Best movies about being a teenager
Submitted by jenhowel on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 09:18
Tags:
- "Donnie Darko" - Not necessarily about being a teenager, but it captures the nobility and confusion of being one better than almost anything I know. Plus, Jake Gyllenhall's amazing in it. Great soundtrack too.
- "Rushmore" - Max Fischer would be my ultimate teen dream date.
- "Heavenly Creatures" - The dark side of intense female friendship, realistically depicts obsession and the messed up perspective of teenage years.
- "The Breakfast Club" - Recently watched it again and it really made me think about my own identity now and then. Should be shown to all incoming freshmen along with an intense discussion to promote getting along.
- "Welcome to the Dollhouse" - A great film from the underdog perspective.
- "Some Kind of Wonderful" - In my book the best romantic comedy set in high school. Features the coolest girl protagonist in Mary Stuart Masterson.
- "Pretty in Pink" - but only the Spader version, which is achieved by fast-forwarding through all scenes without an appearance by James Spader. His prick performance is really the only above average thing about this movie.
- "Grease" - Actually makes the 50's look good. Great songs, and my weakness - Olivia Newton-John!
- GHOST WORLD - I am absolutely in love with this movie, and it's so true. I knew Enid; she's my friend Genevieve at the same age.
Author Comments:
In light of the spate of entertaining yet highly light-weight teen flicks I create this list which is my recommended best-of the high school genre. Unfortunately I cannot include "Loser" as it is set in college. But that is my favorite of the recent batch. Do not bother requesting "Heathers" - I think I've seen it too many times. And as for "Clueless" - didn't speak to me on any level.
check out"Over The edge" if you haven't seen it.Man it is brilliant.
of course watts (mary stuart masterson's character) in SKOW is the coolest girl protagonist! that's why i dressed up as her for halloween...including drumsticks and red leather-fringed gloves. yay. sorry. i was just very excited about it. i will go now.~kat
sub-genre - best teen "gang" movies
Rebel Without a Cause
The Wild Ones
The Blackboard Jungle
The Warriors
The Wanderers
West Side Story
American Graffiti
Rumble Fish
The Outsiders
That Was Then, This is Now
At Close Range
Hollywood Knights
River's Edge
Suburbia
A Bronx Tale
Say Anything? Heathers?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I noted The Breakfast Club - check out The Outsiders which is my favourite (and better IMHO).
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the
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I keep meaning to see this film, so thanks for nudging me that way. I'll probably check it out next time I'm at the video store!
Dazed and Confused is the closest I ever have seen to a recreation of my own High School experience. And despite the bad flashbacks it is a great movie.
I guess for me it was so different than my high school experience. I was a big nerd and I grew up in the D.A.R.E. era, so drugs and rock and roll were kinda distant from my whole experience.
I can buy, however, that it is an authentic experience, and I certainly do love Linklater. It's possible I might watch this movie again, if only to check out Matthew McCan'tSpellhislastname's debut as a dude who's too old to be hanging around with high schoolers.
Here's a few good ones you should see if you haven't already.
Stand by Me (1986)
Fucking Åmål: Show Me Love (1998)
Große Mädchen weinen nicht: Big Girls Don't Cry (2002)
Thirteen (2003)
Mean Creek (2004)