Coming-of-age films serve as a realistic yet dramatised overview of what life in high school is like: makeup transformations, popularity contests, boy trouble which perfectly describes Mean Girls. As a result of teen films, living vicariously through characters played by grown women and men has become one of my many skills. Through all those montages of the make up transformations and boy drama, coming-of-age films manage to present a hint of reality and deeper themes such as teen pregnancy, suicide and loneliness. Personally, bagging in the grades to get into university after two years of constant stress and anxiety was a pretty great accomplishment and congratulations to me for surviving high school. I am certainly ready to say farewell to codependence on the bank of mum and dad and welcome adulthood with open arms. To mark the end of an era, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane and remind ourselves of the best coming-of-age films that explore the hardships of teenhood. (In no particular order)
The 400 Blows
1959 saw François Truffaut’s first feature film – The 400 Blows, which became a defining part of the French New Wave movement with its non traditional techniques and the classic monochromatic filters of the cinematic aesthetics. Truffaut’s coming-of-age films acts as a semi autobiographical tale for the director who created his alter-ego, Antoine Doinel. The young teen indulges in petty crimes of theft and truancy from military as a way of escapism from the difficulties and loneliness he faces at home with parents who don’t understand him. Furthermore Doinel’s troubled personality reflects his detachment from from his everyday life yet a yearning for an escape, both literally and figuratively as he often runs away from home. That lingering final shot of the long take that zooms into a close-up freeze up frame showing Doniel on the beach caught between land and water is a symbolic metaphor of the fact that he is caught between his future – free and unpredictable like the waves, and the past, controlled and restrictive like land. Truffaut’s film is a very touching story of growing up in a world where you feel misunderstood and lost, something every adolescence faces at one point or another.
Boyhood
This film literally captures growth as director Richard Linklater began filming his project in 2002 following the quiet and relatable life of 11 year old Mason Jr until he is a freshman starting college in 2013. Like Doniel, Mason Jr is somewhat aloof and detached but is always reflecting and looking out into the world, staring at the clouds. Just like a bored teen will daydream in a biology lesson. Boyhood allows teenagers to relate to Mason Jr because he us just like us, dwelling on the anxiety of the first day at a new school. Linklater demonstrates the difficulties of a troubled home life and the typical adventures of growing up perfectly to capture a more realistic and down to earth outlook on adolescent.
The Breakfast Club
This one is a classic, a tale of five stereotypical students who start by hating one another but later join forces against their power hungry principal during their 8 hour detention, on a Saturday; THE HORROR! Although this film is largely built on the typical teen stereotypes – the jock, the criminal, the nerd, the princess and the misfit – it does delve deep into personal growth as throughout the day, the five teens realise that they not as different from each other as they thought they were. Each character struggles with the internal need to be perfect in the eyes of their parents, peers and society and this type of pressure plays a huge part in teenhood and does at times weigh people down in high school. Towards the end of the film, each character’s own true personality shines through as they all help each other find themselves… teamwork DOES make the dream work. (We definitely won’t forget about them either.)
Juno
Some teen films are all about the materialistic things, take Clueless for example and only serve for entertainment purposes only, nothing more. But Juno presents a real life issue in one of the best ways. Teen pregnancy. Rather than handle it with negative stereotypes surrounding the issue, Juno’s quirky and witty dialogue handles it a funny and mature way. The stereotypes of teen pregnancy are completely rejected by Juno’s independent minded character, she is wise beyond her years, hilarious and has a good heart. The film captures the healthy reality of acceptance within adolescent without any drama. Even though not everyone gets pregnant after an awkward sexual encounter with their nerdy even more awkward friend, this indie flick allows people of all ages to sympathise with Juno and the topics that surround the film.
Heathers
Heathers is one of the best black comedies ever made and unrealistically, it’s about two teens who unintentionally make suicide a thing of the moment when Veronica accidentally kills her friend, Heather. That dark humour makes the film enjoyable and classic, and those quotes! There’s a few of my favourites lines, “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw”, “Why are you pulling on my dick” and the best one “I want cool guys like you out of my life.” Classic! Similar to its genre buddies, Heathers begins with the typical study of the high school cliques, notably the most popular group is the ‘Heathers’, three girls who share the same name. What’s so great about this film is that the audiences are given the courage to empathise with and like a complete psychopath, JD – Veronica’s partener in crime – who reveals just how dangerous gossip can be, in that it can become more influential that reality and the truth. As well as highlighting the darker side of gossip, Heathers does a great job at presenting more serious issues such as suicide, sexuality and mental health even through all that black comedy.
There we have it, a handful of some of the best coming-of-age films that explore the teen experiences and the problems that come with that era in our lives. There is room for improvement but what you see, is what you get. Enjoy these cinematic beauties.
