“All my life I’ve been obsessed with adolescence, drunk on it. Even when I was little, I knew that teenagers sparkled. I knew they knew something children didn’t know, and adults end up forgetting,” alt-pop singer Lorde wrote on Facebook right before she turned 20. Teenage years are often the most formative years of a person’s existence. Life becomes more independent as teenagers gain the freedom to discover themselves without adult-like responsibilities. Hence, it is essential that teenagers savor adolescence while also remaining aware and prepared for the vast world ahead of them.
Coming of age films encapsulate this effervescent teenage experience, while incorporating the authentic highs and lows. From Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women,” set in Massachusetts during the 1860s, to Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name,” nestled in the Italian countryside in the 1980s, coming of age films transcend time periods and settings. Such films offer a plethora of vivid experiences while remaining relatable to the viewer, conveying crucial takeaways applicable and essential to teenagers everywhere.
“Coming of age movies are great because they show relatable characters that allow you to connect with them and display real world-problems that you can empathize with,” WHS student Sofia Baroletti said.
In that sense, a key aspect of coming of age films is their ability to convey realistic themes, messages and problems. In Tom Schulman’s cult-classic film “Dead Poets Society,” a group of high school boys cross paths with their remarkable English teacher Mr. Keating, who shifts their perspectives on life as they teeter the brink of adulthood at their prestigious preparatory school. Although Mr. Keating remains a fictional character, his encouragement to break the mold of the student’s daily lives is universal to teenagers everywhere exploring what they want to do with their future. As teenagers grow older, they often feel the weight of academic or familial expectations, and as a result, they steer away from their passions that they truly desire to pursue. Taking to heart the messages from a coming of age film like Schulman’s can offer guidance in the lives of adolescents and models the importance of thinking freely and following one’s personal ambitions.
As teenagers relate to the themes and messages in coming of age movies, they reflect on their own lives, and in turn, find themselves resonating with the characters—or what some people call finding their “comfort characters.” Amongst some of the media’s most relatable characters is Charlie Kelmeckis, the main character in the coming-of-age romantic drama “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Charlie, a naive, introverted freshman in high school, struggles to break into the social circle at his school; luckily, he befriends a few seniors who help him cope with his difficult past and enrich his high school experience. Many fans of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” easily connect to the film’s main character particularly because of his common mental health and social struggles that interfere with his typical, daily life. As much as he is fictional and has his own unique story, his ongoing struggle to feel belonging in highschool, and his joy at finally finding it, reflect the universal feelings of highschoolers everywhere.
“Film conveys some sort of truth that teeangers see in themselves, different from audio, because they can actually see someone in the media like them, flaws and all,” WHS student Maran Gallivan said.
Essentially, as adolescents embrace the thrill of nearing adulthood, it is crucial that they remain grounded by key messages and lessons, such as those conveyed in coming-of-age films. Luckily, films in this particular genre effortlessly display these messages by connecting with their audience through realistic characters. Such characters remain fictional, but easily can seem real in the lives of viewers as certain actions, situations and dialogue can apply to the viewer’s personal circumstances.
