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Cap and gown? More like drama and glory. Join us as we count down the most unforgettable graduation moments in movies and TV, from heartfelt speeches and shocking proposals to supernatural showdowns and bittersweet goodbyes. Our picks include “Spider-Man,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Legally Blonde,” “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” and more. Did your favorite make the list? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:00Everybody screams when I kiss the teacher.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best graduation scenes across movies and TV
00:12shows.
00:13Ms. Tuttweiler, it seems you misspelled the Latin word for me.
00:16Zachary Martin!
00:19Number 20. Spidey Graduates, Spider-Man.
00:22Learning to use his powers for good while still recovering from the shock of his uncle's death,
00:27Peter Parker's graduation ceremony was bittersweet.
00:29After speaking with his Aunt May, Peter is approached by Norman Osborn and almost creepily congratulated on his science award
00:36and success.
00:37I know this has been a difficult time for you, but I want you to try to enjoy this day.
00:43Assuring him that he's a member of the family and to call him if he ever needs anything,
00:47Osborn put both Peter and audiences on edge with his slimy smirk and his cold congratulations to his own son
00:52Harry just moments before.
00:54You made it.
01:04Marking the beginning of a new adult life for the superhero, Spidey tossed away the carefree high school years to
01:10start his career of fighting baddies.
01:12You're like a brother to Harry. That makes you family. And if you ever need anything, just give me a
01:18call.
01:19Number 19. All Together, The Vampire Diaries.
01:23Group hug!
01:24I don't hug.
01:26Oh, get over yourself.
01:28When Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Elena, and Stefan all actually show up to their graduation, it initially seems like everyone is
01:35all smiles.
01:36Bonnie's pain at hiding the secret of her impending death manages to peek through her actions around her friends and
01:42her father,
01:43giving the audience a preview of the tougher times ahead.
01:45As each member of the group receives their diplomas, Cole also makes a surprise appearance,
01:50showing up to the ceremony with a small army of the undead, ready to be released.
01:54In fact, these seats are scattered with two dozen supernatural faces, all of whom have reason to lash out.
02:02The ceremony continues happily on, despite the tense negotiations between him and Bonnie,
02:07with the mostly human audience oblivious to what's going on.
02:11Number 18. Graduation Bites. The Twilight Saga Eclipse.
02:14Most people only get to graduate once, but if you're one of the Cullens, it's same old, same old.
02:20Joining her vampire boyfriend and graduating, Bella wasn't just excited to be finishing high school.
02:25The ceremony itself marked her getting one step closer to her ultimate goal,
02:29becoming a vampire just like Edward and joining her sparkly family for eternity.
02:33After a few decades, everyone you know will be dead.
02:40Problem solved.
02:41While the valedictorian speech discussing the future and what it held for the grads was given,
02:46the shot panned out to the Cullens seated in the audience.
02:49This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions.
02:51This is the time to make mistakes.
02:54Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere.
02:57Fall in love.
02:59A lot.
03:01At this point, though, they could probably run the ceremony themselves.
03:05So, make as many mistakes as you can.
03:08That way, someday, when they ask what we want to be,
03:11we won't have to guess.
03:14We'll know.
03:19Number 17. Crashing the ceremony. Literally.
03:22Booksmart.
03:23Okay, Waze says 19 minutes. We're doing it in seven.
03:26Let's f***ing do this.
03:31Olivia Wilde's Booksmart was a surprise comedy hit with a lot of heart.
03:35The film, which sees Amy and Molly,
03:37played by Caitlin Deaver and Beanie Feldstein respectively,
03:40trying to come of age the night before their high school graduation ceremony.
03:43After a night of hijinks that lands Amy in jail,
03:46the two steal their classmate's car and joyride to their graduation ceremony,
03:49quite literally crashing through the event.
03:51Straight white man, your time is...
04:02Molly makes her way to the stage to give her valedictorian speech,
04:06but on the way, passionately kisses her crush, Jared.
04:09If that entrance didn't bring the house down,
04:11then Molly's heartfelt speech to her classmates certainly did.
04:14Things are never going to be the same, but it was perfect.
04:21And I may not have before, but I see you now.
04:26And you're all pretty great.
04:29Number 16.
04:30Graduating from the University of Alabama.
04:32Forrest Gump.
04:33College ran by real fast because I played so much football.
04:37They even put me on a thing called the All-America Team,
04:41where you get to meet the President of the United States.
04:45Like most of the scenes in this iconic film,
04:47Forrest's innocent commentary on this snapshot of his life
04:50made it more special than simply watching it ever could.
