10 Must See Coming of Age Movies

As we deal with the trials and tribulations of life, the world can feel like a lonely and difficult place, especially as an adolescent. Once we hit the teenage years, there is an immense amount of pressure on us to figure out our futures and start planning. We begin to experience what real life has to offer, such as jobs, paying for things, gaining and losing friendships, etc.. As we develop our own personalities and become independent, it is easy to feel like no one understands the way we feel or what we want. These movies are meant to relate to teenagers and help them through difficult times, for adolescence is confusing and stressful. These movies are some of my favorite coming of age films which I find fun, relatable, light hearted, and emotional.

#10) The To Do List

Directed by: Maggie Carrie Starring: Aubrey Plaza This movie is more on the raunchy side, but it is easy to relate to in many ways. The movie starts off with Brandy, played by Aubrey Plaza, graduating high school. As she's preparing for college, her sister tells her that she needs to be sexually experienced. While Brandy is working as a life guard at the community pool over the summer, she creates a list of things she wants to experience sexually and makes it her goal to do everything on the list. The plot follows Brandy as she gets ready for adulthood, and we see her panic as she believes she didn't do enough in her teens. As she attempts to rush through many intimate moments in her life, she experiences many internal struggles as she begins to lose focus on what is important to her. It is a movie that makes you cringe in a good way. The audience can feel the secondhand embarrassment for the character Brandy, for while not everyone makes a sex to do list, the idea of "I didn't do enough when I was younger" is relevant to almost everyone.

#9) The Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Directed by Gabor Csupo Starring Josh Hutcherson and Anna Sophia Robb The Bridge to Terabithia was one of my favorite books as a child, and the movie truly brought the story to life. The main character Jess (played by Hutcherson) lives on a farm with his family. He wakes up every morning to help tend to the animals, and then he goes to school. He loves running, and he races his other male classmates everyday at recess. When a new girl shows up at school, she races the boys and wins, which leads to her and jess becoming friends. Leslie, the new girl (played by Robb), and Jess both have struggles at home. Leslie moves a lot and has no friends, and Jess wants to be an artist while his father intends for him to run the farm. They create a fake world out in the woods in order to escape their real world problems. The plot delves deep into real struggles that many children endure, especially ones more rural. The small town can be lonesome for kids with little friends, but it also provides huge amounts of space for imagination. The movie is emotional as we get to know the characters and the plot climaxes, but it is a take on very real problems, such as death, and has very real methods of coping. I tend to cry at every movie, even bad ones, but this one pulls at the heartstrings more than I was used to as a child.

#8) The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig Starring Hailee Steinfeld The Edge of Seventeen is a popular movie which came out recently, and I am sure most people have seen it or at least heard of it. The film follows awkward teenage Nadine (played by Steinfeld) as she conquers loneliness and depression. She confides in her teacher (played by Woody Harrelson) throughout the movie as she learns to cope with her family issues and her depression in general. While I don't think the plot line is too creative, it is a movie that leaves the audience feeling understood and motivated. The main character Nadine is awkward, depressed, lonely, and dramatic, and she isn't very likable at the start due to her self obsessed nature. While it is easy to criticize Nadine's character, she is a mirror of how many of us act, especially in our younger years. Teens tend to be more selfish due to lack of real life experience. It is a learning process that everyone goes through, which makes Nadine a relatable character. Her personality develops throughout the movie though, and she eventually is able to conquer her demons after realizing she isn't the only one struggling.

#7) Stand By Me (1986)

Directed by Rob Reiner Starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell Stand By Me is considered a classic coming of age story, and it has been parodied many different times including on shows like Family Guy. The plot is about 4 boys that decide to go on a quest to find the body of a boy that went missing in their small town of Maine only a few days ago. The friends want to be known as heroes once they find the body. After coming up with a lie for their parents, they head out into the unknown to search for the boy. Along the way, we learn about the different insecurities and struggles of each boy and how they deal with it. The boys show each other support where their parents are lacking and continue on their journey. This film is suspenseful and emotional, and it leaves the viewer anticipating the dead body. Because there are 4 different main characters with different types of home lives, it easy to pick a character to relate too and learn from.

#6) Clueless (1995)

Directed by Amy Heckerling Starring Alicia Silverstone Clueless is yet another classic that most people have heard of, and the main character, Cher (played by Silverstone), is the fashion icon of the 90's. Her fashion inspired many different types of looks and is still influencing fashion in 2020. The movie itself is centered around Cher, a high school student, who is materialistic but giving. Throughout the movie, she attempts to help her friends, and after helping her friend Tai (played by Brittany Murphy) gain popularity, she begins to realize how materialism affects her life. This movie is good in the same way Legally Blonde is good. It is a "dumb blonde" character that breaks stereotypes and proves that her identity is much more than that. While Cher is not a lawyer like Elle Woods, she does prove that her materialistic ways do not make her selfish, and despite her not being smart, her intentions and actions are pure.

#5) The Sandlot (1993)

Directed by David Mickey Evans Starring Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna, Chauncey Leopardi, Marty York, Brandon Quintin Adams, etc. The Sandlot is a feel good movie that was on replay when I was a kid. Scotty Smalls, played by Guiry, is new to the town and loves baseball. After meeting Rodriguez (played by Vitar), he is introduced to the rest of the characters, and they play baseball all summer. This movie is yet another classic that many have seen, and it has many popular quotes that are still used today. Each character has a distinct personality with little quirks making the movie fun to watch as each character develops. It is simply a wholesome movie about a kid trying to fit into a new setting during a difficult time.

#4) Now and Then (1995)

Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter Starring Christina Ricci, Rosie O'Donnell, Demi Moore, Gaby Hoffman, Thora Birch, Melanie Griffith, Ashleigh Aston Moor, and Rita Wilson The movie starts off with some women gathering in a treehouse together to support their now pregnant friend. As they sit together, they reminisce on their most memorable summer together and the many adventures they had. The movie has many flashbacks of their younger selves during the summer of 1970 which they consider the year they grew up. This movie was fun to watch as a kid growing up, for there are many situations a young girl can relate too, such as body insecurities and boys. It is also still fun to watch as an adult, for it makes the viewer think back on their own childhood friends.

#3) The Goonies (1985)

Directed by Richard Donner Starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Greene, Martha Plimpton, and Ke Huy Quan This wouldn't be a list of coming of age movies without including The Goonies. This film, along with the one in the number one spot, are in my top five favorite movies of all time. While there are many main characters, Mikey (played by Astin) stands out as the leader of his friends. After seeing his parents struggle with finances and fear losing their home, he gathers his friends up to find Davey Bones' ship after discovering a treasure map in his attic. His older brother, Brand (played by Brolin), follows him along with the two female leads, Andy and Stef (played by Greene and Plimpton). They make it to the entrance of the path to treasure only to be chased by a mom and her 2 killer sons. It is filled with challenges and heartfelt moments where Mikey risks his life to help his family. The movie is a tear jerker, but it leaves the viewer feeling as though they can do anything. The movie is motivating with a strong sense of humor and imagination.

#2)Kings of Summer (2013)

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts Starring Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, and Moises Arias Kings of Summer is the epitome of a coming of age film, and the plotline has a similar feel to "Lord of the Flies" with less isolation. Joe, played by Robinson, is sick of his single father telling him what to do and embarrassing him. After getting grounded and finally having enough, Joe escapes to the woods where his friend Patrick (played by Basso) and Biaggio (played by Arias) join him. They decide to build a home there and learn how to survive on their own. The boys experience jealousy, heartbreak, fights, and betrayal eventually leading to them realizing they can't survive. Every child gets tired of being controlled all the time, and as hormonal teenagers, we have all thought about running away and surviving on our own. This movie takes that idea and gives a realistic view of how that scenario would go.

#1) Secondhand Lions (2003)

Directed by Tim McCanlies Starring Haley Joel Osment, Robert Duvall, and Michael Caine Secondhand Lions starts with negligent mother Mae (played by Kyra Sedgwick) dropping her son Walter (played by Osment) off at his Great Uncles' home. He is uneasy at first, for he has never met these uncles. However, the two old men after some questionable events begin to tell Walter about their many adventures and found treasures in their younger days. These stories are met with flashbacks to their younger selves. There is a lot of character development in the 3 main characters as the old men learn to be more sensitive and raise the boy, and the young boy learns important life lessons from his uncles. The movie is heartwarming and hilarious, and it is by far my favorite movie. Despite Walter's terrible mother, his uncles teach him how to believe in what is right and act on what is right which gives Walter more control over his own life.