Teen movies

The death of Heath Ledger got me thinking about all my favourite teen movies seeing as how he was in one of my faves: Ten Things I Hate About You. And because thinking about fabby teen movies is more fun than thinking about talented people dying. I love ‘em—almost as much as I love YA.

Here are my off-the-top-of-my-head favourites:

Bend It Like Beckham
Better Off Dead
Bring It On
Clueless
Dirty Dancing
Drumline
East of Eden
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Flirting
Ginger Snaps
Gregory’s Girl
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love
Looking For Alibrandi
The Lost Boys (added because of reminders in the comments)
Mean Girls
Rebel Without A Cause
Saved
Say Anything
She’s All That (mostly for the dance sequence at the end)
The Sure Thing
Ten Things I Hate About You
The Warriors
The Year My Voice Broke

You may notice that I have omitted the John Hughes oeuvre. That is because I had the misfortune of rewatching Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink recently. And, to be kind, I will simply say they do not stand up.

What are your faves? And why?

Posted by Justine at 0:00, 25 January 2008 under Praising, State of the World, Sydney/Australia, Viewing | 40 Comments »

Comments

Kelly G. Says:

Occasional commenter here who would love to chat about teen movies.

I am 100% with you on Ten Things I Hate About You (one of my favorite movies EVER), Bring It On, Clueless, Ginger Snaps, Mean Girls, and She’s All That.

I am sad, however, that you don’t like Breakfast Club anymore. It my opinion, The Breakfast Club was one of the most glorious moments of teen film history…in all history! Gah!

January 25th, 2008 at 12:07 am
eek Says:

I agree with so many of your picks, especially:
Bend It Like Beckham
Clueless
Mean Girls
Saved
Ten Things I Hate About You

Here are a few of my other faves:
Almost Famous (amazing with great music and resonance)
D.E.B.S. (campy girl spy movie with hot girl-on-girl action)
Blue Crush (more hot women, surfers, especially Keala Kennelly)
Camp (Campy plus singing and fun but a enough point to also be serious)
Drop Dead Gorgeous (Campy and funny and a little dark with Allison Janney)
Center Stage (Guilty Pleasure)
Spacecamp (childhood fave)

And ok, so not movies, but three of the best Teen TV shows ever:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Freaks & Geeks
My So-Called Life

eek

January 25th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Veronica Says:

Wait–no Heathers? Really? You don’t love Heathers?

January 25th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Rob Vagle Says:

Better off Dead!

Can’t By Me Love with Patrick Dempsey back in 1987. I remember liking that teen movie. I wonder if it still holds up?

January 25th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Kelly Says:

I’m definitely with you on Better Off Dead (I love that movie sooo much), Ferris Bueller, Say Anything (I think I give away what generation I am with those three), and Mean Girls. Real Genius (does that qualify? It was set at a college) still tickles me, mostly because I identify with the nerdiness/awkwardness.

January 25th, 2008 at 12:46 am
Da Chicagoan Says:

Have to tell you that you didn’t give John Hughes a complete pass – “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is Hughes’ opus magnum about adolescence and growing up in Chicago.

Ferris Bueller is a righteous dude.

January 25th, 2008 at 12:46 am
cei cei Says:

im with you almost 100% but living with my mom i love the molly movies as i call them, espicaly the Breakfast Club

January 25th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Camille Says:

Are there any actual teenagers in “Stand by Me”? (Come to think of it, were there any actual teenagers in “Brick”?)

I kind of loved “The Nostradamus Kid.”

“Bring it On” embarasses me, but also makes me want to dance, so I have to include it. I am also humilated by my love for “Weird Science.” I don’t know. DON’T JUDGE ME. *weepings*

January 25th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Andrew Says:

(Hi there, long-time reader, first-time commenter)

“Empire Records” for so, so many reasons, but mostly because it epitomised what it meant to be a teen in the 90’s (which is what I was).

and

“Footloose”, because if anybody can make dancing cool for guys, it’s Kevin Bacon.

January 25th, 2008 at 1:39 am
dragonfly Says:

footloose

10 things i hate about you

clueless

ferris beuller’s day off

sixteen candles

pleasantville

those are my favorites. i’m not sure if the last one qualifies as a teen movie…but i’m counting it. but footloose is definitely my very favorite. as my sister would say: mmmm….bacon!

