Do the most memorable cinematic characters attend Stanford or Cal?

In the heart of the film industry lie cinematic characters essential in driving a story’s conceptual arc. Within these films include fictional figures who went to Stanford, while others chose UC Berkeley. The dream of pursuing an education somewhere like Stanford or Cal has never been more prevalent than on the film screen.

Stanford

Peter Kavinsky

In the film, “To All the Boys I Loved Before,” it has always been Peter Kavinsky’s (Noah Centineo) dream to attend Stanford University with girlfriend Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor). His Stanford lacrosse scholarship plays a pivotal role in his character development. “You got to rep the tree and you got to fear the tree, that’s how it works,” the budding tree said. 

Before getting into Stanford, Kavinsky’s behavior seemed a little cheesy but I understand his excitement after being accepted myself. The day my admittance letter came, I immediately committed and habitually wore my Stanford sweatshirt. This could be a result of what I call “The Stanford Effect” — extreme excitement when accepted by your dream school.  

After Lara texts Peter, mistaking a Cal acceptance as a Stanford acceptance, he shows up at her house playing the Stanford fight song and wearing merch to show his school spirit. The film depicts the rivalry between the two universities as Lara finally tells him the truth that she did not get into Stanford — but instead got into Cal — and NYU. 

When he hears this news, Peter supports Lara’s dreams — regardless of where they take her — in what seems like an understanding of how it feels to pursue one’s own desires, like his own to attend Stanford. Lara debates going to Cal to stay closer to Peter, but ultimately decides to attend NYU. The film ends with the characters starting their new lives on opposite coasts as Kavinsky drives to Silicon Valley.

Gabriella Montez

In “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” (HSM3), Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) is accepted to Stanford’s fictional honors program during her senior year of high school. She leaves in the middle of her senior year to pursue her dream of studying law at the university.

The film series paints Gabriella as the “freaky genius girl,” which fits perfectly with Stanford’s theme of Nerd Nation. Her dedication to education means she can’t attend prom with high school boyfriend Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) but he surprises her with a sudden visit at Stanford. Gabriella’s character development is shown throughout the film as she grows into a strong and independent person, leaving behind her friends and family in Albuquerque, N.M. to pursue ambitious career aspirations.

“HSM3” presents Gabriella in a manner that closely reflects the characters of actual Stanford students. Her passion is what drives her motivation to be the best in her class and the film gracefully highlights the courage that underlies the willingness to endure the institution’s academic rigor. Many students at the university come from diverse backgrounds, but many have one thing in common: they want to succeed. In every aspect of this film, Gabriella’s success in high school is what propels her to make this exciting new journey in her career.

Lilly Truscott

Miley Stewart’s (Miley Cyrus) best friend Lilly Truscott (Emily Osment) is just an “ordinary girl” who gets accepted into Stanford in Disney’s TV series “Hannah Montana.” In the show, Lilly was always in the shadow of her best friend Miley, who leads a double life as a famous pop singer Hannah Montana. Lilly is depicted as someone who only accompanied Hannah to her shows as “Lola.” 

When Lilly gets accepted, she is overjoyed for this next adventure — until Hannah reveals that the latter was rejected. But after exposing herself to the admissions committee as pop star Hannah Montana, Miley is accepted as well. This show plays on the idea that people use nepotism or fame to their advantage — and that Stanford seeks those at the top of their sectors of interest. The allure and beauty of Stanford’s campus is what draws many people into attending the university, including pop stars, it seems.

UC Berkeley

Ian Malcolm

Gifted mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) from “Jurassic Park” is affiliated with Cal as a visiting lecturer on mathematical and scientific methods. His role at the university shapes his character development as he has a unique perspective on the threat dinosaurs faced at the park. In contrast to other characters, he sees the unpredictability of science and warns against its careless use by other scientists.

Ian’s attention to detail is what makes him significant in his craft, which is further honed during his tenure at Cal. He knows the threat dinosaurs posed in this film. He uses his intelligence to his advantage by proving this threat through genetic research.

Malcolm is invited to Jurassic Park which is a theme park consisting of dinosaurs, to investigate why the dinosaurs are acting maliciously. Due to his work in chaos theory, known as the study of unpredictable behavior he is well versed in exploring this scientific realm.

Annabeth Chase

Annabeth Chase (Alexandra Daddario) from the book series and film adaptations of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” attends UC Berkeley within the College of Environmental Design. Annabeth is strong and independent, as the daughter of Athena. 

Before attending the university, she helped Percy Jackson fight mythological monsters, showing her dedication to help others and contribute to the collaborative environment of the university. Her headstrong, driven nature similarly fits well with the UC Berkeley urban grind (as depicted online with the collection of articles that recommend study spots on and around campus).

Emmett Brown

Inventor of the Delorean time machine from “Back to the Future” Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd) is rumored to have attended Cal, according to Robert Zemeckis, director of the film series. Doc’s eccentric and unique personality shows how his time at the university made him more outgoing. “Great Scott!” is one of Doc’s famed lines, which evokes his excitement — or fear.

Doc’s adventures began when he created the flux capacitor which was a time travel machine. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) enters Doc’s lab to investigate Doc’s reputation for being “dangerous.” But the Cal alumni wins over McFly, who becomes Doc’s apprentice and learns more about the importance of creativity and innovation through science. This spirit of intellectual exploration seems to be reflected in the university’s support for scientific discovery. Today, Cal is home to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory which researches quantum science, artificial intelligence and accelerator technologies.

The cinematic universe shapes the way in which people perceive the world, including a university like Stanford or Cal. 

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

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