Questions for HSM III (Part XIII)
Caption: “Yes, Chad, I am going to Berkeley. No, it wasn’t my decision.”
In all seriousness, the above still comes from one of the few tolerable scenes throughout this entire movie. Troy and Chad at their best, the best of friends.
On The Musical- Part II
1- So, as we can see, Troy has (finally) shown up for the musical, performed his piece, given the usual stack of undue credit to Gabriella and received approval from the watching crowd. Like I said before, all of this is heavily overshadowed by the absolute punishment he endured in order to reach this point. Now, the plot needs Sharpay to be resurrected so that she can assert her place as Queen Bitch in line with story needs. Some would say that Sharpay’s part could have been resurrected by giving her the thoughtful, consistent and measured characterization that she deserved, given that her redeeming traits are just as fascinating as her significant flaws-- in fact, I would even go as far as to say that her redeeming traits are the reason for her significant flaws. A passionate love for the arts gives birth to her desire to win at all costs. Instead, we have a risible and cringe-worthy Bitch Competition between Sharpay and someone not fit to buckle her sandals.
During the truly childish display that follows, one has to wonder about the opinion of the Juilliard judges at this point. They have, presumably excused, Troy’s initial no-show earlier. I highlight this point, because during the Sharpay-Tiara scene, you can see Mr and Mrs Evans reading what I assume is the program for the musical. Therefore I make the reasonable assumption that the Juilliard judges must also have had one with them. Furthermore, they also recognized Troy Bolton on sight. So, what do they make of Sharpay not appearing at the beginning of her next set (although due to reasons beyond her control), but then squabbling with a complete nobody onstage?
Thus ends Sharpay’s storyline in this story, and what a miserable ending it is, too.
On Graduation
1- Somewhat confused at part of the graduation ceremony seemingly happening right after the musical. Am I missing something here? Was this a different night altogether? I’m at a loss.
2- Kelsi Nielsen getting the credit she deserves always makes me smile! Jason’s jump-hug for graduating is somewhat endearing, although begs the question of why he thought Troy’s potential scholarship opportunity was so hilarious earlier. Anyway, kudos to him. Turns out he could study in the library and do a musical at the same time-- who would have known?! Taylor McKessie-- yes, there was never any question. Next stop: The White House. Again. Ryan Evans getting a scholarship to Juilliard is another highlight of the show-- if not for the Royal Sham, every scene with Ryan in has been a pleasure to watch. And we also get to see Sharpay congratulating him, which SHOULD have been the culmination of her character arc, but instead comes after her being upstaged by two complete idiots for no good reason. Why Tiara Gold seriously thought that she would become Head of the Drama Department after her childish behaviour and ONE appearance as understudy is beyond me, but her lack of motivation and her dramatic exit are once again a reinder of her intrinsic uselessness to the plot.
3- “And now a Senior, whom I believe, has a decision to make! Mr Troy Bolton!”
Christ Almighty, how to watch this scene without cringing into a corner! Now of course, as I said earlier, theatre is as much a part of Troy’s identity as basketball, so it’s unsurprising that he chose the both. But unfortunately, this revelation comes off the back of little information. Which other colleges offered Troy a place? When did Troy get to do his research on what each college offered by way of a major? The latter half of this movie has been dedicated to him crawling after his ungrateful girlfriend entirely at his own expense. Not ONCE throughout this movie has Gabriella shown ANY interest in his further education apart from making a few casual comments about the Coach from U of A... right at the beginning of the movie. This lack of information makes it implausible that Troy would have carefully thought out his decision to attend UC Berkeley, as we will see in a minute. Once again, this is proof that the movies were less interested in Troy the man, and more interested in Troy as a subsidiary of Gabriella Montez. What was the point in building up all of the anticipation with regards to Troy’s future, which included a full-scale mental breakdown in the gymn after school hours, if we get no context or information as to how he weighed his options? Instead, we got glorification left, right and centre and several scenes for Gabriella, whose options were comparatively clearer for her, and involved little to no struggle to achieve. For goodness sake, we got a meaningless sequence involving Gabriella chewing her nails as she walked around Stanford, yet not so much as a scene involving Troy looking at university prospectuses! Lazy writing at its finest.
