10. Superbad
The story itself is without a doubt weak, but it’s so rich with charismatic, scene robbing characters you hardly notice the implausibility or painful lack of common sense the scenes have. The one liners, the outrageous events that occur are simply fall down funny and twenty minutes into the film you don’t really care anymore whether or not it’s realistic, you are too busy laughing. While the structure of the story focuses on Evan and Seth moving on in life, Superbad is really about an age when your car is your freedom, yet you are still caged by boundaries of an adult world. In some way it’s got to take everyone back to the days of trying to smuggle a six pack or bottle of vodka out of a store or your parents house to that party they didn’t know you were going to.
9. My Girl
My Girl captures the essence of a young girl coming of age trying to understand what being a woman means without her mother there to guide her. Her best friend is a boy and she has an enormous crush her teacher. Trying to find her own identity and come into womanhood makes this a truly identifiable and evenoccasionally funny heartwarming story. It’s one of the few stories in film that really shows this perspective through a female protagonist and does such an honest job of portraying the characters. Through tragedy, comedy, friendship and love My Girl has become a classic film and a story that really captures the innocence and confusion of growing into an adult woman.
8. The Goonies
Before Sean Astin was Rudy or Samwise Gamgee he was a Goonie. In 1985 Chris Columbus, Steven Spielburg, and Richard Donnor teamed up to make this children’s adventure film. Two brothers find a map to One Eyed Wily’s treasure with the hopes of finding enough money to save their house. They gather their group of friends who call themselves “TheGoonies ” and begin an epic adventure to find the treasure. There’s a little of Indiana Jones and a little of the Stephen King mentality here. Of kids growing by overcoming their fears, and therefore finding themselves. The kids in this film might do that, but it’s enjoyable because it’s a fun adventure film that happens to have in depth and interesting characters going through the changes all kids eventually go through…..just happens they are fighting a crime family and searching for treasure while doing it.
7. Sixteen Candles
The story to which all teen love stories are held standard to today is a fair standard to hold. A simply story about a girls sixteenth birthday and her crush a boy that seems unattainable to her becomes the plot for the story, and while it is rather uncomplicated in that description, the characters and their adventures to the finish of the film are what makes this film so heartfelt. The young girls dream and ideals about young love, and the magical kiss at the end are what make this move so incredibly likable and has become a staple of a young girls film collection.
6. Lucas
Lucas may not be a typical choice for most lists of this nature, but it was a film that always resonated with me in a really profound way. The honesty of the characters, and the fact that the good looking jock and beautiful popular girls weren’t mindless jerks made this story very different from most movies in this genre. The pathos it’s realism delivers is what defines it so specifically and makes it so tangible. It has true and honest sweetness and a genuine story that has stayed with me years past. If this is one you haven’t seen, I highly recommend it.
5. The Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society is actually a quiet, subtly inspiring film that’s message while quite obvious, is shown in ways that it affects different people. But the film is anything but banal, thanks to Peter Weir’s marvelous directing and the standout performances of the members of the Dead Poets Society, Robert Sean Leonard in particular. Robin Williams plays his role as Keating low key, and allows his influence to mirror through the boys, rather than play the role in his usual over the top manner. It was a subtle and powerful performance. Dead Poets Society may be about being an unconventional free thinker for boys coming of age, but the poetic nature of the story is brimming with romance, the excitement of youth, and the forging of friendships and bonds that nothing can break. In the final scene when Todd Anderson finally finds his voice, tears sprung to my eyes, and helpless to fight them, poured down my cheeks.
4. Big
Big is proof that a grow ups world is so ruthless it can even suck the life out of the most enthusiastic of kids. The basic idea of what a teenage boy would do if given a grown mans body was one of the mostimaginatively created ideas in the 80’s. It just happened to be executed perfectly by Tom Hanks. Watching Hanks in this role gives the wonderful message of how much better our lives would be if we took ourselves as seriously as kids do. Unguarded and uncorrupted by being an adult, this film is a beautiful tribute to the desire to be young again, and a great message to kids showing them it’s okay to want to grow up, as long as they enjoy being a kid.
3. The Sandlot
What I so desperately love about the Sandlot more than any of the obvious reasons is the relationship developed with the rest of the kids. The discovery of finding something that really drives you, that makes you passionate, but mostly the carefree joys of adolescence. For every adult this film captures a time when nothing but playing games meant everything, a time before bills and responsibilities, and every kid can relate because they are still living it. This is the movie that I relate most personally to my own childhood as far as idealism and self discovery is concerned. It’s wonderfully entertaining with fleshed out characters, great casting, and brilliant dialogue. There are few movies that capture being a kid better than The Sandlot.
2. Stand By Me
This may have been an obvious choice, but I don’t see that there’s anything wrong with that when it’s deserved. This movie conquers the barriers of friendship, adventure, and as usual with Stephen King, facing ones fears. Thecamaraderie and the dynamics of the changing relationships along with the evolving heightened sense of fear and anticipation for everything that is coming next makes this film a wonderfully told story, but also a great character study. No doubt is this one worthy of the two spot. I’m sure some would argue it as the greatest coming of age story ever.
