If you were born in 1990 or so, what’s your favourite movie of teen angst, love and redemption? I was wondering this while watching a few minutes of The Girl Next Door, a pretty average teen flick.
Of all the John Hughes teen films, The Breakfast Club was my favourite. What are the teen films that resonate with today’s teens?
I had a few that I really liked. Although “the Breakfast Club” came out a year after I finished high school! In junior high I recall the movie “On Golden Pond” being a big hit. In high school, “Raiders of the Lost Arc” and the like were popular. I don’t really recall a teen flick (specifically) from when I was in high school that did well. I think that the heyday of the teen movie was 1985-1989. That’s when movies like the Breakfast Club, St.Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off etc…came out.
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I don’t know about *teen* angst, love and redemption, but for twentysomethings it’s Clerks.
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Kids these days seem to like “Final Destination”, “Scream” and “American Pie”. (OK that made me sound old but I kinda like them too, I’ll admit it).
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I liked American Pie too. Esp. Allison Hannigan as the Band Camp Girl. Hilarious. She totally made the movie!
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The big movie during my high school years was Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet and I think the consensus among my peers right now is Garden State. As for me personally, it’s Ghostworld.
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I think I’m closer in age to you so I am with you on Breakfast club.
If it’s not Garden State for this generation, it should be.
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darren You know, I agree on Garden State, but its demographic is too old for today’s teenagers. It discusses twenty-something issues, and features twenty-something actors (importantly, playing twenty-something chracters).
American Pie does have most of the necessary factors–sex-starved boys, broad humour, prom night, deflowering and so forth.
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djm Dazed and Confused pretty much nailed it for me.
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Lisa Dazed and Confused then, Garden State now…and I haven’t seen American Pie but I’ve heard enough about band camp girl that I feel like I have.
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Rocky As the mother of a 13 year-old son, I’m privy to (or tortured by) many teen movies. Bring It On may be one of the most campy, with American Pie not far behind.
Most of my friends were fans of the “brat pack”, but one of the movies that resonates with me to this day is Repo Man. It really captured the punk rock attitude of the 80’s…kind of an anti-Hughes movie. I still listen to the soundtrack.
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