Top 7 coming-of-age movies with the magic 3s of life - food, travel, and love

Source: The New York Times

Love, Simon is a tale of love. But it is not your run-of-the-mill love story. In this film our hero Simon keeps his sexual identity hidden but when a blackmailer threatens to reveal it. Our hero sets out on a journey to find himself. In the journey, he finds more than himself, and Simon finds love. Love, Simon very beautifully portrays a gay teen who’s trying to come to terms with his sexual identity. Also a fun fact Love, Simon is the first major film coming from a studio about a gay teenager who’s trying to come out.

The Edge of Seventeen

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Teen years can be very confusing. At Least it was for me and that’s why I loved the film The Edge of Seventeen. Nadine is our socially awkward heroine who considers her father her only ally. But her life gets a whole lotta complicated when her best friend starts dating her popular older brother. Yikes! Just think about dealing with this while you are trying to figure out where you fit in this society. This film further stands out in any list of coming-of-age films thanks to the brilliant performance by Hailee Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson.

The Half of It

Source: Variety

Netflix’s The Half of It can be a little deceiving. At first, it just seemed like any other teen rom-com to me. But the film had an LGBTQ plot twist. I later found out the film is a modern take on the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac written by Edmond Rosand. The modern retelling of the play follows our heroine Ellie Chu who tries to help a school jock woo Aster Flores. But deep down she is in love with Aster too? This Alice Wu-directed film very beautifully explores love, sexuality, friendship, and identity in a group of teens.

Boyhood

Source: Rolling Stone

We cannot talk about coming-of-age films and not talk about boyhood. In this film, the audience saw the protagonist coming to age. This epic coming-of-age film was written and directed by master filmmaker Richard Linklater. This film's production began in the year 2003 and it wrapped up production in 2013. What more can we expect from a film that is about growing up where we get to see the hero grow up on the screen. Boyhood is one of the best coming-to-age dramas I have ever seen. If you haven't checked out this amazing film yet, do it right now.

Lady Bird

Source: The Hoban Visor

Lady Bird is a coming-of-age comedy-drama that was also the solo directorial debut of Greta Gerwig. The story revolves around the relationship of the protagonist Lady Bird and her mother. Lady Bird highlights a teen who desperately wants to reinvent herself. Apart from the beautiful performance by Saorise Ronan, What’s notable is how Greta Gerwig portrayed various firsts of a teen’s life with humor and insight.

Eighth Grade

Source: The New Yorker

Eighth Grade tackles the struggle teenagers have while they try to be socially accepted. And why wouldn’t it have a funny approach after all this 2018 film was directed by standup comedian Bo Burnham? But what I loved about this film is how it highlighted the grip social media has on today’s tennis. The film dove deep into the psyche of a teenager while maintaining a humorous and in-between serious tone.

Juno

Source: Letterboxd

Elliot Page, then known as Ellen Page, starred as the title character in the critically acclaimed Juno. The film focuses on teenage pregnancy. The story revolves around Juno who is an independent-minded teen being confronted by an unplanned pregnancy. The cast of this film also had the likes of Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, and Micheal Cera. The film premiered in September 2007 at the Toronto International Film Festival and was received with a standing ovation. So if you are still wondering if this film is worth your time? I can assure you It is.

Which one is your favorite coming-of-age film, don’t forget to comment down below!