A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Essential Teen Movies

As a lifelong movie buff, I honestly feel that these are the films you remember the most, that stick with you overtime, are the ones focusing on adolescence that you saw during your teenage years.

These are the flicks that are recalled most fondly, because the experiences depicted by the teens portrayed in them are very much relatable to a teenager’s experiences, trials, tribulations, and joys in real life.

That is, if such movies are done well.

Out of the hundreds of teen movies made over the past seventy-odd years, in my view there are thirteen that should be considered as essential - defining the era that they were made in (or that it was set in), that people remember long after their 20th birthday.

I’ve personally seen all of these films multiple times, and own all but two of them on video. That should qualify me as an expert of sorts.

So let’s get started with listing this baker’s dozen of teen films, in chronological order, starting with the movie that defined teenagers in the 1950’s…

Rebel without a Cause (1955)

Normally I’d sum up this classic in four words: James Dean. Enough said.

However, this would have been a masterpiece if someone else had played the part of the angst-filled Jim Stark, because Natalie Wood, who played his girlfriend, and Sal Mineo were wonderful as disillusioned teens.

Directed by Nicolas Ray, this movie destroyed the Andy Hardy-like image of kids hanging out at the malt shop having fun and being all goody-goody. It showed a realistic view of the teenage experience for the first time; kids were getting drunk, pulling switch blades on each other and playing suicide chicken in their cars.

Oh, and let’s not forget one of the greatest actors who ever lived. This movie made Dean a star, although he tragically wasn’t around to see it.

And who would have ever thought that the guy who played Dean’s dad, Jim Backus, would go on to be Mr. Howell and never get off that island?

The Last Picture Show (1971)

Set in the early 1950’s, Peter Bogdonavich’s tale about high school seniors in tiny Alverene, Texas brilliantly depicts kids trying to figure things out, holding on a bit longer to their high school glory, realizing that one part of their life is over and another one is about to begin.

This is one of those films where much of the cast would go on to become big stars, particularly Cybill Sheppard and Jeff Bridges. Randy Quaid can be spotted in a couple of scenes as well.

I liked the way the kids graduating high school coincided with the movie theater closing, also signifying the change that was happening with the kids and that town.

And the movie being in black and white was a nice touch.

Cooley High (1975)

The Motown soundtrack alone makes this movie a classic.

Set in 1965 Chicago, this film depicts black teen life for the first time on film. Unlike the blaxploitation flicks of that era, this was a more realistic, less over the top view of what young African Americans were experiencing during the 1960s.

As aspiring writer Preacher and basketball star Cochise, Glynn Thurman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs have a blast shooting craps, making out with girls, and brawling at house parties, which ultimately has tragic connotations when Cochise gets killed by some thugs.

Favorite moment? When Preacher stands at Cochise’s grave reminicing, then runs off to “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

The quintessential film of my teenage years.

Based on Cameron Crowe’s book about him posing as a high school student, this movie not only defined my high school years, but everyone in Generation X.

Lots of big names came out of this production - Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Jason Leigh (who I thought was pretty, especially in that nude scene), and Pheobe Cates, who I was absolutely in love with. 

You know a movie’s a classic when someone who would go on to win a Best Actor Oscar only had a bit part in it, as Nicolas Cage did. He wasn’t even known as Cage yet - he was listed as Nicolas Coppola.

But it was another future Oscar winner who had the biggest impact on me and my generation in this film - Sean Penn, as stoned surfer dude Jeff Spicoli.

Simply put, he defined cool. He was everything that we all wanted to be; it wouldn’t have been Fast Times without him.

And he was really funny to boot.

Risky Business (1983)

For Tom Cruise, this was the film that started it all.

A future business leader and aspiring Princeton student Joel Goodson, Cruise goes from a typical high school kid trying to get by to a major player, hooking up with white-hot prostitute Rebecca DeMornay and operating a one-night brothel at his house when his folks are away.

Talk about a teenage boy’s fantasy coming to life!

So many images are forever imbedded in this film; Cruise dancing in his briefs to Bob Seger, the wind blowing the door open as he’s sexing it up with DeMornay, and oh, that train scene.

And let’s not forget those Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Like Cruise said in the film, “Sometimes you just have to say what the ****?”

Eloquently put.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Now you know I couldn’t make a teen movie list without listing at least one John Hughes / Brat Pack flick, did you?

One of two films from Hughes on this list, this story about those five teens from different crowds spending Saturday in detention is the number one Brat Pack movie. At least in my book.

Released the year I graduated high school, Breakfast Club does a brilliant job at showing how a group of kids with nothing in common find that they do have similarities after all, and bond as a result.

The movie’s cast - Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, and Molly Ringwald - those were mighty huge names back then. Especially Molly; everyone knows how much of an “it” girl she was in those days, so I won’t even go there. There’s no need.

And they’ve all gone on to do good work since. Molly plays a mom on TV now, and she looks good!

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Matthew Broderick at his coolest!

Anyone who can make an art out of ditching school like Matthew did as the title character is an automatic teen icon.

And it wasn’t just the fact that he was ditching school, it was the way he ditched, making his principal Mr. Rooney, played by Jeffery Jones, look like a complete idiot in trying to bust him. He almost did too, but Jennifer Grey, who played his jealous sister, saved his butt and went on to dirty dance with Patrick Swayze.

Best scene? When Matthew lip-synched to the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” on that parade float.

Tooling around in that 1961 Ferrari was classic, too.