Furthermore, as if this decision wasn’t invalidated enough, Troy doesn’t even sound all that excited or pleased at the prospect of attending UC Berkeley. Or is it just me? He looked far more delighted when his friend Kelsi won the scholarship to Juilliard. (TINY scene, blink and you’ll miss it, but he looks very pleased for her). Given that they were both contenders for the scholarship, a final “Playmaker” scene between these two seemed FAR more appropriate than the upcoming travesty we’re about to hear. Like I said, Kelsi’s evolution is down to Troy, and the script could have reduced my anger with this film by recognizing that with another Trelsi scene designed to epitomise what their bond has represented for the entirety of the movie series. Instead we get the absolute travesty coming next.
A flat tone of voice and quick nod to affirm this decision (definitely pulled off the top of his head) is surely no way to underline the validity of this “decision”?
More importantly, please remember that Troy didn’t know what he would do if Juilliard said yes to him. Therefore is it right to assume that he could not have been thinking of Berkeley at this point in time? One has to wonder what he might have done if Juilliard had chosen him for a scholarship-- would we still get the travesty of an ending that we actually received? Given Troy’s propensity to throw away opportunities that benefit him for the sake of validaiton from his girlfriend and friends, he would have thrown away the scholarship opportunity again (he is so beleaguered and ineffectual at this point, thanks to Gabriella’s horrendous behaviour) for the sake of this odious relationship.
4- “But most of all, I choose the person who inspires my heart... which is why I picked a school that is exactly 32... point 7... miles from you.”
Lord have mercy on this child. His doom is sealed. He has reached a point of no return in his quest for eternal servitude. What to say, folks? I must reiterate every event in the sinking of RMS Troy Bolton up until now: 1)- Gabriella’s insensitivity and lack of interest in Troy’s further education, 2)- Gabriella laughing at Troy potentially winning a scholarship to Juilliard, 3)- Gabriella withholding crucial information with regards to the Stanford Freshman Honors Program, 4)- Gabriella showing arrogance/rudeness when Troy finally found out, 5)- Gabriella rarely having any interest in Troy’s hurt when she leaves unceremoniously, 6)- Gabriella bailing on Troy for prom, the musical and graduation, 7)- Gabriella having to be persuaded to return, 8)- Every other time Gabriella has shown little to no interest in the effect of her actions on Troy, or anything that directly concerns him. After all of this, and all of her horrendous, cruel and selfish behaviour during HSM II, she is REWARDED by receiving Troy’s head on a platter for more of her abuse after graduation? I just can’t take this!
What is more insiduous is that the whole crowd, including his fellow high school students are delighted by a “decision” that CLEARLY wasn’t voluntary! Every other student has either chosen or accepted a place based on their own academic merit. Call me old-fashioned, but this should be the primary, if not only, reason that one chooses to invest money in a higher institution. Also remember folks, that we don’t know whether Troy has been offered a scholarship to Berkeley-- I’m assuming not, given the reckless haste with which he made this decision. (WHEN, is what I’d like to know!!) So we have to assume that Troy will be FORKING OUT YET MORE CASH, which his parents were struggling to pay, on attending the UC Berkeley for ROMANTIC reasons which are prioritized over ACADEMIC reasons. Folks, this is pure tragedy. And because the audience are smiling, and sighing at this, we, the audience, are expected to consider this so very noble! Meanwhile, Gabriella would NEVER have made such a decision: she had always wanted to attend Stanford University, despite her whining to the contrary, since she was a child. Troy’s ambition had previously been the U of A. Even taking into consideration Mr. Bolton’s unreasonable pressure on Troy with regards to attending U of A, Troy did stand a good chance of getting said scholarship based on how impressed Mr Evans was with his practice. Why are we given no indication of Troy’s interactions with any other university during this movie? More importantly, why can NO ONE else in his class see the dreadful implications of this “decision”, despite having seen Troy’s descent into melancholy over the school year? For heaven’s sake, Gabriella dumped him over the phone-- isn’t that an omen?
