212 articles
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.
C.R.A.Z.Y.
C.R.A.Z.Y. is a 2005 Quebec French-language coming-of-age drama by Jean-Marc Vallée and François Boulay about Zachary Beaulieu, born Christmas 1960, whose initials with brothers Christian, Raymond, André, and Yan form the title; it won 11 Genies and 13 Jutras.
Call Me by Your Name (film)
Call Me by Your Name (Chiamami col tuo nome) is Luca Guadagnino's 2017 romantic drama adapted by James Ivory from André Aciman's novel, starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer; it won the 2018 Oscar 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.
Close (2022 film)
Close (2022) is Lukas Dhont's drama about 13-year-old friends Léo and Rémi, whose bond breaks under peer suspicion. Cannes Grand Prix winner, Oscar-nominated Belgian film starring Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele, distinct from the 2019 Noomi Rapace thriller of the same name.
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.
Cuties
Cuties (Mignonnes) is Maïmouna Doucouré's 2020 French debut drama about an 11-year-old Senegalese-French girl in a dance troupe; Sundance Directing Award winner, Netflix release, 2020 controversy.
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.
Dinner in America
Dinner in America is a 2020 American punk-rock comedy written, directed, and edited by Adam Carter Rehmeier, starring Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs; it premiered at Sundance 2020, reached US theaters in May 2022, and later went viral on TikTok via the song "Watermelon."
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.
Dope (2015 film)
Dope is a 2015 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa, following a geeky Inglewood, California, high-school senior caught up in a drug deal. It premiered at Sundance in January 2015.
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.
Eighth Grade (film)
Eighth Grade (2018) is Bo Burnham's feature directorial debut, an A24 comedy-drama starring Elsie Fisher as anxious 13-year-old vlogger Kayla Day; released July 13, 2018, 94 minutes, R-rated, $2 million budget, 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
El Bola
El Bola (Pellet) is a 2000 Spanish drama, Achero Mañas's debut, about an abused twelve-year-old, Pablo, befriended by Alfredo. It won four Goyas including Best Film and the 2001 European Film Academy Fassbinder Award.
Eternal Summer (盛夏光年)
Eternal Summer (盛夏光年) is a 2006 Taiwanese coming-of-age queer drama by Leste Chen, adapted from Hsu Cheng-ping's story "Light Years," starring Joseph Chang, Ray Chang, and Kate Yeung; it premiered at Busan, won a Golden Horse Best New Performer award, and was restored in 4K in 2021.
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.
Fish Tank (film)
Fish Tank is Andrea Arnold's 2009 British social-realist drama about 15-year-old Mia (Katie Jarvis), her mother's boyfriend Connor (Michael Fassbender), and dance as escape; it won the Cannes Jury Prize (tied with Thirst) and the BAFTA for Best British Film.
Fist & Faith
Fist & Faith (青禾男高) is a 2017 Chinese action film directed by Jiang Zhuoyuan and starring Jing Tian and Ou Hao, set in Japanese-occupied 1930s Manchuria.
Fleet of Time
Fleet of Time, also released as Back in Time (匆匆那年), is a 2014 Chinese romantic drama directed by Zhang Yibai, based on Jiu Yehui's novel and starring Eddie Peng and Ni Ni.
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.