What happens when you combines teens in love with Surprisingly Realistic Outcome, courtesy of a simulated marriage class? This, of course.
The Day The Senior Class Got Married is a YA novel by Gloria Miklowitz, originally published in 1983. It centers around teen lovers Lori Banks and Garrick ‘Rick’ Hamilton, who have agreed to get married following their high school graduation. Their home ec teacher, Mr Womer, assigns the class a simulated marriage unit, using a computer to pair them off into faux couples for 2 weeks. They’ll handle monetary and other issues, set budgets, and maybe they’ll learn a little about themselves along the way.
Received a TV Movie adaptation in 1985.
The Day The Senior Class Got Married contains examples of:
- 20 Minutes into the Future: Although the TV movie was filmed in late 1984, minor character Bobby is wearing a “Class of 1990” pin the first time we see him.
- '80s Hair: Lori has it.
- Ascended Extra: April Sullivan. April is a minor character in the book, who seems to exist to fill out the ranks of the simulated marriage class. The TV movie promotes her to as close to a villain as its brief story allows, even managing to fit in a redemption arc for her near the end.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: The book had maybe two depictions of Lori being angsty. The TV movie has her being angsty in almost every other scene.
- Adaptational Dye-Job: The book explicitly mentions that April is a blonde girl. In the TV movie April is a brunette. And while the book implies that she isn’t exactly the class beauty, her TV counterpart is downright dowdy.
- Adapted Out: Rick’s parents, Claus Hegard (April’s pretend husband), Sonia (Diane takes her role)
- Alpha Bitch: Book!April seems to be this with a side of Airhead. TV!April is very much this when we meet her.
- Ambiguous Time Period: The book is set sometime in their senior year of high school, but precisely when isn’t given. The TV movie seems to be set in early spring.
- Ambiguous Ending: The TV movie, and the book to a lesser extent, leave open the possibility of Rick and Lori getting married.
- Author Avatar: Lori’s friend Diane seems to be this.
- Blue Blood: It’s implied in both the book and the TV movie that April is this, or at least very rich.
- Chastity Couple: Rick and Lori. Given that it’s the ‘80s, this shouldn’t really be a surprise.
- Class Pet: Diane, of the human variety.
- Class Princess: April.
- Huge Schoolgirl: Diane.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: April’s last scene in the TV movie implies that she is this.
- Jewish American Princess: In the book Diane is kind of this.
- Ladykiller in Love: Bobby D’Angelo.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Rick delivers one to Mr Womer when he asks why his financial planning didn’t take any money-increasing events into account.
- Rich Bitch: April.
- School Is for Losers: TV!April believes this.
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: We don’t know the name of the town these kids live in, but it seems to be in an upper middle class area, possibly in the Midwest.
- At least in the TV movie. The book is set in SoCal.
