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General Teenage Movie Archetypes

 

The elements of a teenage movie can often be examined through four major characteristics:. The themes include 1) sex and relationships, 2) rebellion, 3) high school experiences, and 4) teenage stereotypes. The experience of high school and the events that occur there are a rite of passage for every teenager, making school the perfect backdrop for a coming of age film. Rituals such as prom in Pretty in Pink, and the shopping fantasy in Valley Girl, are often a staple. Possibly the most noteworthy archetype of teenage portrayal in Hollywood is The Breakfast Club, revolving around teenage stereotypes and the roles they play. According to Patrick O’Neill in his thesis investigating the 1980s Hollywood teen drama, “the dramatization of the role of the teen stereotype and its hierarchical nature is a theme which is consistent throughout the genre, especially from the mid-1980s onwards: the jock, the popular girl, the delinquent, the rebel and the nerd all pervade the films in various forms and manifestations, with The Breakfast Club being emblematic of this.”

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Sex and relationships are a cructial aspect in any coming of age movie. In the 1980s, the discovery of AIDS and the HIV virus drastically changed society’s attitude towards sex. This impacted Hollywood’s portrayal of casual sex and promiscuous behaviour. Even though a more celibate youth was being featured, love and romance were still major players in coming of age. This can be seen most notably in John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles (1984), Pretty in Pink (1986) and Some Kind of Wonderful (1987). Today, teen movies focusing on sex and relationships are looking at sexuality very differently. Anying Guo discusses the role of self awareness concerning sexuality in the 2010 movie Easy A. She states that the film’s protagonist’s cocky and blasé tone contained a level of assured self-awareness about sex that many American coming-of-age movies have yet to accomplish.

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Rebellion is a unifying topic throughout teenage films. There is often a generational divide with teens rebelling against adult authority. The adults are portrayed negatively with teachers being corrupt in The Breakfast Club and parents being unseen and emotionally distant in Risky Business and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Adults are viewed as figures who prohibit and punish; contradict and control. In films like The Outsiders (1983) and River’s Edge, adults are abusive and violent, and, at times, are even worse behaved than the teenagers (O'Neill 8).

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Protagonist

A coming-of-age movie is nothing without a good protagonist. The story narrates their growth and journey, and whether they are surviving a wild night of partying or dealing with the mourning of the loss of a loved one, the protagonist has to connect with the audience.

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Love Interest

Every great coming of age story includes some sort of love interest. Whether our protagonist truly 'falls in love' or not in the film, it cannot be denied that the first experiences of romantic attraction play an important role in the story of growing up.

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Best Friend

There is no questioning that all of our favorite protagonists have their partner in crime. Are they the nerdy sidekick, the hero's shadow, the comic relief? In coming of age films, friendships help expose new aspects of the protagonist's character. Interactions with 'the best friend' are vital in any coming of age movie.

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