Media Proposal

For my major topic, I will be writing about the usage of multiple addictive substances and the

downward spiral from prescription drugs to illicit schedule I drugs by teenagers and a fairly accurate

depiction of how easy it is for teenagers to not only gain access to such types of substances, but the

relatively fast decent into drug addiction that is depicted in the 2015 film, “Perfect High,” starring Bella

Thorne, Daniela Bobadilla, Israel Broussard, and Ross Butler. This movie is roughly based on true events

involving a teenage high school student who is injured during a choreographed dance for her high

school’s pep rally, resulting in being prescribed hydrocodone for knee pain and begins drug-sharing with

a new group of friends that leads from recreational drug use to heroin addiction.

Though this film attempts to stay true to the real-life events that occurred to a small group of

teenagers in the United States, the film does somewhat romanticize drug use while touching on peer

pressure, current gateway drugs available to teens, “pharm parties,” and the slippery slope into full drug

addiction, as well as dangers in abuse that lead to overdosing and death. Though it is far easier to

compare and contrast films that glorify the use of substances with the likes of “Scarface,” the “Harold

and Kumar” franchise, and nearly every film involving Seth Rogan, the modern “Basketball Diaries” films

tend to go widely unnoticed due to their true to life scenarios that strip away much of the romanticized

glamour and comedy that normally ensues substance-based television shows or films. The intention of

this paper is to compare and contrast media portrayed substance use and abuse with real-world facts

that allows the reader to understand the similarities and differences between them, and that though the

film industry does gain more from glamorizing illicit scenarios, there are still conscientious films being

produced today that depict substance abuse closer to reality.