish every moment from the planning committee to the drunken-aftermath. And then there are those out there who think it's an utterly ridiculous social construct worthy of blood drenched exploitation and a serious reexamination of significance. I think that Carrie and She's All That are exemplar of these two ways of thinking about prom.
Where does the World's Best Prom fit in in this prom-spectrum? If you ask me, WBP captures the more beautiful moments that a prom can foster, the interpersonal bonding, familial pride and, most significantly, the sense of community that a prom creates. Sorry Stephen King, but add WBP to the list of movies that prove that prom isn't all that bad. Sure we, as a culture, may spend an obscene amount of time thinking about it and an even more obscene amount of money paying for it, but at the end of the night there are happy endings out there, and does that really call for a blood bath? Really? Probs not, Stephen, probs not. (For the record, I really liked the movie, a lot. Also kind of liked She's All That. What can I say? I just love movies about prom. A lot.)