04:52After scoring a football scholarship to the University of Alabama
04:55and making the All-American team,
04:57Forrest receives his degree to the delight of his mother.
05:00Shrugging off college as just playing football for five years,
05:03Gump's graduation had his mother shedding tears of pride.
05:06Marking yet another turning point in his life,
05:08an army recruiter offers Gump an informative pamphlet,
05:11sending him off on his next adventure
05:13only moments after he received his diploma.
05:16Congratulations, son.
05:17Have you given any thought to your future?
05:22Thought?
05:25Number 15.
05:27Armed and Dangerous.
05:28Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
05:29Fire!
05:31Go! Go! Go!
05:33Did this graduating class take a course in advanced weaponry?
05:36During the ceremony at Sunnydale High,
05:38a convenient eclipse takes place
05:40just as the somewhat suspicious mayor is delivering a speech.
05:44Red flag, anybody?
05:45It doesn't take long before the mayor turns into a giant, hungry-looking snake,
05:49with most of the adult audience scattering.
05:51In one of the most badass scenes of the series,
05:54the graduates keep their calm,
05:56throwing off their robes
05:57and pulling out a veritable armory of flamethrowers,
06:00maces, and other monster-killing gear.
06:02Now!
06:10Could anything less be expected from a class that includes a vampire slayer?
06:15Number 14.
06:16Birthday Suit Grad.
06:17She's all that.
06:18Never back out on a bet.
06:20Am I a bet?
06:21Am I a bet?
06:22Am I a f***ing bet?
06:25After Lainey finds out about the terms of Zack's bet with Dean,
06:28she's not about to let him duck out,
06:30despite having forgiven him.
06:31Zack?
06:32What?
06:33About the bet.
06:35Yeah.
06:36What were the terms, anyway?
06:38You'll see.
06:39I never back out on a bet.
06:41Wearing a sly smirk on his face while covering himself up with a soccer ball,
06:45Zack fully honors his promise of walking naked during the graduation ceremony
06:49by tossing the strategically placed ball at Lainey when his name is called.
06:52Zachary Siler.
06:59Hearing the students breaking into hoots and whistles,
07:01as well as seeing the smile blossom on Lainey's face,
07:04made these final moments of high school the perfect ending to this teenage romance.
07:08Number 13.
07:09Remembering JT, Degrassi, The Next Generation.
07:12Unfortunately, one friend did not finish the journey.
07:17His name is James Tiberius York.
07:19Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to bring people back together.
07:23Though there was a significant amount of tension in this episode,
07:26things came to a head during the graduation ceremony.
07:29Breaking down halfway through her speech honoring deceased classmate JT,
07:33Liberty rushed off stage in tears.
07:35Watching her friends come to her aid to provide support and forgive her for her mistakes
07:40warmed audiences' hearts and emphasized the importance of friendship,
07:45especially when things get tough.
07:47With the uplifting vocals of Natasha Bedingfield in the background,
07:50this was one of the most memorable graduations in the Degrassi series.
08:04Number 12.
08:05Graduation Group Text
08:06Gossip Girl
08:07For some people, getting their diploma means leaving the drama and gossip of high school behind them.
08:13But when Gossip Girl gets involved, the drama ain't going anywhere.
08:16Looking forward to college and leaving rumors in the past,
08:19Serena and Blair finally settle in to enjoy their last moments of high school.
08:23But with convenient and brutal timing,
08:26Gossip Girl shatters the ceremony with a scathing group text
08:29that gives almost the entire class a vicious set of labels.
08:32Not so fast.
08:33You're not graduating until I give you my diplomas.
08:38Mine are labels, and labels stick.
08:41As the graduates exchange looks after receiving the text,
08:44the mood quickly turns from joyful to bitter,
08:47showing that despite the occasion,
08:49Gossip Girl isn't done with them yet.
08:51Nobody can take this day away from us.
08:53Gossip Girl is going down.
08:56Number 11.
08:59I've glimpsed our future,
09:01and all I can say is,
09:04go back.
09:08Most valedictorian speeches are full of ambition,
09:11hope,
09:12and a message of a future seen through rose-colored glasses.
09:14But, in the address given by Lloyd Dobler's love interest in the film,
09:18she delivers a strong dose of realism to her classmates.
09:21We all know what the answers are.
09:23We want to be happy,
09:24go to college,
09:25work hard,
09:26maybe raise a family.
09:29But what if that doesn't happen?
