Rebel Wilson is a blast from the past in "Senior Year."
The Australian actress stars as a woman who wakes up from a 20-year-long coma and still
feels like a 17-year-old cheer captain from the Class of 2002, one who wants nothing more
than to become prom queen.
So she heads back to her old high school to finish what she started.
Stephanie brings a lot of her turn-of-the-millennium style along for the ride, which makes the
movie an all-out celebration of throwback clothes, music, icons, and lingo.
"Spread it around.
Let's make it a virus.
That's cute."
Here's a look at some of the small details you might've missed in "Senior Year."
Like just about any '90s teen, Stephanie's room is a wall-to-wall mosaic of magazine
clippings, posters, and word art celebrating her pop culture favorites.
Her vision board is basically Pinterest before Pinterest existed - of all the things she
idolizes and wants for herself.
Press pause on just about any shot of her room, and you'll notice an array of images
that take you right back to the era of boy bands, singing starlets, and funky fashions.
Some of the most prominent posters adorning her room depict the biggest radio favorites
of Stephanie's day, including Britney Spears and NSYNC, along with instantly iconic teen
movies of the time like "Clueless" and "The Craft."
Blink and you might not catch some nostalgic images like Rachael Leigh Cook from the "She's
All That" era and Jordan Knight's solo album after New Kids on the Block.
The blockbuster disaster film "Deep Impact" also gets some love, as it's the now-vintage
film that Stephanie and Seth go on a date to see.
On top of the visual Easter eggs, the dialogue in "Senior Year" contains tons of rapid-fire
callbacks that are easy to miss, like a compliment to the quirky legal drama "Ally McBeal" that,
let's face it, nearly every high school girl was watching in 2002.
"Martha, you look like an Ally McBeal character."
"Oh my God, thank you."
Keep your ears peeled for other classic pop culture namedrops, including Destiny's Child,
Mr. T, and "Sex and the City."
"That is like fate.
Like Destiny's Child."
"Total Miranda, right dad?"
"I'm Mr. Tappert, the guidance counselor.
But you can call me Mr. T." "Is that because you 'pity the fool' who has
a bad first day?"
And don't step away for a second, or you'll miss some TLC burns.
"Don't go chasing waterfalls."
"Take that back."
Like so much of "Senior Year," the soundtrack is an eclectic mix of modern music and 2000s
throwback gems — specifically songs that came out between 1998 and 2002, Stephanie's
high school years.
We get to hear some of the biggest earworms of Stephanie's glory days in key moments from
the film.
Her cheer routine alone includes a mix of major hits, including Christina Aguilera's
"Come On Over (All I Want Is You)," Nelly's "Hot In Herre," and Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment
Like This."
"No way, Stephanie's Dance Grooves?"
The two biggest musical tributes to singers of Stephanie's past come along when she dances
to Celine Dion's "I'm Your Lady (The Power of Love)" and helps her fellow cheerleaders
recreate the music video for Britney Spears' "(You Drive Me) Crazy."
Even when Stephanie gets acclimated to the new reality of vlogging and viral videos,
one thing she refuses to change, ever, is the way she dresses.
Throughout the film, she rocks so many of the styles that were popular in the late '90s
and early 2000s, including bedazzled wide-legged jeans, chunky heels, layered pastel shirts,
and brightly colored accessories.
Her entire wardrobe throughout the film is a mish-mash of the most beloved designs of
the time.
"Do you have any, like, Von Dutch jeans?
'Cause this is, like, really unflattering."
Plus, in the first portion of the movie, which is actually set in 2002, we see plenty of
relics of that era, from puka shell necklaces to butterfly clips and Jansport bookbags.
Stephanie also reminds us that the standard of cool from her time was "working at Abercrombie"
and wearing CK One perfume.
"And their natural scent is perfect.
Like, CK One perfect."
Another recurring theme of Stephanie's fish-out-of-water experience in "Senior Year" is her old-school
verbiage, for better and for worse.
"I mean yeah, obviously, because I'm like the total shiznit."
"It's just me, Stephanie.
I'm just chilling at my crib."
"Really guys, you're the bomb diggity.
All of you."
There are also a ton of throwback items that you might not even recognize unless you were
a certain age during the early 2000s, like the fact that Stephanie takes her first set
of selfies with a Polaroid camera and has a state-of-the-art Discman.
Plus, she vividly remembers Tamagotchi toys.
"Please, dad.
Phones are like the new Tamagotchis.
Okay, I need one.
And I promise you, I will not go over the minutes."
Fans of early millennial culture are in for an Easter egg bonanza in "Senior Year" because
the film is chock full of very fun callbacks to the era.
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