I grew up with a group of kids in the 70’s that had the iconic American life. We roamed free and could be gone for hours without our parents knowing where we were. Our bikes could carry us miles from home and we went exploring every chance we could. Being a youth at this time left me with an impression that has never left me.
I’ve seen myself and my friends being somewhat characterized in many movies over the years. Most of these movies are centered around a group of boys going on adventures and coming of age. I’ve become a big fan of this genre and would love to write my own book/movie about our experiences one day.
I originally created my list of coming of age movies back in May of 2009. My first list only contained ten movies. Over the years I kept watching more and more films that I thought should be on the list. In May of 2011 I updated the list of movies by adding an additional 15 films. This blog went offline for a few years and now it’s back with the list of The Best Coming Of Age Movies Ever!
Coming of age movies remind me so much of being twelve and growing up in the 1970′s. My dream story would be to take the characters from my neighborhood and put them in a story that combines “Stand By Me”, “The Goonies” and “Lost Boys”.
Our neighborhood gang spent almost every day together in the summer and would skip dinner just so we could play late into the night. We were always outside running around town playing games and tricking neighbors non-stop. We even invented a game that we’d play well past the time the street lights would come on.
The movies listed below are the closest examples of the good times we had as youngsters. I know there are many more coming of age movies but these top my list and have bits and pieces that remind me of days gone by. They are in no particular order. Enjoy and if you’ve missed any of these, they would make great weekend rentals.
This blog post was updated in February 2022 and again in July of 2022. There are many newer movies that could be added to the list and I will try to see as many as possible. I have recently added Super 8.
My Original Top 10 Coming of Age Movies (2009)
1. Stand By Me (1986)
four boys set off on a journey to see a dead body
2. The Goonies (1985)
a group of young misfits discover a map and set out to find a pirate’s treasure
3. Now and Then (1995)
Four childhood friends reminisce about their younger years when they were 12
4. Pretty in Pink (1986)
a true love story of the teenage heart about the divide between rich and poor
5. Dead Poet’s Society (1989)
set in ’59, a teacher dares to teach a group of boys life lessons not found in textbooks
6. St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)
a group of friends, just out of college, struggle with adulthood
7. October Sky (1999)
a 1950s boy from a small town overcomes challenges to find fulfillment in exploring science
8. Breakfast Club (1985)
five high school students meet in detention and find they have more in common than they thought
9. My Girl (1991)
a young girl nearing her teens finds her life turning upside down when she finds an unlikely friend
10. American Graffiti (1973)
a couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies
This list had gotten so popular in 2010 so I decided to add another 10 movies. If you have not seen the first 10 watch those first and then check these out. Again these are in no particular order.
11. Sixteen Candles (1984)
a 16-year-old has a crush on the most popular boy, and the geekiest boy has a crush on her
12. The Sandlot (1993)
a group of scrappy kids playing America’s greatest pastime, baseball, set in 1960s
13. The Outsiders (1983)
two bitter groups of teenagers — rich vs. underprivileged — and their territorial battles
14. Almost Famous (2000)
a high-school boy in the 70s travels with a rock band to write a story for Rolling Stone
15. Dirty Dancing (1987)
summer of ’63 at a country club where a young girl falls for an older dance instructor
16. Breaking Away (1979)
a working-class teen obsessed with cycling searches for life goals with his friends
17. School Ties (1992)
in the 50s, a star-quarterback at an elite preparatory school but must conceal he is Jewish
18. Summer of ’42 (1971)
a teenage boy has an interlude with an older woman during a summer trip
19. That’s What I Am (2011)
set in 65, a 13-year-old paperboy is paired up with a geek on a project
20. The Man in the Moon (1991)
set in the 50s as a 14-year-old girl gets her first difficult lesson in love
Okay, I’ve had to add even more after seeing a few more movies the second and third time around.
21. 13 Going On 30 (2004)
a rom-com about a 13-year-old girl that wants to grow up too quickly
22. My Dog Skip (2000)
a tale of a shy boy and his dog in a small, sleepy Southern town
23. White Squall (1996)
in 1960, a group of prep school boys boards an old-fashioned sailing ship
24. Second Hand Lions (2003)
a story of a shy, young boy sent to spend the summer with his wealthy, eccentric uncles
25. Flipped (2010)
a Rob Reiner film about two eighth-graders having feelings for each other
26. Super 8 (2011)
set in 1979, a boy and his friends save the city from an alien
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