Chad should not have walked out in disappointment, but rather in anger, given that his best buddy was shackling himself to a girl who didn’t care two figs about him. But of course, Chad thinks Gabriella is one step ahead.
What is the point of making Troy struggle about his academic future and pursuits if the most important reason for choosing UC Berkeley was romantic, rather than pragmatic/practical/reality-based/academic?
Furthermore, isn’t it absurd that Troy was so adamant against choosing a university that his father and Chad wanted him to attend, but then so blithely states that he will be following Gabriella to California?
As for the claim that Gabriella “inspires my heart”, I have no words. If inspiring one’s heart means sending one into a pit of self-denial, self-destruction, instability, constant vulnerability, doubt and even depression, then I do not even know what the word “inspire” now means. Folks, there is NO WAY that these two continued to maintain a viable relationship after graduation. I have expounded on the reasons why throughout this “Questions” series and will continue to do so in future. Nevermind what the morally and technically deficient script claims. All the scriptwriters have done is just provide overwhelming and undeniable evidence that this couple is untenable, undesirable and downright alarming for Troy’s well-being and mental health, whilst believing that they were bringing a touching love story to life. Actually, they have just set the meaning of true love to burn on a bonfire. I can’t see them lasting even one semester more, let alone the implied years and years of romantic bliss. It’s just impossible. Meanwhile, Troy will still have a massive tuition bill over his head at the end of the three or four years of study, and precious little to show for his (latest) drastic “decision”.
Why would the scriptwriters massacre their main protagonist in this way? How is this a happy ending, to have a young boy choosing his own path based on a RELATIONSHIP that hardly deserves the title, and not on the academic pursuits that have characterized his struggle? Again, on the first watch, I had completely lost the will to live by this point.
An utter disgrace and an outrage by any decent standards.
5- Chad Danforth has left the stage, people! As I mentioned before, Taylor relies upon Troy to reach out to Chad, thus demonstrating that despite all of her disloyal, unjust and quite frankly puzzling behaviour towards Troy, she does actually like him! Amazing. What follows is a far more palatable scene than the monstrosity we just witnessed. I like any and all Troy-Chad friendship scenes and this definitely does not disappoint. The brotherly affection and calm acceptance of the future is definitely worth watching, even if the patient viewer is still having seizures over Troy’s horrendous announcement.
The way Chad reacts to Troy’s decision is representative of Chad himself, who is still bound by the Status Quo and very much reliant upon his friendship with Troy-- perhaps more so than Troy himself, who by now, is not afraid to try new things. Therefore, I think it is good in the long run that the boys attend different universities, as we see that Chad can shine on his own merits. Of course, there is some hypocrisy here, as is usually the case with Chad, in that he is disappointed (but presumably accepting) of Troy’s decision here, but always quick to jealousy when they are sharing the same opportunities. Anyway, I am willing to overlook this as the very least of Chad’s faults, in favour of the great banter and chemistry they share in this final scene. I also love their teamwork and yet friendly competition which is underlined by mutual respect and true brotherhood as well. Yes, a very touching scene. Pity that it alone cannot save this movie, which is taking in more water than the Titanic, but touching nonetheless.
Likewise, I LOVE the hug between Troy and his father, highlighting mutual understanding, acceptance, love and loyalty. Again, more of THIS and less of you-know-what would have saved my faith.
Troy’s Graduation Speech- The Parts You DIDN’T hear
1- As has been pointed out before (credit to BoltonEvans and others), Troy should not be giving the graduation speech. However, in a long line of questionable, outrageous and downright alarming script-writing decisions, this is one of the least offensive, so I just roll with it. During the first watch, I was barely listening anyway, having died shortly after Troy and Chad returned to the stage.
2- “East High is a place where teachers encouraged us to break the Status Quo...”
Indeed, Troy. So what have you got to say for yourself?
