91 articles
A Brighter Summer Day (牯岭街少年杀人事件)
A Brighter Summer Day (牯嶺街少年殺人事件) is Edward Yang's 1991, 237-minute Taiwanese epic about a 1961 Taipei teenage murder, starring Chang Chen, a Golden Horse Best Picture winner and Sight and Sound top-100 film.
A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale: 1993 American crime drama, Robert De Niro's directorial debut, adapted from Chazz Palminteri's autobiographical one-man play about a Bronx boy torn between his bus driver father and mobster Sonny; later a 2016 Broadway musical.
A Time to Live, a Time to Die
A Time to Live, a Time to Die (童年往事, Tongnian wangshi) is Hou Hsiao-hsien's 1985 semi-autobiographical Taiwanese film about a Mainlander family in Taiwan after 1948, second in his coming-of-age trilogy and a Taiwan New Cinema landmark.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945 film)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) is Elia Kazan's first feature film, a Twentieth Century-Fox adaptation of Betty Smith's novel starring Dorothy McGuire, James Dunn, and Peggy Ann Garner, which won two Academy Awards.
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is George Lucas's 1973 coming-of-age comedy-drama about teenagers cruising Modesto, California, in 1962. Produced by Coppola for about $770,000, it earned over $200 million, received five Oscar nominations, and made Star Wars possible.
Au revoir les enfants
Au revoir les enfants (Goodbye, Children) is Louis Malle's 1987 autobiographical French drama about Jewish boys hidden at a Catholic boarding school in occupied France; it won the 1987 Golden Lion, seven Césars, and an Oscar nomination.
Baby It's You
Baby It's You (1983) is John Sayles's first studio film, a Paramount coming-of-age romance starring Rosanna Arquette and Vincent Spano as mismatched 1966 Trenton, New Jersey teens; it flopped commercially but holds 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Batch '81
Batch '81 (AKΩ Batch '81) is Mike de Leon's 1982 Filipino drama about fraternity hazing at Alpha Kappa Omega, an allegory of Marcos-era martial law; it premiered at Cannes Directors' Fortnight and was restored in 4K in 2017.
Beautiful Thing
Beautiful Thing is a 1996 British comedy-drama film directed by Hettie Macdonald, adapted by Jonathan Harvey from his 1993 Bush Theatre play, about teenagers Jamie and Ste falling in love on the Thamesmead estate in southeast London; it won the 1996 London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival best film award and a 1997 GLAAD Media Award.
Beyond Silence
Beyond Silence (Jenseits der Stille) is Caroline Link's 1996 German drama debut about Lara, a hearing daughter of deaf parents who becomes a clarinetist; Oscar-nominated 1998, Tokyo Grand Prix winner.
Boyz n the Hood
Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American drama film written and directed by John Singleton, following three young men coming of age in South Central Los Angeles.
Breaking Away
Breaking Away (1979) is an American coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Peter Yates, written by Steve Tesich, about Bloomington townies racing IU's Little 500; it won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Bronco Bullfrog
Bronco Bullfrog is a 1969 British black-and-white drama, Barney Platts-Mills's debut feature, made for about £17,000 with non-professional East London teenagers from Joan Littlewood's Playbarn, portraying suedehead youth culture in Stratford and rediscovered through BFI restorations.
Butterfly's Tongue
Butterfly's Tongue (La lengua de las mariposas) is a 1999 Spanish drama by José Luis Cuerda, adapted by Rafael Azcona from three Manuel Rivas stories, about a Galician boy and his republican teacher Don Gregorio, whose friendship is destroyed by the 1936 Civil War; it won the Goya for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Cinema Paradiso
Cinema Paradiso (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso) is Giuseppe Tornatore's 1988 Italian-French drama about a Sicilian boy and the projectionist Alfredo. It won the 1989 Cannes Grand Prize and the 1990 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, with an Ennio Morricone score.
Closely Watched Trains
Closely Watched Trains (Ostře sledované vlaky), 1966 Czechoslovak tragicomedy by Jiří Menzel from Bohumil Hrabal's novella; apprentice dispatcher Miloš Hrma in occupied Bohemia; won the 1968 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Clueless
Clueless (1995): Amy Heckerling's teen comedy, a loose adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma set in Beverly Hills, starring Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz; grossed $56.6 million domestic and entered the National Film Registry.
Cooley High
Cooley High (1975) is Michael Schultz's comedy-drama, written by Eric Monte from his Cabrini-Green youth, following Preach and Cochise through 1964 Chicago; Motown soundtrack, $13 million gross, National Film Registry 2021.
Cria Cuervos
Cría cuervos (Cria!, Raise Ravens) is Carlos Saura's 1976 Spanish drama about a girl who believes she poisoned her father; it won the 1976 Cannes Grand Prix Spécial du Jury.
Daughter of the Nile (尼罗河女儿)
Daughter of the Nile (尼羅河女兒) is Hou Hsiao-hsien's 1987 Taiwanese drama, also released in Japan as ナイルの娘, about Taipei teenager Lin Hsiao-yang, her criminal brother, and the Chieko Hosokawa manga she escapes into; 93 minutes, Golden Horse Best Original Score, 4K-restored for Berlinale Classics 2016.
Dazed and Confused (film)
Dazed and Confused is a 1993 Richard Linklater comedy about Texas teens on the last day of school in May 1976. A box-office flop that became a cult classic, Criterion-restored and career-launching for McConaughey and Affleck.
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society is a 1989 Peter Weir drama starring Robin Williams as English teacher John Keating at 1959 Welton Academy; it won the Oscar for Tom Schulman's original screenplay and the BAFTA for Best Film.
Deep End (1970 film)
Deep End (1970) is Jerzy Skolimowski's German-British drama about a teenage baths attendant's obsession with co-worker Jane Asher; shot in Munich, set in London, with Cat Stevens and Can music, restored by the BFI in 2011.
Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (Sjećaš li se Dolly Bell?) is Emir Kusturica's 1981 feature debut, written with Abdulah Sidran, set in 1963 Sarajevo, about teenager Dino and the prostitute Dolly Bell; Venice and Pula award winner.
Dogfight (film)
Dogfight is a 1991 American drama directed by Nancy Savoca, written by Bob Comfort, starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor. Marines on the eve of Vietnam deployment hold an ugly-date contest; Birdlace's date Rose discovers the game. Released by Warner Bros. 13 September 1991; grossed $394,631.
Edge of Seventeen (1998 film)
Edge of Seventeen (1998) is an American independent gay coming-of-age drama directed by David Moreton and written by Todd Stephens, set in 1984 Sandusky, Ohio, starring Chris Stafford, Tina Holmes, and Lea DeLaria.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American teen comedy-drama directed by Amy Heckerling and written by Cameron Crowe from his book of the same name.
Flirting (1991 film)
Flirting (1991) is John Duigan's Australian coming-of-age sequel to The Year My Voice Broke, starring Noah Taylor and Thandie Newton at 1965 boarding schools; it won the 1990 AFI Best Film award.
Foxes (1980 film)
Foxes is a 1980 American coming-of-age drama, the feature directorial debut of Adrian Lyne, starring Jodie Foster and Cherie Currie as four teenage girls in the San Fernando Valley.
Gregory's Girl
Gregory's Girl (1980, UK release 1981) is Bill Forsyth's Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy set in Cumbernauld, starring John Gordon Sinclair, Dee Hepburn, and Clare Grogan; it won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay.