COMING OF AGE:TEEN MOVIES
Purpose
Coming of age films explore the formation of PERSONAL IDENTITY.
In teen coming of age movies (TCOA), that personal identity is developed by the transition from teenager to adult
Thus, teen coming of age movies show the journey that a person takes to grow into their more fully developed selves.
Intended Audience
TCOA movies are usually made for a teenage audience Most teen films rely on teen culture to connect
with their audience, which may include references that older generations may not understand.
These movies also focus on issues that are more easily relatable for teenagers, such as high school or social cliques.
That being said, some adults also enjoy TCOA movies…
For example…
Picture of Mr. Fusco
Conventions:Setting
High schools Teen “hang outs”
Malls Parties Dances
Usually, the setting needs to have some distance from adults – there needs to be an element of freedom
Conventions:Plot
A person (or several people) “grow up” Become independent from parents Have a sexual “awakening” Develop a personal identity or philosophy Mature in some way
Usually, there is a focus on internal conflict. The external conflict is secondary, and is used to emphasize the characters’ inner conflict
Conventions:Characters
TCOA movies rely on stereotypes, such as…
the jock
the princess
the geek
the rebel
the girl/guy next door
Elements of Film:Mise-En-Scene
Props and costumes are usually from the teen culture of the time.
Elements of Film:Cinematography
The emphasis in TCOA movies is on plot and character development – this means that the camera work is not an important element.
Also, TCOA movies try to reflect real life situations, so the camera tries to remain as unnoticeable as possible.
Camera usually sticks to standard shot patterns – anything unusual will draw attention.
Elements of Film:Editing
Montage Sequences are used often to show the transformation from teenager to adult
Very little action, so the editing is relatively slow-paced
TCOA movies use a lot of sustained shots of people’s faces to emphasize the inner conflict
Elements of Film:Sound
Use of teen slang (whether it actually is used by teenagers or not)
Popular music Lots of dialogue – the focus is on
discussion, not action. Having lots of dialogue allows the viewer to track the characters growth.
Sub-Genres
Teen movies are a sub-genre of Coming of Age movies.
Coming of Age movies, however, are very versatile and can be matched with many genres, such as: Sports (ex: The Sandlot, Basketball Diaries,
Remember the Titans) Bromance (ex: Superbad, Wedding Crashers) Drama (ex: Girl, Interrupted, 8 Mile) Comedy (ex: American Pie, 40 Year Old Virgin)
Superbad
The Breakfast Club