Michael Howarth - Movies to See before You Graduate from High School

Michael Howarth received his bachelors degree in English from James Madison University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Following his MFA, he attended the University of Louisiana Lafayette, where he completed his PhD in literary and cultural studies. He is currently a professor of English at Missouri Southern State University, where he teaches childrens literature and film studies in addition to directing the honors program. His critical text Under the Bed, Creeping: Psychoanalyzing the Gothic in Childrens Literature was published in 2014. His young adult novel Fair Weather Ninjas was published in 2016.

T he sixty coming-of-age films explored in this book represent a wide range of topics and ideas. For those who like their films grouped into thematic categories, the following lists will prove useful. However, they are not exhaustive. Instead, they present a multitude of important themes that appear across a range of films. Therefore, these lists should be viewed more as a starting point for spirited and rewarding discussions.

While these various themes feature prominently in several films, how they are addressed differs greatly. A specific theme in one film might illustrate a characters strength; in another film that same theme might highlight a characters weakness. Likewise, a film from 1960 might interpret a theme much differently than a film from 2010. Themes are like chameleons. They can change their shape depending on factors such as genre, culture, gender, or even story line.

• Eighth Grade
• Lucas
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• A Monster Calls
• Napoleon Dynamite
• Orange County
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Princess Cyd
• Sixteen Candles
• To All the Boys Ive Loved Before

• Almost Famous
• American Graffiti
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• Saint Ralph
• Say Anything
• Sing Street

• Christine
• Igby Goes Down
• Lady Bird
• A Monster Calls
• Spider-Man: Homecoming
• Welcome to the Dollhouse

• Clueless
• The Last Picture Show
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• Napoleon Dynamite
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

• Ferris Buellers Day Off
• Flirting
• Saint Ralph
• Sing Street
• The Way Way Back

• The Babysitter
• The Breakfast Club
• Christine
• Coming through the Rye
• Dazed and Confused
• It: Chapter One
• Lucas
• My Bodyguard
• Rebel without a Cause
• Sing Street
• Submarine
• Welcome to the Dollhouse

• Billy Elliot
• Igby Goes Down
• Pretty in Pink
• Say Anything
• Valley Girl

• Almost Famous
• Better Off Dead
• Call Me by Your Name
• Coming through the Rye
• The Edge of Seventeen
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High
• Lady Bird
• Love, Simon
• My Bodyguard
• Pretty in Pink
• Princess Cyd
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• The Spectacular Now
• Submarine
• To All the Boys Ive Loved Before

• Dazed and Confused
• Easy A
• Flirting
• Mean Girls

• The Babysitter
• The Breadwinner
• Call Me by Your Name
• Coraline
• Dazed and Confused
• Love, Simon
• Moana
• Monster House
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Saint Ralph
• Spider-Man: Homecoming
• Superbad
• To All the Boys Ive Loved Before

• Coming through the Rye
• Heathers
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• A Monster Calls
• Stand by Me
• Submarine

• American Pie
• Coraline
• Ferris Buellers Day Off
• Love, Simon
• Risky Business

• The Edge of Seventeen
• Ferris Buellers Day Off
• Heathers
• Submarine

• American Graffiti
• Better Off Dead
• Heathers
• The Last Picture Show
• Orange County
• Rushmore

• Flirting
• Monster House
• Stand by Me

• The Breakfast Club
• Easy A
• Moana
• My Bodyguard
• Whale Rider

• Almost Famous
• Billy Elliot
• The Breadwinner
• Coraline
• The Edge of Seventeen
• Hunt for the Wilderpeople
• Lady Bird
• Napoleon Dynamite
• Orange County
• Raising Victor Vargas
• Rebel without a Cause
• Sing Street
• The Spectacular Now
• Stand by Me
• The Way Way Back
• Welcome to the Dollhouse
• Whale Rider

• Almost Famous
• Christine
• It: Chapter One
• Love, Simon
• A Monster Calls
• Monster House
• The Spectacular Now

• American Pie
• Hunt for the Wilderpeople
• Lucas
• My Bodyguard
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Stand by Me
• Superbad

• Call Me by Your Name
• It: Chapter One
• My Bodyguard
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Princess Cyd
• Saint Ralph

• The Last Picture Show
• A Monster Calls
• Risky Business
• The Spectacular Now

• Monster House
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• Spider-Man: Homecoming

• Call Me by Your Name
• Easy A
• Raising Victor Vargas
• Rebel without a Cause
• Say Anything
• To All the Boys Ive Loved Before

• American Graffiti
• The Breakfast Club
• Dazed and Confused
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High
• Juno

• The Babysitter
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High
• It: Chapter One
• Welcome to the Dollhouse