January 25th, 2008 at 2:56 am
holly black Says:

My faves (there are many):

Brick
Saved!
Bring it On
Heathers
Breakfast Club
Better off Dead
Mean Girls
Get Real
Go
Benny and June
Napoleon Dynamite
Thirteen
Detroit Rock City
The Craft
The Lost Boys
River’s Edge

January 25th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Rebecca Says:

okay, so i agree with so many of your picks, but i will now add several. i never really liked most of the brat pack movies, but i did enjoy dirty dancing after watching it a second time. bend it, clueless, 10 things, the incredibly true story, saved! especially rock. i also never understood the appeal of ferris bueller. and darn you, i’ve gotten used to no caps!

but i’m a cheerleader (jamie babbitt is amazing)

the craft (because come on, it’s amazing)

scream 1-3 (because i love neve campbell) + i know what you did last summer (because i love sarah michelle gellar and jennifer love hewitt)

dick (um, it’s bust a gut hysterical)

almost every disney channel original movie from the late nineties and early 2000s (wish upon a star, anyone?)

the princess diaries

eurotrip

she’s the man (amanda bynes in drag.)

and, now, juno.

January 25th, 2008 at 3:00 am
holly black Says:

I had high hopes for She’s The Man as I love me some girls dressed as boys, but for some reason it didn’t quite work for me.

January 25th, 2008 at 3:05 am
rebecca Says:

Bend It Like Beckham (my soccer team and i were obsessed junior year of hs)
Mean Girls (still obsessed)
Ten Things I Hate About You (lovvvvve. heath ledger + larissa oleynik–i was an alex mack fan)
Freaky Friday (Lindsay Lohan remake. so funny)
Juno (got the soundtrack on right now. come to think of it, i’ve got the soundtrack on pretty much 24/7)

January 25th, 2008 at 3:18 am
Megan Crewe Says:

I think my absolute favorite (of the classics) is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. So funny and yet there’s those moments of depth, too.

Others I’m fond of:

Adventures in Babysitting
Back to the Future
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Brick
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (yes, I actually enjoy the movie)
Clueless
Dirty Dancing
Donnie Darko (can’t believe no one else has mentioned this!)
Don’t Tell Mom, the Babysitter’s Dead
Ghost World
Heathers
Rushmore
Say Anything

January 25th, 2008 at 3:40 am
marrije Says:

ferris bueller! oh how i love that one.

and dirty dancing of course.

{Insert picture of my boyfriend rolling his eyes here.}

January 25th, 2008 at 4:14 am
Rikhei Says:

Most of my favourite teen movies have been mentioned by yourself or others, but I can’t believe no one’s mentioned Some Kind of Wonderful. It has only the best kiss scene ever! Also a very awesome rendition of “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” at the end, performed by Licking Tins.

January 25th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Barry Says:

Ah, someone else just mentioned Some Kind of Wonderful, a personal fav of mine. I also have a real soft spot for Valley Girl, and Real Genius may be one of the best nerd triumph films of all times.

And yea, how could Heathers not be on your list?

January 25th, 2008 at 10:15 am
PJ Hoover Says:

The Lost Boys!

I’d list more, but this just pops to the top too darn fast.

January 25th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Cheryl Rainfield Says:

Ohh, I really love some of the movies you’ve listed here! And many of the others I haven’t seen, which makes me want to.

I especially love
Bend It Like Beckham
Dirty Dancing
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love
Saved

All of those movies are well-written and acted, and have depth–and strong girl characters, which is important to me–And teens standing up against some form of oppression or inequality or something(well, dirty dancing is more focused on the male protag, but he sure stands up to a form of oppression).

I know there are others, i just can’t think of them right now. hm. i love Big with Tom Hanks–don’t know if that’s a YA movie, though–and Cocoon….

good movies, like good books, are wonderful.

January 25th, 2008 at 10:44 am
21. Justine Says:

Love seeing so many first-time commenters. Welcome!

As Da Chicagoan pointed out I should have said that I don’t like John Hughes’s Molly movies. I loved them as a kid but seeing them recently was a shocking disappointment. Molly=world’s biggest whinger. But Ferris Bueller is fabulous. Especially as it makes me like someone I wouldn’t be able to stand in real life.

I’m shocked so many of you like Brick. I thought it was sexist predictable boring rubbish. I hate Rushmore and Election for similar reasons. But I forgive you; we all have glitches in our taste files.

Heathers is okay but I don’t love it the way I did when I was a kid. To make my list I have to be able to watch the movie multiple times. I don’t think I can watch Heathers again.

I’m also shocked that none of you seem to have seen Gregory’s Girl. You all MUST see it!

Because of your reminders I have added The Lost Boys to the list. I can’t believe I forgot it!

Holly: Like I said I included She’s All That because of the dance sequence at the end, which I adore and can watch multiple times. It’s not that good a film otherwise.

January 25th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Little Willow Says:

Ferris.

January 25th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
niki Says:

SAVED!! you must have saved!!

January 25th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
24. Justine Says:

Niki: Can you not read? I DO have Saved!

