Graduation is a milestone that many people experience, but a large question lingers in the back of every graduate’s head, “Now what?” This exact question has been asked by every generation, and coming-of-age movies attempted to answer it. We have all seen films where the main characters search for their own purposes in the world, and more than likely we can relate to the dilemma of finding our own identities within our communities as time flies by.
When thinking about graduation, some might skip over middle school graduation. However, this point in life is an important milestone as we all go through our awkward phases, and movies have always been exploring this. Movies such as “Stand by Me” (1986) and “Sandlot” (1993) became some of the most iconic movies that explore the friendships made during this time and the impact that this time frame has on the rest of our lives. From bonding over baseball to forming our own coping mechanisms from events that happened in the past, these movies highlight the time where we start to think about our individuality.
Most coming-of-age movies tend to focus on the high school experience and the journey our characters take to figure out their purposes. “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955) portrayed the rebellious phase that some teens experienced, which seemed to have started a trend. “Grease” (1978), “Breakfast Club” (1985) and “Good Will Hunting” (1997) all had rebellious characters that found themselves in situations that helped them grow.
These characters eventually found meaning in their peers to make them believe they could amount to something more than they initially thought. Although these movies were made in different decades, the concept of the teenage rebel needing outside help to figure out their purpose did not change and became an inspiration to those that relate. These movies were made in a way that gives teen audiences a clue on where they just might end up if they keep walking their paths in life.
We then have films such as “Mean Girls” (2004) where the main character made friends with the meanest girls in the school and gained popularity among their peers only to lose herself in the process. “Project X” (2012) follows three friends that are working to throw the biggest party they could, just so they can leave their mark on history before heading for college. In both films, all characters work to find themselves and evaluate their values as they progress.
It does not matter how old we are, or what decade we were born; the premise is always the same when it comes to looking towards the future. Is there a meaning to our lives that we need to find sooner rather than later? When we watch these films, we may reflect on our own experiences throughout our lives and find that we never stop evaluating ourselves, and there is always more time to figure out the meaning to it all.