This is a nonsensical statement, given that the Status Quo of Troy/Gabriella is never ever challenged, no matter the destructive effects, and the Wildcats largely, throughout the course of the series, continue with their dismissal, disloyalty and hypocrisy towards Troy and his ambitions.
3- “...and define ourselves as WE choose...”
Did Troy write this speech before or after selling his soul? If he wrote it before, then this line is commendable. If he wrote it afterwards (which seems more likely), then he’s actually living on another planet.
4- “Where a jock can cook up a mean crême brûlée...”
And then laugh at Troy for having aspirations in the Performing Arts.
5- “Where a braniac can break down on a dance floor...”
Martha’s brain was largely abandoned in favour of casting her as a cheerleader, so this line rings hollow. But kudos anyway.
6- “It’s a place where one person... if it’s the right person... changes us all.”
FOR THE WORSE.
The only tolerable part of this involved Sharpay finally abandoning her disdain/Queen Bitch clothing to smile at Gabriella-- but it is a completely undeserved smile. If anyone deserves an encouraging smile, it should be Troy, who has endured hell in this movie, barely looks animated or excited whilst giving this speech, and has sold his soul in a long list of sacrifices for a relationship that only exists in his head. Gabriella has NOT changed everyone; Troy has. Troy has had much more to lose throughout the movie series, and has still gone against the grain. Troy is the one who reached out and made friends, brought people together and helped people to enjoy the performing arts. Troy is the one who has redefined his identity. (He’s also helped to destroy it). This is thoroughly false stuff.
Why no line for Kelsi? I don’t really give two fucks about Martha’s breakdancing, and Troy barely interacted with her AT ALL. On the contrary, Kelsi is one of his best friends and their bond has been one of the few highlights throughout. We could have had a GREAT homage to the two Playmakers here, which would have signalled a fitting conclusion for one of the few decent relationships on this show. Why couldn’t he discuss how Kelsi had risen from being shy to realizing her worth as Playmaker? That would have been far more relevant to the show’s overall message. Or what about Ryan, who has risen from being seen as a Sideshow Bob to being valued on his own merit? What have either Zeke or Martha done that is so significant by comparison? Unjust exclusion by Troy here.
7- “East High is having friends that we’ll keep for the rest of our lives.”
Troy continues his glorious trait of making grand predictions and assumptions based on little to no evidence at all. SOME friends should be kept, others discarded on the trash heap. *cough cough*
It is at this point that we get another cute Chaylor moment. Again, I am left stuttering that these two might not remain together, whilst the inevitability of Troyella is stamped across the screen. Anyone with a pair of eyes can see the effortless communication, sweetness, maturity and complementary nature of Chaylor supersedes every odious facet of the Troyella pairing. But nonetheless, a sweet Chaylor moment.
8- “...once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.”
Once disloyal, ungrateful, jealous, cruel and hypocritical, ALWAYS... You fill in the rest. Okay, I’m being mean. Yes, the Wildcats make a decent team when they are together.
And, of course, everyone cheers because hey! Plot reasons.
To cap it all off, we get a catchy song that it admittedly enjoyable. I was slightly resurrected from my death during the first watch so that I could nod along to the beat. Sadly, I was not “sad we have to let it go”, because of the heinous screenwriting and character crimes witnessed therein. Still, catchy. Like I said, this movie did a decent job with the music and choreography throughout; there were great tunes, great sets, great costumes, great scenes and so on. Visually speaking, this movie definitely lived up to at least the very first one. Unfortunately, the story so wore me down and eventually infuriated me that I struggle to give these other factors their proper due. Am I too sour and ungrateful? Perhaps.
Nonetheless, I hope you have enjoyed this “Questions” series!
This was actually based on me watching the movie alongside writing these out, whereas I did the HSM II one based on memory. Depending on what you guys think, I might try the same for at least HSM II later, but I also want to work on other stuff, particularly my favourite relationships (Trelsi, thou shalt not be forgotten!!!) and dreaming up HSM headcanons. Feel free to make suggestions, and let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading!