Becoming a Senior in High School is something that has been romanticized for decades. I believe that I speak for many of us when I say that the movies we were exposed to growing up failed miserably at exemplifying the glorified High School Experience. For instance, High School Musical taught us that High School students casually break out into song. Unfortunately, that is not the case. What you might see, however, are high school students breaking out into tears, or just breaking out. The point is, TV shows and movies we watched religiously as a way to ponder over the long-awaited High School years were a big fraud. As a devoted movie/TV show watcher I took it upon myself to create a guide that does High School justice, or at least, offers some comfort during our turbulent teenage years.
The coming of age genre is an excellent way to kick off our ultimate High School cinematic experience. When it comes to sappy rom-coms and hyperbolized coming of age films the 90s will always be unrivaled. The decade of Tamagotchis and FRIENDS gave us some of the best coming-of-age films. Such as the superfluous 1995 masterpiece, Clueless or the classic 1999 film, 10 Things I Hate About You that satisfied all of our pre-teen angst and gave us all a massive crush on Heath Ledger. However, the epitome of frivolous teenage bliss is the undisputed 2004 film, Mean Girls. Tina Fey’s showpiece taught us all valuable lessons regarding ideal Wednesday attire, the danger of 4-way phone calls, and of course, that butter is in fact a carb. I am incredibly partial to say that these films deserve the praise they get because, in spite of their numerous
obvious flaws, they still offer something that has become rare. To close off our trip down memory lane, it would be inexcusable to discuss the coming-of-age genre and not mention the 1989 film, Dead Poets Society. If you watched it and did not want to create a top-secret society with your friends, have an English class with ‘Captain’, or lose a little part of yourself as Neil’s fate was revealed, you watched it wrong.
Now for some more recent movies, let’s start with a movie that is considered one of the best modern coming of age movies, Perks of Being a Wallflower. The 2012 film has some incredibly well-written characters, and a protagonist viewers instantly empathize with. The
movie is full of great songs, hilarious scenes, and gut-wrenching moments. It is, however, a little traumatizing to see Hermione Granger and Percy Jackson have one of the most awkward moments in cinematic history. I’m pretty sure I am not the only one that has to skip over that scene. Another great one is Greta Gerwig’s 2017 directorial debut, Lady Bird. The film gives viewers a beautifully executed view of parenting, friendships, high school, college, and many others. The protagonist, Christine Lady Bird McPherson is a character that is pleasantly easy to identify with. She is an incredibly flawed character, that makes many mistakes throughout the film. Still, she is immensely creative and witty, which makes her a character we thoroughly connect to. Overall, Lady Bird is pretty fantastic, although, and I say this with a very heavy heart: you won’t find a Timothée Chalamet in your high school.
The coming-of-age genre is incredibly broad and encompasses several different characteristics. When plunging deep into the depths of the cinematic portrayal of the
infamous teenage years you will be able to find just about anything that satisfies your wants and needs. On one end, you might find yourself deep into the hyperbolized world of Mean Girls or Clueless. Or, if you are looking for something a little more real, you might find what you are looking for in Lady Bird or Perks of Being a Wallflower. Finally, if you are part of the unfortunate bunch of high school students taking the IB, you might find Silence of the Lambs a great find!
Ettenhofer, Valerie. “The 50 Best Coming of Age Movies Ever.” Film School Rejects, 17 June 2020, https://filmschoolrejects.com/best-coming-of-age-movies/.
Glamour. “30 Coming-of-Age Movies That Will Make You Feel Nostalgic.” Glamour, Glamour, 28 Dec. 2020, https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-coming-of-age-movies.
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