January 25th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
janet Says:

Ferris Bueller is one of the few movies I ever walked out of. In fact, I walked out of it twice in one viewing — the friend who had given me a ride was still watching the movie, and I had stupidly forgotten to bring a book to read, so I went back in. Then I ran out again just before the end, so that I could preserve the illusion that the little sh*t got caught.

January 25th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Lauren Says:

Let’s not forget Juno. Laughed and cried the whole way through.

Also One Crazy Summer and does anyone remember Ice Castles? Dude, when I was a teenager, I thought that stuff was way deep.

Oh and one more.

Valley Girl.

Seriously, a teenaged Nicolas Cage? Meow.

January 25th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
ariel cooke Says:

I can’t believe no one has mentioned Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Princess Diaries or Ella Enchanted!

I also love Clueless, Heathers and Valley Girl– remember that fabulous tagline: “She’s cool/he’s hot/she’s from the Valley/he’s not!”

I never liked Dirty Dancing (put Baby back in her corner PLEASE) or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Flashdance reads like an extended commercial for legwarmers.

I still haven’t seen Mean Girls and I’m dying to. Must rush right out to Blockbuster.

January 25th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Brent Says:

Better Off Dead is an all-time favorite. Drumline I like because I’m a musician and was in marching band too. Ferris Bueller’s is another “classic” teen flick. One of my favorites is Toy Soldiers. Breakfast Club is still decent but I agree that Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink are probably more suited to be made fun of now than watched.

January 25th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
chris. Says:

Oh! I don’t want to hear that Hughes’s oeuvre doesn’t hold up. I’m not *surprised* that it doesn’t, but i don’t want to HEAR it! Because one of these days i’m going to introduce my (younger than i) husband to them, and i just *know* i’m going to be thoroughly embarrassed to have to admit to him that i *liked* these things once upon a time. So i won’t hear it, i won’t!! [claps hands over ears] LALALALALALALALALALA!

January 25th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Kadie-Wa Says:

I absoultly adore “A walk to rember” It’s the best movie ever!! It has mandy moore in it, and I love her acting.

I also love Juno. It just came out. It takes place in MN, where I’m from. It is really funny, and very true at the same time.

January 25th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Liset Says:

eee!
i so agree with empire reords!
mostly because i love when they sing sugar rush in the end!

i love the outsiders!
it’s so un-teen, but the most teen… if that makes any sense…

January 25th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
emily Says:

mean girls is sooooooo awesome!!!!! best movie ever. (well, except for zoolander. which isn’t really a teen movie but so amazingly awesome it should count.)

other great movies: bend it like beckham (i loved the coach-dude. can i just make out with him?) she’s all that, and she’s the man.

January 25th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Ellie Says:

While I like most of the movies listed I’m gonna have to go with Get Over It because it’s a terrible movie that is so bad it’s awesome, and anything with a song called Fun To Be A Fairy has to be good.

January 25th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Tom Says:

Maybe it shows my age but i am surprised no one has mentioned:

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Wargames

and my favorite high school geek movie…

Pump up the Volume

January 25th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
emily Says:

wait, i was reading the other comments and i just realized i forgot freaky friday! it’s awesome! how could i?

January 25th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Laini Taylor Says:

Me too, me too! So many good movies! We just watched 10 Things I Hate About You last night and were struck with such awful sadness all over again. There are a few on your list I haven’t heard of — I’ll have to check them out. Oh, the gymnastics movie Stick It! from a few years ago was a good one. More even than plain teen movies, I love teen dance and sport movies!

January 25th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
emily Says:

this is off-topic, but i was wondering – can you use the title of a song for the title of a manuscript? please answer! thanks!

January 26th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Allie Says:

i love ferris!!! i’m 13 and quote the movie all the time and my friends never know what i’m talking about.

Hey, when did the big letters start showing up?

January 27th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Isabella Says:

Hmm… fron the list:

Bend It Like Beckham
Bring It On
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Mean Girls
She’s All That

And some others would be:

Napolean Dynamite
Freaky Friday
She’s the Man
What a Girl Wants

January 28th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Elise Says:

I read your blog regularly, however I have this irrational fear of commenting on blogs. I’m very intimidated by people who comment on blogs and videos, etc. No idea why, so this is a very big deal for me:)

Anyway,

Okay, the only thing I don’t like about your list is your aversion to John Hughes’s Molly Ringwald films, but I’ll let it slide, because you’re awesome.

But I do have one question. You mentioned Looking for Alibrandi in your list, which is a book I really, really loved and I’ve been trying to get a hold of the movie. However, living in Arizona of the USA has rather put a damper on that. I was just wondering if you knew of anywhere in the US where one could go about finding that film.
Thanks,
Elise

January 28th, 2008 at 10:07 pm