I was very excited to see the American Reunion movie. I saw American Pie just after college and remembered it was quite funny.
Jim, Michelle, Oz, Heather, Stifler reunite for their high school...
Having just remembered that Over the Edge was used as inspiration for Attack the Block, I was thinking about the whole genre of teen dramas or adolescent angst.
So far I've got...
Elephant
Paranoid Park
Let the Right One In
Let Me In
I haven't seen Kids or Thirteen.
There has to be some Chewers who know all the others ones, lets name them.
Jim, The World's Greatest (1978) (VHS) **1/2 Don Coscarelli's first theatrical film is a drama centering on a teenager, Jim Nolan (Gregory Harrison), trying to protect his younger brother Kelly (Robbie Wolcott) from their abusive father (played with pathetic creepiness by Angus Scrimm). The first two thirds of the film are rather engaging, as it deals with Jim's struggles to maintain some sense of a normal high school life, while being impacted psychologically by the shame of his home life. There are some early scenes, including one involving a clever quick-cutting between a history film in class, Jim's daydream, and child abuse, which are quite haunting and hard to shake. Unfortunately, the final act of story seems rather rushed, glossing over some significant plot points and, consequently, feels way more manipulative and unearned than the earlier parts of the film. Worth a look though, in spite of its faults.
I saw the the trailer for Jim, The World's Greatest on the Phantasm dvd I bought over the summer. I face-palmed myself missing both Pump Up the Volume and Rebel Without a Cause.
Pump Up the Volume only works if your no older than 16. Or maybe I'm just too much of a cynic to believe the entire school would rally around Happy Harry Hard On's show.
Jesus Christ I realized the big one, besides the S.E. Hinton movies, I think everyone goes through a "Donnie Darko" period, I loved that movie at one time.
This is a rather sloppy, but watchable and fitfully entertaining little slice of life about an angsty college student, featuring early performances from Ben Affleck, Alyssa Milano, and Sam Rockwell (too unknown to even get billing in the trailer). Actually includes the words "angst for the memories".
As far as I know, this is the only decent movie in which French Stewart was one of the leads (as the token 'pretentious snobby sophisticate' of the group, like Finch in "American Pie"). Much loved by my younger self for its featuring of some of my favourite '90s punk bands in their prime like NOFX, The Mr. T Experience, and The Vandals (who actually wrote the score!).
Oddly enough, the only thing of note that director Rich Wilkes has done since is "XXX", starring Vin Diesel. Not a life-changer/required viewing or anything, but worth watching as a piece of '90s nostalgia, especially if you like the era's skatepunk and Alyssa Milano. The writing is a bit immature at times, but there are a few lines that are fun (even when you're hearing them as an adult), and the arc of Affleck's character was at least thoughtful, if obvious.
The movie is scrappy and unrefined, but has its pleasures. The best part is a surprisingly well-acted and well-written scene in which a character played by Brendan Fraser has this hilariously shallow argument with his girlfriend on a bus, who is bitching because he doesn't make out with her in public. Affleck politely asks them to shut up, adding, "Keep your pathetic little relationship to yourselves". That scene was so cathartic for me.
Some Kind Of Wonderful (1987) - One of the more underrated films written by John Hughes, it is a completely engrossing story of unrequited love and teen angst in high school. It has great performances by the three main leads especially from Mary Stuart Masterson who is a revelation in the movie. It may draw comparisons to the earlier Pretty in Pink but this movie hits all the right notes from beginning to end. Props to the always dependable Elias Koteas for his scene-stealing role as the skinhead, Duncan.
"You break his heart, I break your face."
"Don't go mistaking paradise for a pair of long legs."
"It must be a hen house, because all I see is chicken shit."
"Because I'm driving you crazy and you're driving me crazy and I'd rather not see you and have you think good things about me than have you see me and hate me. 'Cause I can't afford to have you hate me, Keith. The only things I care about in this goddamn life are me and my drums and you."
"Well, I like art, I work in a gas station, my best friend is a tomboy. These things don't fly too well in the American high school."
Oh yes. Boarding school angst. There's more to it than that, but it definitely goes into what the boys must endure, both from the schoolmasters and from their fellow students. Brilliant film.
To me, Fight Club, the book and the movie, is about growing up and finding that adulthood can be very empty. I find the reaction; violence, vandalism, subversive humour etc. to be a classic angry white boy response when faced with dissapointment. Tyler Durden is who many of us wanted to be when we were angry young men. So in my mind it is a film that fits into the category of teen angst. The end where the main character kills Durden can be taken as being symbolic of his own growing up. Lots of us old fuckers have had to slay the Tyler in ourselves in order to get on with life.
Sorry for writing that other post in a way that probably reads as unnecessarily dismissive, I just meant to point to the difference between films about adolescent angst vs films beloved by angsty adolescents.
In a more constructive mode: Does Battle Royale count?
ETA: Whoops, just saw someone beat me to River's Edge (and You tube is blocked at work, so if one of those trailers are for Permanent Record, then double whoops.)
I'll add Where The Day Takes You and Less Than Zero.
The funny thing that occurs to me after reading this thread, is how few truly good coming of age movies I can think of.
I recently watched The Breakfeast Club with my soon to be 12 year old as sort of a opener to discuss many issues he will be encountering in Jr. High next year (sex, pressure, alienation, drugs, pack mentality, bullying, etc.) and I think the movie handles these issues beautifully. But I am at a loss to think of another intelligent movie specifically aimed at teens and pre-teens. If you guys n gals could throw me a few good suggestions I would be in your debt.
Maybe I should of started another thread with this, but decided to err on the side of caution. One of the many pleasures of parenthood has been sharing classic literature and movies with my children, but now I am really thinking a thread of recomendations for parents to show/discuss with their kids might be an interesting one.
The funny thing that occurs to me after reading this thread, is how few truly good coming of age movies I can think of.
I recently watched The Breakfeast Club with my soon to be 12 year old as sort of a opener to discuss many issues he will be encountering in Jr. High next year (sex, pressure, alienation, drugs, pack mentality, bullying, etc.) and I think the movie handles these issues beautifully. But I am at a loss to think of another intelligent movie specifically aimed at teens and pre-teens. If you guys n gals could throw me a few good suggestions I would be in your debt.
Empire Of The Sun is a great film for parents to watch with their kids as it's a journey of a pre-teen who is forced to grow up when confronted by the world. Watching it, myself, as a 13 year old was an incredibly cathartic viewing experience.
Some Kind Of Wonderful,Harold & Maude, & Say Anything... are great teen films about establishing personal worth amidst perpetual social rejection.
Big is another good one about a pre-teen who's forced to grow up.
If you have daughters, check out Mystic Pizza. It's a smart comedy about young women navigating boy troubles. There are a bunch of other great films for teen girls but I'm drawing a blank.
The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert is a great film about social acceptance that teens (girls more than boys probably) can tune in to & have fun with.
Actually, there are probably a ton of good suggestions in the 100 Best Family Films thread.
Actually, does it count as a coming of age film if the characters kill themselves/totally fuck up their lives? Do the characters actually 'come of age' in that case, or do they just prove that they can't let go of their childhood ideals? Like a 'not-coming-of-age' movie basically.
