Analysis of teen coming-of-age films

Teen coming of age films are often set in the final stages of
compulsory/secondary education in the United States: high school,
senior high school, junior high school and middle school. Storylines are
often set on the first day of school leading towards a new school year,
last day of school leading towards summer, any day in the school year
spontaneously or the final school year leading towards graduation and
higher education (college). They would also be set outside of school
focusing on the character(s) such as hobbies and home life.
Medium shots, long shots and two shots are three camera shots often
used in teen coming of age films. Rock, pop, and rap/hip-hop often align
with the youth therefore often being a choice of soundtrack for teen
coming of age films.
Recurring situations are based on the character’s life and experiences,
but they are all often associated with teenhood and growing up.
Common examples would be balancing education & sports, pregnancy
dilemmas friendships & romantic relationships forming and/or falling out,
misbehaving/failing in school and characters seeking to find their true
identity.
Examples of film titles are: The Karate Kid (1984), The Breakfast Club
(1985), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Clueless (1995), Not Another
Teen Movie (2001, ironically a parody), Mean Girls (2004) and High
School Musical (2006).

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

The scene from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ is the opening scene and
introduction of the titular protagonist Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick).
Although there are other iconic scenes, I have chosen the beginning of
the teen comedy as it gives a complex understanding of the narrative
and a relatable experience to young viewers, particularly teenagers who
have contemplated or have truanted school.
In this scene, Ferris pretends to be very sick and unable to attend
school, worrying his parents Tom & Katie Bueller (Lyman Ward & Cindy
Pickett). Jeanie Bueller (Jennifer Grey), Ferris’ younger sister, who plays
as a secondary antagonist turned anti-hero is highly sceptical of Ferris’
act as she is aware of how much of a good liar and slacker he is.
However, their parents are deceived once again by Ferris’ lies, much to
Jeanie’s annoyance. As soon as their parents leave, Ferris goes from ill,
weakened and devastated to healthy, mischievous and cunning: he
breaks the fourth wall to explain one of his many schemes.
The POV shot is frequently used: examples being the introduction of
Ferris’ parents by positioning the audience as Ferris or the ‘child’ in this
scene. An establishing shot of the family home suggests that the Bueller
family live in an upper-class neighbourhood in 1980s America, as it
appears to be quite large and suburban. This is iconographic of the
‘American Dream’, the national ethos of the United States. There is no
sound due to Ferris pretending to act ill: this is ‘his’ movie, so whatever
he feels and thinks will exemplify through narrative and sound. There is
highkey lighting however possibly simplifying his happiness throughout
as a close-up shot shows.
With a longshot, Ferris’ room would be described as the average room of
a teenage boy in America, regardless of the era. It’s messy and books
are scattered around, indicating Ferris’ disinterest in education
characters. He has a computer, TV stereo, and synthesiser: three
popular gadgets among the teen audience in 1980s consumerist
America. Computers are still common but would be overshadowed by
video game consoles, smartphones, laptops and tablets by future
generations of teen movie characters.
Ferris’ personality and use of breaking the fourth wall gives the audience
a comical first impression of the high schooler, prompting them to
continue watching as to whether he undergoes character development,
achieves his goals or fails his mission. Charismatic protagonists either
up to mischief or solemnity would be a common personality trait in teen
movie characters, but more introverted and/or troubled characters under
the portrayal of the ‘geek’, ‘nerd’, ‘loner’ or ‘average kid’ stereotypes
have stepped into the spotlight occasionally.
The music (composed by Ira Newborn) is based on new wave and used
to appeal to the young audience with its’ upbeat feeling and fast-tempo
sound. New wave is a fusion of pop and rock from the late 1970s to the
late 1980s: its audience would be intended for teenagers who enjoyed
both genres. It’s used in the opening scene to anchor the feeling of
excitement and demonstrate how ‘cool’ Ferris is.
An example of a social event would be the ‘evolution of the rebelling
teenager’, originating around the 1950s. An element of fear led to
teenagers normalising rebelling against their parents to the point some
parents did not bother disciplining anymore. In terms of historical events,
the economic boom in the 1980s resulted in teenagers being able to buy
cars easily – but the ones who couldn’t displayed annoyance and
jealousy, Ferris being one of them as he admits to wanting a car over a
computer.
A final evaluation of the opening minute scene concludes that Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off is a comical, feel-good teen/coming-of-age movie and
not intended to be as serious or dramatic than other teen movies. Some
of the narrative is already revealed but easy to understandable and
relatable to teens, as we know Ferris likes to take the day off and seems
to take it seriously enough as a ‘passion’.