Since I’ve decided on using the coming-of-age genre in my film, I needed to research it and its conventions.
Coming-of-age films can provide both a relatable comfort and an escape to a better life for those who view and enjoy them. They follow kids and teenagers as they go through the struggles of life, with realistic conflicts that appeal to most audiences in the same age group as the main characters. However, they can often sensationalize or dramatize these events for the sake of entertainment.
Many coming-of-age films are products of their time in terms of pop culture references that make them relatable in the first place, and these can grow to develop cult followings decades later for their sense of nostalgia or an interesting look into the past. Some can be autobiographical and take place in the past to reflect the writer or director’s childhood. These films are timeless, and still portray themes and stories that reach and impact generations of audiences.
Ex) Mid90s (2018) is a semi-autobiographical
coming-of-age film that partially reflects
director Jonah Hill’s childhood in its titular era
Narratives of coming-of-age films can range from single-day adventures with friends to longer storylines that deal with the harsher realities of adolescence and growing up. The latter often take place during high school, specifically junior and senior year, where the characters will be transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. They may also tackle more serious topics and themes such as mental health, family life, and struggles with fitting into social groups.
Ex) The Breakfast Club (1985), one of the most famous ‘timeless’ coming-of-age films, follows different archetypes as they discuss shared struggles over one day in high school.
The structure of coming-of-age films often follows one year of high school or a similar set timespan as the characters develop and learn from their experiences and the world around them. Though the characters do not fully change, they learn lessons about life and work through struggles, maturing to an extent.
tackling more serious topics such as mental illness and sexuality.
post titled after this song
Resources:
https://industrialscripts.com/coming-of-age-movie/
https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2018/10/25/mid90s-actor-jonah-hills-directorial-debut-delivers-a-compelling-coming-of-age-story
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/07/19/judd-nelson-says-the-breakfast-club-shouldnt-remade/1781750001/
https://www.vulture.com/2012/12/toughest-scene-perks-of-being-a-wallflower.html
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