Embarrassing School Moments

In Diary of a Wimpy Kid, in cinemas 25th August, 12-year-old Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is no stranger to embarrassing incidents at high school.

While advised by his hunky big brother Roderick (Devon Bostick) to stay under the radar for the first few terms, Greg instead ignores this advice and is subsequently loses a wrestled match to a girl, befriends the school weirdo and falls victim to the dreaded 'cheese touch'.

He mistakenly thinks being 'safety patrol' is cool (well, he does get free hot chocolate) but worst of all, lies to his best friend and family in a desperate attempt to be someone he is not. 

Ahead of the film’s release, we take a look at our top 10 embarrassing school moments captured on film.

Superbad (2007)

There isn't really a defining ‘cringe moment’ in Superbad, rather everything the three main characters do is an embarrassment.

Favourites include Evan (Michael Cera) punching the girl he fancies in the boob by accident, Mclovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) telling the girl he likes what time it is (literally) and, finally, Seth's (Jonah Hill) embarrassing history with a lunch box...

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Just like in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the protagonist here has a penchant for extracurricular activities, such as the nerdy 'Happy Hands Club'.

Napoleon (Jon Heder) performs his routine in front of the rest of his class who are not impressed, which makes our toes curl with embarrassment - even if he doesn't care all that much!

Clueless (1995)

In this cult teen film, mean girls make for an embarrassing high school experience.  Standout scenes include Tai (Brittany Murphy) falling down the stairs at a concert and being knocked out by a flying high heel.

Then there the snobby Amber's reluctance to play tennis due to her new nose job. Her plastic surgeon advised her not to do activities where 'balls fly at her face' to which Cher (Alicia Silverstone) retorts 'there goes your social life...' Ouch.

E.T (1982)

In this classic family film, the embarrassing school incident boasts a supernatural element. Elliot (Henry Thomas) finds he has a psychic connection with E.T and as the alien starts to drink beer at home, Elliot begins burping at school, woozily freeing all the frogs in science class.

And as E.T watches John Wayne kiss Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man, Elliot emulates E.T’s surging romantic feelings by planting a kiss on an unwilling classmate.

Never Been Kissed (1999)

Drew Barrymore's clunky character, Josie gets to re-do high school in this film, which is ideal since her first time round was a disaster. Dubbed 'Josie Grossy' by her classmates, she is stood-up by the high school’s hunk at the Prom.

It doesn't get much better when she goes back to the school and falls asleep on her hand which has the stamp 'loser' on it, which transfers to her head. Very embarrassing.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Embarrassment is a theme in itself in this nineties update of The Turn of the Screw. Boys suffer permanent marker drawn on their face or get beaten up by tough girls (a la Diary Of A Wimpy Kid).

But the defining cringe-worthy moment has got to be when the normally shrewish Kat (Julia Stiles) gets Patrick (Heath Ledger) out of detention by flashing her teacher and classmates. It got results!

Donnie Darko (2001)

This brooding film spends a lot of time in school, where Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) isn't shy about speaking up around his classmates.

However, the most embarrassing moment is courtesy of his love interest, Gretchen (Jena Malone). When she first arrives she asks Mrs Pomeroy where she should sit in the class.

'Next to person you think is the cutest,' she’s told. Mrs Pomeroy’s frankness is to thank for Donnie and Gretchen getting together, but at the time we imagine Gretchen was mortified!

She's All That (1999)

This teen comedy delivers a prime slice of gross-out high school cruelty.  When two bullies try to make Laney's (Rachael Leigh Cook) little brother eat an horrifically unsanitary slice of pizza (pubic hair, its secret topping), Zack (Freddie Prinze Jr) saves the day by turning the prank round on them, forcing the bullies to eat it instead. Yum!

Carrie (1976)

The most extreme and deadly on our list is Brain De Palma’s Carrie. Meek teen Carrie (Sissie Spacek) is subjected to cruel pranks in high school, be it in the communal showers where her developing body is mocked by confident classmates or when she is doused in pig’s blood at the Prom.

Her taunters pay the ultimate price however, losing their lives thanks to Carrie’s magic powers telekinesis-as-payback. This movie is not for kids!

American Pie (1999)

American Pie has got to be one of the world’s best examples of a film littered with embarrassing incidents.

Not only does it feature a guy slurp laxatives-in-coffee by mistake but it also shows Jim’s hilariously-awkward father (Eugene Levy) catching his son in with his pants down, in a very comprising spot with an apple pie! An unforgettable life lesson for everyone.