It’s okay. You can admit it. Your kid’s a nerd.
My parents had to. While other kids were playing soccer, throwing pool parties, and hanging at the mall, I spent my childhood doing math homework, cleaning my trombone and decorating my room with nothing but Might Ducks paraphernalia. Top it all off with a pair of coke-bottle glasses and hairy legs, and you’ve got yourself a situation that’s begging to be teased.
But, hey, times are changing. And movies are your proof. They’re redefining the nerd herd right before your very eyes. Nerds have long been celebrated on the big screen: There was rifle boy Ralphie in A Christmas Story, entomology expert Lucas Blye in Lucas, silly scientist Wayne Szalinski in Honey I Shrunk the Kids – the list goes on. But today’s nerd is a little different. Nerds who were shoved into stereotypes as ill fitting as McLovin in a Dora the Explorer backpack are shedding the clichés and taking center stage.
So let’s celebrate it! Below is a list highlighting the evolution of the cinematic nerd, from old-school super dork to new-school chic geek. Read through, then make a movie-marathon date with your little nerds. Use the time to encourage their quirks – let ‘em know that being smart, looking different, and dabbling in super-bizarre/super-niche hobbies is, dare I say it, pretty rad.
Wyatt and Garry in Weird Science (PG-13, 1985)
Nerdery: Computers, science, and ladies’ underwear
These guys put the dumb in Geekdom. And I mean that in the most endearing way. It’s the only way to explain these two wannabe Frankensteins who spend their free time toying with dolls and computers in an effort to create to “the perfect woman.” No glasses, but John Hughes certainly gives us the typical scrawny, timid, brainy ‘80s dork archetype.
George McFly in Back to the Future (PG, 1985)
Nerdery: Writing sci-fi novels, “bird watching,” and The Honeymooners
Before history was rewritten, George and Lorraine fell in love after George fell from a tree in which he was “bird watching” (translation: spying on Lorraine). Wimpy, bullied, insecure, he still fits into that old-school archetype, but, hey, he does get the girl in the end. Even though he says things like, “Lorraine, my density has brought me to you.
Garth Algar in Wayne’s World (PG, 1992-1993)
Nerdery: Music, gadgetry, and playing with his food
Though Garth is supremely socially awkward – except around his jelly-filled creation, Mr. Doughnut Man – and technically considered a nerd, he cruises around town in an AMC Pacer, rocks out to Queen, and is buddy-buddy with one of the coolest dudes in Aurora, Illinois. I’m sensing a shift here. Schwing!
Harry in Harry Potter (PG-13, 2001-2011)
Nerdery: Magical arts, Quidditch, and talking to snakes
Not your quintessential cinematic hero, Harry is a lanky, bespectacled wizard genius who rides on broomsticks and wields a wand. And he’s a global juggernaut – even after the magic dust has settled. You know something’s changed when it becomes socially acceptable for grown-ups and kids alike to sport their wizardry best. On a Friday night. In public. God bless Harry.
Hiro Hamada in Big Hero 6 (PG, 2014)
Nerdery: Battle-bot fights, crafting Microbots, and suiting an air-puffed robot
Wise beyond his years, at just 14, boy genius Hiro has the smarts to get him into a technology institute. Perhaps the first of its Marvel kind, this one stars superheroes not with superhuman strength or powers, but rather super-smart kids who battle with their brains. Yes, nerds have just become modern-day superheroes.
Beca in Pitch Perfect 2 (PG-13, May 2015)
Nerdery: Mixing beats, organized nerd singing, and synchronized lady dancing
A nerd trapped in a bikini-ready body, Beca and her crew of melodious misfits return for an encore after their collegiate championship victory over fellow a-ca-people/bane of their existence, The Treblemakers. If you remember, even Beca thought a cappella was, um, what’s the word? Oh, yeah, lame. She’s certainly singing a different tune now. And so is the public.
Casey Newton in Tomorrowland (PG, May 2015)
Nerdery: Science, NASA, and magical broaches
A fresh-faced uber-curious teen, Casey makes Bill Nye the Science Guy look like a slacker. In the film, she and her jaded former boy genius inventor friend (moms, it’s Clooney) head off to find a secret better world. Director Brad Bird turns the wonderful world of science into a virtual Disneyland. And one thing’s certain: You won’t hear your kids say “science is boring” ever again. Why? Because, it – and everything from computer programming to a cappella -- is officially cool.
DeAnna Janes is the former Entertainment Editor of DailyCandy and lives in New York City with her husband and two cats -- who still watch Frozen on a loop (yes, the cats). She has been published on a variety of entertainment sites. When she's not screening a film or writing about one, she's running to a film's soundtrack.
