Class Reunion

A class reunion is a meeting of former classmates, typically organized at or near their former school by one of the class on or around the anniversary of their graduation. Former teachers may be invited as well. Usually, participants nostalgically reminisce about their old school days, fondly remember their school pranks, and bring each other up to date on what has happened to each of them since they started going their separate ways.

Class reunions in film and literature

In film and literature, especially crime novels, thrillers and psychological suspense novels, class reunions have been a frequent device used to show the eruption of emotions such as shame, hatred or guilt within individual characters who, suddenly faced again with their own youth, become aware of the fact that they have been unable to cope with their past. In many cases, those who used to be bullied, humiliated or in any other way mistreated by their teachers and/or classmates believe that now their chance has come to take revenge on their former torturers.

Another staple of this kind of fiction is former classmates taking up with their old flame again, either because they have changed to their advantage and developed into an admirable adult or precisely for the opposite reason—because they have not changed at all in a fleeting world.

Examples of fiction revolving around class reunions are Tim O'Brien's July, July (2002), Paul Reizin's Fiends Reunited (2004), and Ben Elton's Past Mortem of the same year. Films include Kenneth Branagh's Peter's Friends (1992), George Armitage's Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and the far more trivial movie Since You've Been Gone (1998), directed by David Schwimmer.

Class Reunion

Notable books, films and television shows actually entitled Class Reunion include:

a 1928 novel by Franz Werfel (original German title: Der Abituriententag) — see Class Reunion (1928 novel);
a 1972 U.S. softcore pornographic movie by Stephen C. Apostolof — see Class Reunion (1972 film);
a 1979 novel by Rona Jaffe — see Class Reunion (1979 novel);
a 1982 U.S. comedy thriller (aka National Lampoon's Class Reunion) written by John Hughes and directed by Michael Miller about alumni at a tenth-year class reunion being killed one after the other by one of their former classmates — see National Lampoon's Class Reunion;
a 1997 novel by Linda Hill — see Class Reunion (1997 novel);
Sjezd abiturientu (Class Reunion), a 2000 Czech made-for-TV movie by Viktor Polesný based on Werfel's novel;
Madea's Class Reunion, a 2003 U.S. teleplay directed, written, and played by Tyler Perry;
a 2005 novel by George W. Hess — see Class Reunion (2005 novel); and
an Irish television show — see Class Reunion (television show).

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