I’m sure pretty much every high school kid wanted to be Ferris at that time. Come on, admit it - you wanted to be him, too.

You’ve got to hand it to John Hughes, who wrote and directed this film. He was really in tune with teens back in the day.

And never forget, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you can miss it.”

I couldn’t have said it better.

Heathers (1989)

On a little personal note, I had the pleasure of seeing part of this quirky cult classic get made.

Some of the scenes were shot at my old junior high school in Santa Monica, California, where I was working as an aide. I saw Shannen Doherty, who played one of the Heathers, film a little piece.

Having said that, this was a brilliant depiction of how being popular isn’t all that’s cracked up to be, and that it’s better to have real friends, even if they’re not “cool”.

As Veronica Sawyer, Winona Ryder magnificently gives off the feeling of having sold her soul to become part of the ruling “Heathers” group.

And how can I not mention Christian Slater, who became a star in this flick.

I’ll say one thing - when it came to wiping out a school he was ahead of his time. I wouldn’t have been suprised if those two boys who shot up Columbine High got the idea from Christian’s character, Jason Dean, as he took out the main Heather (who was also the main bitch) and the two bullying football studs.

Indeed, this film was memorable.

Say Anything (1989)

In my opinion, this was one of John Cusack’s best movies, if not the best.

Watching this film, I hadn’t seen a guy so much into a girl since Romeo. As aspiring kick boxer Lloyd Dobler, Cusack was willing to use any means necessary, to give of his soul, to win his lady’s love.

Everyone has felt that overwhelming love at one time or another, especially during their teens, and Cameron Crowe was excellent at depicting something that we all can relate to.

And as valedictorian Diane Court, Ione Skye was the perfect teenage girl - smart and gorgeous, a devastating combination. No wonder Cusack was so smitten with her - wouldn’t you have been?

Especially when she wore that white dress to that party.

Best scene? No contest - Cusack standing outside Skye’s bedroom window holding his boombox high over his head, playing Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes”. One of the most iconic moments in teen movie history, and the reason Say Anything is on this list.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

This movie portrays the 1970’s better that anything I had seen.

Set in Austin, Texas during the last day of school in 1976, it almost literally feels like you are there thanks to Richard Linklater’s writing and direction.

The film’s chock full of riotous scenes, from the freshmen getting paddled and dumped ion by the seniors, to one of those seniors getting paid back for his brutality, to one of the most famous movie lines in the 90’s, uttered by Matthew McConaughey as a 20-something year old still trolling after high school girls:

“I get older, they stay the same age.”

Not to mention all the drug taking that ensues throughout.

That senior that gets paint dumped on him because he was such an obnoxious bully? None other than  Ben Affleck, another future big name who would go on to win an Oscar for writing Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon. 

Clueless (1995)

Leave this mid-90’s classic off this list? AS IF!!

This is one of those movies that defined the 1990’s, pure and simple.

I don’t know why Alicia Silverstone, as total “Betty” Cher Horowitz, didn’t become a mega A-list star from this, because her turn as the Beverly Hills princess who helps out Brittany Murphy’s Tai was, in her words, “classic”.

To this day I still have a huge crush on Stacey Dash, who plays Cher’s best friend Dionne.

Like Cameron Crowe and John Hughes, Amy Heckerling, who also directed Fast Times, really had a feel for the adolescent experience. She was fantastic in updating teen life from the 80’s to the 90’s.

Plus it showed that Beverly Hills kids are not all spoiled little rich brats. That has to count for something.

And it even spawned a TV show that did OK.

American Pie (1999)

OK, let’s all say it together, “This one time, at band camp…”

Sorry, I had to do that.

Outside of the band camp thing, this flick takes the award for some of the raunchiest images ever - drinking sexually tainted beer, having premature climaxes over the internet, and the most raunchiest scene of all: Jason Biggs, as Jim, getting caught having sex with a “warm apple pie”.

Talk about being a freak!

Among all the characters, Seann William Scott’s Stifler and Shannon Elizabeth’s Nadia stand out, Stifler for being the ultimate alpha teen male, and Nadia for being as wickedly hot as she was. I’m sure lots of guys got crushes on Elizabeth after the movie came out, especially after that scene in Jim’s room.

Interestingly enough, the raunchiness was also realistic. Teenagers are known to do those type of gross-out things, and this film did a great job of conveying that.

And lastly…

Mean Girls (2004)

I tell people this all the time: This is Lindsay Lohan’s best movie.

Not quite by far; The Parent Trap was also good and made Lohan a star.

But certainly by a lot.

Not since Heathers has a film depicted so well the tribulations and hardships of adolescent girlhood - the cattiness, the backstabbing, the concept of BFFs turning on each other. SNL’s Tina Fey was absolutely brilliant in illustrating it all.

And Lohan was terrific in her portrayal of math whiz Cady Herron, the new girl who joins queen bee Regina George’s (played by Rachel McAdams) Plastics and gets caught up in all the teen girl drama, then realizes that she had turned into a “Mean Girl” herself and decides to get out of it, to go back to being herself and being a math whiz, even winning a state championship with the Mathletes in the process.

That’s the essential lesson being taught here - to always be yourself.

And that’s a lesson that every teen needs to learn.

There it is folks - my list of essential teen movies.

I know I’ve left out some great stuff, like Lucas, Sixteen Candles, The Outsiders, and one of my personal favorites, Less Than Zero - the best of the rest, so to speak.

Whether you agree with this list or not, I hope I’ve triggered some discourse among all of you.

Or at least some good memories.