09:31Confessing her fears about the uncertainty of the future,
09:34and showing that even someone as brainy as she is can be afraid,
09:37Diane Court inspires her peers to think just a little harder about where they're going in life.
09:41But when I think about the future,
09:45the truth is,
09:48I am really scared.
09:55This leaves her audience silent and lost in thought.
09:58As Lloyd marvels over the color of her eyes and the clunky camera's role,
10:02Diane gives the audience both on and off the screen something to think about.
10:06Number 10.
10:07Ring and a Diploma.
10:09The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
10:11Though the rumors had been flying,
10:13this heartwarming proposal up on the graduation stage still came as a surprise to viewers.
10:18After completing his emotional and revealing valedictory address,
10:22Ricky calls Amy up on stage to pop the big question.
10:25When she tearfully agrees,
10:26the thunderous applause throughout the auditorium overshadows the few expressions within the crowd
10:31that are less than happy with the turn of events.
10:33Amy Jorgens,
10:35will you marry me?
10:39Despite the drama from other characters in the show,
10:41the look on Ricky's face as he asked for Amy's hand in marriage was priceless,
10:45and made the graduation one to remember for more reasons than one.
10:49Number 9.
10:51Dustin's Speech.
10:52Stranger Things.
10:53I just wanted a normal childhood.
10:56But that childhood was stolen from me.
11:00It was stolen from us.
11:01Whether you loved or hated the finale to this hit Duffer Brothers show,
11:05there is no denying that the graduation scene was a heartfelt tribute to these beloved characters.
11:10After defeating Vecna once and for all,
11:13we finally get to see the Hawkins kids finish high school,
11:15capped off by a heartfelt speech by valedictorian Dustin,
11:18who unsurprisingly makes a few Dungeons and Dragons references throughout.
11:22There are two types of chaos classes.
11:25Chaotic good and chaotic bad.
11:28Now, bad chaos brings anarchy, destruction, war.
11:33But good chaos can bring innovation, change.
11:39In a rebellious twist,
11:40Dustin sticks it to the school administration
11:42before ripping off his gown to reveal a Hellfire Club shirt
11:45in honor of the late Eddie Munson.
11:47Screw conformity.
11:48Screw everyone and everything trying to hold you back.
11:51Tear us apart because this, this is our year!
11:57Number 8.
11:58Just barely.
12:00Saved by the bell.
12:01Veldie wants to see me.
12:01He probably has a goodbye gift for me.
12:03After all, I've spent more time in his office than he has.
12:05Not everybody is a star student,
12:07and making it up to the podium can be a struggle for some.
12:10As graduation approaches,
12:11Zach learns that he is one credit shy of getting his diploma.
12:15Summer school?
12:16Those two words don't go together.
12:18In a desperate attempt to attend graduation with his classmates,
12:21he joins Bayside's ballet troupe.
12:24Naturally, hilarity ensues.
12:26However, things take a turn for the worse
12:28when most of the dancers fall ill,
12:30threatening the final show and Zach's credit.
12:34Luckily, Zach is able to convince his friends to help,
12:37allowing him to graduate.
12:39Classic Zach Morris.
12:40How about that?
12:42I actually graduated high school.
12:44Yes!
12:45I'm here, guys.
12:46Number 7.
12:47Surprise!
12:48Boy Meets World.
12:49Graduation is a tough milestone for most high school couples.
12:52Parties go their separate ways with different jobs,
12:55schools, or interests,
12:56most of the time.
12:58Depressed about the possibility of Topanga going off to Yale without him,
13:01but still wanting her to go,
13:02Corey's blues are evident throughout the episode.
13:05You guys gonna leave me too?
13:07But in a surprise twist,
13:09just as the graduating class is asked to stand,
13:11Topanga turns the tables and asks him to marry her.
13:14Will you marry me?
13:16Watching him slowly return to his seat in stunned silence
13:20before the cliffhanger ending of the episode
13:22had audience's jaws dropping with shock
13:24and cranked the suspense to the next level.
13:28Number 6.
13:28A Soundtrack to Remember.
13:30The O.C.
13:31Here is the last hurrah of the Core 4.
13:34This is one of the final moments Marissa, Ryan, Summer, and Seth spent together,
13:38and their graduation ceremony is accompanied by the sounds of Imogen Heap's
13:42somewhat on-the-nose speeding cars.
13:55The memorable soundtrack and the fact that this event was one of the last
13:58to have all the friends together made this graduation one audiences will never forget.
14:03Heading their separate ways with high hopes for the future,
14:06seeing the happy grads wish each other well
14:08made the harsh and shocking ending of this episode even harder to watch.
