Seventeen - Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs (2003)

Seventeen-year-old Luka is a girl who doesn’t wear makeup and finds boxing much more exciting than ballet. She is expelled from school after breaking a classmate’s nose during a lesson because he humiliated her in front of the whole class. When she transfers to Herzogenfeld boarding school, people mistake her for the student Frankie Königsberg because of her short hair and jacket, and because she rescues Toby. Luka and Frankie had met on the journey to the boarding school. Frankie, the son of fashion magnate Richard Königsberg, has been expelled from various schools and has no desire to attend yet another one. On the bus, he had told Luka to get herself a “cooler jacket,” whereupon she promptly appropriated Frankie’s jacket, unmistakably marked with his initials, “F.K.” As soon as she arrives at the school, the mistaken identity with the legendary Frankie Königsberg gives her the chance to take on his role and enjoy the advantages of life as a boy over her life as a girl. She is placed in the room with the clique of Jo, Toby, and Chico, and is immediately accepted by them. Luka thinks she has reached the destination of her dreams and is willing to endure some hardships for it. But Rinker, the student council president and the principal’s nephew, sees “Frankie,” who is popular with the girls, as too much competition. When Jo, who is in love with the principal, hears from “Frankie” that the biology teacher is supposedly having an affair with her, he loses control and attacks the teacher. He is then threatened with expulsion. Rinker’s vote at the school council will determine whether Jo is expelled. Rinker seizes the opportunity and challenges Luka to a boxing match. He promises to vote against Jo’s expulsion if she stays on her feet for ten minutes. Maus eventually coaches Luka in boxing, and she wins the match. However, Luka falls in love with her roommate Chico, who also has feelings for her but is initially overwhelmed by the situation because he thinks he is gay. Rinker’s girlfriend, Peggy, feels rejected and humiliated by “Frankie,” so she starts a rumor that “Frankie” showed her his penis. As a result, Rinker votes to expel Jo despite Luka’s victory in the boxing match, and beats Luka up with a friend in the washroom. They also strip her, discovering that “Frankie” is a girl. When the principal finds out, she expels Luka from the school and also threatens Toby, Maus, and Chico with expulsion after they refuse to cooperate. Toby finds Luka on her “thinking” bridge, and after Toby tells her that he has known she was a girl since their second day together, the two jump into the river together. Toby eventually organizes a farewell party for Luka. In front of the astonished student body, Luka, now clearly dressed as a girl, gives a farewell speech. She apologizes to everyone she has hurt and emphasizes how much her friends mean to her. She refuses to let the principal silence her or drive her away, earning the students’ great respect. In the end, she and Chico get together and spend a romantic night under the open sky. The film leaves it open, however, whether this will become a lasting relationship.