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Melissa Rodriguez

Professor Patterson

ENGL 78

07 September 2023

“Who you gonna be?”(Chiron)

Teendom changes with every new generation’s yearning for a new way to be

encapsulated on the silver screen. Thus the genre of coming of age itself has grown into the

modern day pictures shown in theaters. The storyline, plot, characters, and meaning has all

changed to satisfy modern audiences and their new desire for real, raw, and inclusive films. The

progression of the coming of age genre has shifted focus from the typical Breakfast club into

something more daunting, modern day coming of age movies have grown into a much better

version of the genre much like the character growth pierced within it.

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In the golden age of film, the genre exploded with every book to movie adaptation known

to man. 1933’s Little Women laid the foundation for a great many coming of age movies, the

March sisters being a triumphant tear jerker and being nominated for Best Picture film of 1933.

The film was decidedly relevant, “With the country only about 15 years out from World War I

and only 6 years away from World War II, 1930s America could relate to the struggles of the

March family with their patriarch at war and the women at home, . . .Another main theme of the

novel and film was poverty, something Americans currently in the midst of the Great Depression

could relate to all too well.”(Zoe K), when looking over the film now, it has stood the test of

time. Giving current viewers a glimpse into the lives of teenagers in the 1930s. With most
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lending a hand to their families and oftentimes having to grow up much sooner than most

modern teenagers would imagine. Little Women created a basis for young adults to look beyond

their working lives and consider their own aspirations and personal growth. Nonetheless the

golden age did not remain so and when the 1960s came to an end. With it came the nosedive of

the teenage genre.

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The 1970s became saturated with action and thriller being the highest grossing films. The

Godfather and Jaws became household names. The Coming of Age genre took a step back from

the public and lost popularity. There is one man quoted with saving the coming of age genre. A

writer, a director, and above all a visionary who has created a world. The world of John Hughes.

His films have cemented themselves in pop culture for a reason. And they have remained as cult

classic projections into the 1980s. The Breakfast club, is the most recognizable coming of age

film in history quite literally made history grossing over 51 million dollars. Becoming a staple

into every high schoolers lives. John Hughes created the two dimensional young adult, with the

“breakfast club" writing to their principal that they are each a brain, a basket case,an athlete, a

princess, and a criminal. Since that iconic ending, “many teen films have followed this format of

having a popular girl, a jock, an outcast, a geek, and a rebel.”(Flaherty)

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But like any coming of age film the genre grew yet again. Shifting from the stereotypical

line up that had become the norm. Focusing instead on a new aspect that mattered to modern

teenage audiences, diversity. No longer was the two dimensional character sufficient audiences

yearned for more. Films like the sisterhood of the traveling pants marked the 2000s, setting a
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new standard “We can tell everybody that Carmen's Puerto Rican. And it never occurred to you

she might be built differently. Or that, unlike you and your daughter, she has an ass that the tailor

didn't have enough bolts of material to cover, or better yet, just tell everyone there is no Carmen.

Carmen doesn't exist!”(Carmen Lowell, Sisterhood of the traveling pants). Ethnicity, sexual

orientation, and cultural identity began to matter in the coming of age genre with audiences

looking for representation within it. America Ferrera became a new face that women of color

could relate to in her role as Carmen Lowell, a strong and opinionated Puerto Rican.

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This new standard of the three dimensional young adult continued well into the 2010s

and continues to prevail in the present day. American film writer and director Barry Jenkins

proved th​at when in 2017, in the midst of scandal Moonlight won best picture film. Amidst the

confusion and despite La la land sweeping the awards the academy still presented Moonlight as

the Oscar winning best picture film. The film was groundbreaking and necessary, and cemented

the coming of age genre as decidedly necessary for the times. Moonlight was set up to fail with

the lowest budget out of all the Oscar nominees of 2017 and put up against the much loved

Hollywood musical La la land. Despite this the beauty of the film tipped it over the edge, a black

boy growing up in the projects outside miami, with a mother who is an addict and a surrogate

father who deals drugs, this small artsy film became so much more. A journey of a young boy

named Chiron and his road of self discovery, sexuality, and acceptance.
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Conclusion

From one dimensional to the transcendence of dimension, the coming of age genre has

grown in a way no other genre can. By revolutionizing the film industry through the promotion

of inclusivity and diversity. It has grown from the small films teenagers grew up watching into

the ones who encapsulate lives. The modern day genre has touched audiences around the world

in a way no other genre can, coming of age poses the question “Who you gonna be?” (Chiron

says in Moonlight). The coming of age genre challenges young adults to ask themselves who

they wish to be and promotes the fact that they hold all the cards to their lives. Connection and

actuality, the fact that only one genre embeds itself into people's lives, only one promotes growth

in a way like no other, and only one represents the internal and external struggles that come with

growing up.
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Works Cited

Blair, Glenna. “Moonlight: 10 Most Memorable Quotes From The Film.” Screen Rant, 24 July

2020,

https://screenrant.com/moonlight-memorable-quotes/#in-moonlight-black-boys-look-blue

. Accessed 05 September 2023.

Flaherty, Taryn. “How John Hughes Inspired a Genre and a Generation.” MovieWeb, 27 January

2023, https://movieweb.com/how-john-hughes-inspired-a-genre/. Accessed 9 September

2023.

K, Zoe. “The Old Hollywood Best Picture Challenge: Little Women (1933).” Hollywood Genes,

15 April 2020,

https://zestyz.wordpress.com/2020/04/15/the-old-hollywood-best-picture-challenge-little-

women-1933/. Accessed 9 September 2023.

Rahim, Zamira. “Oscars 2017 Best Picture Mistake: How It Happened.” Time, 06 February 2017,

https://time.com/4683641/oscars-2017-best-picture-mistake-moonlight-la-la-land/.Access

ed 24 September 2023.

Wilkinson, Alissa. “Moonlight is a remarkable achievement in filmmaking. Its Best Picture win

is well deserved.” Vox, 27 February 2017,

https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/2/27/14748332/moonlight-best-picture-why-it-won.

Accessed 06 September 2023.

“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Quotes.” Quotes.net,

https://www.quotes.net/mquote/1116701. Accessed 07 September 2023.