14:17Number 5.
14:18Yahoo for School.
14:19Billy Madison.
14:20After successfully completing his grade school years as an adult,
14:23Billy's final address to his class was classic Adam Sandler humor.
14:27I graduated, it's over, I did it.
14:30I know most of you are saying,
14:33hey, any idiot could do that.
14:36Well, it was tough for me, so back off!
14:39Passing the opportunity to rule his father's multi-million dollar hotel chain
14:43to a trusted colleague,
14:44and announcing he's going to continue his education and become a teacher himself,
14:48Billy showed that no matter how late you pursue it,
14:50education can be for everyone.
14:52Yahoo!
14:54Yahoo for School!
14:56Yahoo for me!
14:59With parting words we all wish we could have given at our graduations,
15:02Billy spoke for all of us with his final line,
15:05peace, I'm out of here.
15:06Peace, I'm out of here!
15:08Number 4.
15:09Never Give Up.
15:10Crazy Stupid Love.
15:11Not all graduations have to be from high school or college.
15:15Sometimes middle school ceremonies are just as monumental.
15:18And love,
15:20that's the biggest scam of all.
15:23After a pretty depressing speech from his young son Robbie,
15:26Cal decides to step in,
15:28and revitalize his son's belief in love and looking forward to the future.
15:31There is no such thing
15:34as one true love.
15:42Giving a tear-jerking address about the importance of never giving up on the one you love,
15:46as well as recounting his romance with his estranged wife Emily,
15:50Cal managed to redeem himself in the eyes of his friends and family.
15:53I have loved her even when I've hated her.
15:57Only married couples will understand that one.
16:01The future isn't always about careers, degrees, or diplomas.
16:05Sometimes it's about finding the one you are meant to be with.
16:08But I can promise you this.
16:11I will never stop trying.
16:14Because when you find the one,
16:18you never give up.
16:19Number 3.
16:21Once a Wildcat, Always a Wildcat.
16:23High School Musical 3, Senior Year.
16:25Ladies and gentlemen, our seniors!
16:29It was truly the end of an era.
16:34After Troy delivers his stirring speech
16:36about following your passions in life
16:37and never being scared to be who you truly are,
16:40the entire HSM gang got together one last time
16:42for a performance that rocked audiences' socks off.
16:45With a blur of red and white gowns
16:47and some impressive choreography,
16:49the crew sang a rendition of High School Musical.
16:50High School Musical 3, Senior Year.
16:54Celebrate where we come from.
16:56The friends who feel they're all alone just now.
17:02High School Musical 3, Senior Year.
17:07High School Musical 3, Senior Year.
17:08Celebrating their years in high school
17:10and how wonderful their experiences had been,
17:12the grads wanted the rest of their lives
17:14to be just like their High School Musical,
17:15and viewers could not blame them.
17:21As she guided me through these incredible 18 years,
17:25I don't know if she ever realized
17:26that the person I most wanted to be was her.
17:28After years of watching Rory fight her way up the ladder
17:31and refuse to give up,
17:33viewers couldn't help but be moved
17:34by her articulate and beautifully worded speech.
17:37Rory gave a speech that broke her audience down to tears,
17:40despite their best efforts to keep emotions in check.
17:43Watching her mother and grandparents
17:45barely manage to hold back tears
17:47makes the impact of Rory's speech even more profound.
17:50And this moment holds a spot
17:51as one of the most memorable valedictory addresses on television.
17:55I'm not crying.
17:56Crying a little.
17:58Crying a little, but not blubbering.
17:59That's what we meant when we said no crying.
18:01No blubbering.
18:02Number 1.
18:03Class of 2004.
18:04Legally Blonde.
18:06Ladies and gentlemen,
18:08Elle Woods.
18:12In one of the most memorable and inspiring speeches
18:14given to Harvard grads,
18:16Elle Woods came out on top once again
18:18with her address to her fellow law graduates.
18:20Empowering others with her words,
18:22Elle's message about believing in yourself
18:23and persevering despite setbacks
18:25reminded us of her journey
18:27of fighting her way through law school.
18:28You must always have faith in people.
18:31And most importantly,
18:36you must always have faith in yourself.
18:39Audiences at home applauded along with the grads
18:41as Elle finally reached the end of said journey,
18:44while everyone she knew
18:45got exactly what they deserved in the end.
18:47Congratulations, class of 2004.
18:50We did it!
18:52You go, girl.
18:53Did we miss your favorite graduation scene?
18:56Let us know in the comments.
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