1. Almost Famous
Almost Famous is one of the most fulfilling movies I’ve ever watched. Very few films will I stop when channel surfing and watch at any point it’s at until it’s finish, but this film has a kinetic life that draws you in. It’s truly just a story about a boy coming of age, he just happens to be doing it on tour with a rock band. It will make you laugh, break your heart, and strike up a genuine feeling of nostalgia, and for those of us that are old enough, we might just crawl into our attics and caress the vinyl we have gathering dust in boxes, with memories of the first song that made you love music. There is nothing like watching a movie that has heart and soul and is willing to share it’s joy with an audience.
Honorable Mentions: The Man In The Moon, Pump Up The Volume, Basketball Diaries, Mermaids, Heathers, American Pie, Garden State, Donnie Darko, Ferris Buellers Day Off, Dirty Dancing, Say Anything, Breaking Away, American Graffiti, Rushmore, St. Elmos Fire, The Breakfast Club, Summer School, The Sure Thing, Dazed And Confused, and Some Kind Of Wonderful
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This is such a great list, the only one on here that I haven’t seen is Lucas and I think I will have to go watch it now….I will tell you that I just loove The Goonies… HEYYYYYYY YOUUUUUU GUYYYYYYS!!!!! lol
I love Donnie Darko. I would have added that to your Top Ten or maybe the Breakfast Club, but otherwise this is a solid list.
I haven’t heard of Lucas either?
Athena I love donnie darko also….thats one of the reviews I requested to be done. Ps. Breakfast club is a good one too!!!
Yeah, I still have yet to see Donnie Darko, Jessa and Athena. I think it’s in a Netflix que. If not I’ll be renting it from my Itunes ASAP since my applebox is hooked up and working again.
Good list Heather. I’d swap just about any of your honorable mentions for the Sandlot, the movie just tried SO HARD to ape the ‘Wonder Years’ vibe for my taste, but a sound list none-the-less. Stand By Me has been getting rotation on TNT or FX or something this month and It’s so sad we don’t see films that powerful with just children any longer. We get crap like Shark Boy and Lava Girl, or juiced up Sex Comedies. Nothing just about the wonder, pain, excitement or points of transition of being a 12 year old.
Still, good list, and nice to see some love thrown to Lucas. Movie did not flinch or pull punches when it come to depicting the real life of the ‘lower’ bunch in school.
Marc
A near perfect list (I’d swap 1 & 2)! Great job Heather!
the bottom three movies should be higher on the list; i.e. Sixteen Candles should be 10, while Goonies should be about 3 =)
Thats a really good list. I love My Girl a lot !!! Dead Poets Society was so touching as well.
I’m surprised no “Breakfast Club” definitely a top tenner
I’m glad to see The Sure Thing is an honerable mention. It’s one of my all time favorites. I fell in love with John Cusack in that movie.
Porky’s and Meatballs are a couple of other good ones
me said
June 11, 2009 at 1:20 pm
‘I’m glad to see The Sure Thing is an honorable mention. It’s one of my all time favorites. I fell in love with John Cusack in that movie.’
‘Who invented liquid soap and why?’
I throw that quote out every once and a while – just to see who it clicks with. You are right Me, really cemented Cusack as a lead.
Marc
Thanks for your comments guys. This was one of the hardest to pick and choose what to include and disclude. I literally didn’t have this done till yesterday afternoon and usually I have it done almost a week in advance. I just couldn’t make choices.
George……….I’d be more likely to add Porky’s on a best ten movie list I think.
Also, I LIKE the Breakfast Club more than Sixteen Candles, but I felt Sixteen Candles represented “Coming Of Age” better than The Breakfast Club.
I agree with Marc and Me on The Sure Thing. First movie I ever saw with Cusack. It’s been eons since I’ve watched it. I think it’s time for a revist.
Thanks everyone!
Heather
*top ten TEEN movies list
i hate sixteen candles. i would replace it with breaking away or some kind of wonderful. it’s cool u put superbad up here though. its a newer movie but i think its going to be a classic.
Sixteen Candles is a great movie and so is Big. I’m not actually sure I’d change anything about this list, though I’m not familiar with Lucas even though the photo strikes up familiarity.
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Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.
[...] Mobsters picks the Top Ten Coming Of Age Movies… but in what world does Breakfast Club not make this [...]
Never seen Donnie Darko!? Basphemy! Although, putting Almost Famous at the top was definitely the best move. Would have liked to have seen Breakfast Club, just like the rest of these jokers. And my roommate will be a bit bummed to see that The Lion King didn’t make the cut. But Big was a brilliant choice that slipped my mind.
Hold on a tick. Where’s Fast Times? Okay, maybe that’s not a coming-of-age film. But River’s Edge definitely get my vote! On the surface, it’s the anti-Stand By Me and yet both films really are quite similar.
You have to check out the movie 45 RPM. It’s really good, I really did love all those movies. Good choices!
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