From the opening scene, it’s obvious that Juno isn’t like other teen comedies. Elliot Page’s wry commentary as the title character sets the tone for a unique tale about growing up.
Like many teenagers, Juno (Page) is at odds with herself. In love with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), she is unable — or unwilling — to tell him. Instead, the two have spontaneous sex, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. This event sets Juno on a course that teaches her about love, friendships, and what is important to her. While no films are a one-for-one comparison of this classic, there are many with similar tone and themes that fans should explore after watching Juno.
1. Jennifer’s Body (2009) – Hulu
High school is never easy, especially when your best friend is a literal man-eating beast. Jennifer’s Body was wildly underappreciated at the box office when it premiered, but Diablo Cody’s follow-up to Juno should not be discounted. With equal parts gore and humor, the film is a feminist text about how society views women and the intricacies of female relationships.
Jennifer (Megan Fox) may seem like a hateful demon, but it is only because society made her that way. Particularly when an indie rock band sacrifices her to Satan for a shot at fame. Or so they think. Turning into a succubus, she starts eating her way through the boys in town. The irony featured in the film is a horror spin on Juno and remains a cult classic.
2. Easy A (2010) – Amazon Prime
Following the success of Superbad, Emma Stone kept going with the high school theme. This time, it was an extremely loose, modernized telling of The Scarlet Letter. Stone stars as Olive, a girl whose little lies amount to a massive reputation. After lying to her best friend that she lost her virginity, she gets a reputation as the school harlot.
She allows boys to claim they’ve slept with her to boost their egos, and starts pinning an A on all her clothes, like Hester from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel. A love letter to many high school films of the ‘80s, Easy A constructs a clever narrative with a hilarious take on a classic.
3. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – Hulu
It is hard to pull off a movie that is quirky as well as sincere, but Little Miss Sunshine fits the bill. A celebrated film at Sundance, the movie stars a young Abigail Breslin as Olive Hoover, an aspiring beauty queen. Though not who you think of as a beauty queen in a traditional sense, her family supports her implicitly as they drive from Albuquerque to California for a contest. The supporting cast — which includes Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Greg Kinnear, and Alan Arkin in an Oscar-winning turn — is just as important, as they all experience emotional setbacks during the film. Serious as well as comedic, Little Miss Sunshine earned all of its accolades.
4. Booksmart (2019) – Peacock
Before the media firestorm that was Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde had a much more successful run in her directorial debut, Booksmart. A back-to-school movie from the female perspective, it follows best friends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), who have sacrificed high school social lives to get into good schools.
On the last day of school, Molly is flabbergasted to learn that the popular kids also got into good colleges. Realizing that they wasted years of having fun, Molly and Amy decide to have one last hurrah at a high school party. Friendships are tested and laughs are had in a movie that shows nerds can have fun too.
5. The Edge of Seventeen (2016) – Amazon Prime
No, the Hailee Steinfeld vehicle sadly does not have vocals from Stevie Nicks. But it does accurately portray the loneliness of coming of age. Steinfeld plays Nadine, a high schooler dealing with the trauma of growing up.
Still dealing with the death of her father, she feels even more alone when her best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) starts dating her popular brother (Blake Jenner). With a mother she can’t agree with, and a best friend being phased from her life, the only person she can seemingly connect with is her dry teacher, Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson). Many teen comedies can show the awkwardness of growing up, but The Edge of Seventeen does it with a level of truthfulness rarely seen.
6. Ghost World (2001) – Apple TV
Based on the Dan Clowes-penned comic of the same name, the 2001 cult film is a dark take on growing up. Though humorous, it posits themes of loss of individuality and the pain of moving on. After Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) graduate high school, they languish aimlessly in their hometown, unsure of what they should do with their lives. As summer progresses, the two grow apart, with their cynicism taking over the trajectory of their lives. Growing up is hard to experience and sometimes even harder to watch. But at least you can laugh while doing git.
7. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – Apple TV
As with all Wes Anderson films, Moonrise Kingdom has a specific perspective. Set against the backdrop of a fictional New England town, the film takes heavy inspiration from the French New Wave of the ‘60s. Lighthearted and humorous, it follows two adolescents, Suzy (Kara Hayward) and Sam (Jared Gilman), who find love in a hopeless place. They run away together, incurring a panic from the town as authority figures try to track them down. Moonrise Kingdom balances quirkiness with a nostalgic appreciation for young love.
8. Lisa Frankenstein (2024) – Amazon Prime
Allegedly set in the same universe as Jennifer’s Body, Lisa Frankenstein takes a gothic look at young love. Kathryn Newton stars as Lisa, a teenager in the ‘80s who can’t connect with anyone. She spends her time talking to the corpse of a dead Victorian man in a graveyard (Cole Sprouse) until one day, he comes to life. Despite being from different times, the two find common ground and, of course, love. Lisa Frankenstein posits that there really is someone for everyone in a twist on the classic Mary Shelley tale.
9. Clueless (1995) – Hulu
Adapted from the Jane Austen classic, Emma, Clueless takes the story of the oblivious matchmaker and sets her in a 1990’s California high school. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) seems to have it all. Looks, wealth, and no worries. After a new student, Tai (Brittany Murphy), transfers schools, Cher takes it upon herself to remake her in her own image.
While these intentions come from a good place, everything Cher does ultimately backfires. She realizes she doesn’t understand anything, let alone her own heart. Despite Cher’s cluelessness, the film views the protagonist with love and appreciation as she finally realizes that love is in front of her the entire time.
10. Ladybird (2017) – Tubi
Mother-daughter relationships are often fraught, and this is explored deeply in Greta Gerwig’s personal film, Ladybird. As with many teenage girls, Ladybird (Saoirse Ronan) is in transition. Though her given name is Christine, she has insisted on going by her self-proclaimed nickname as she traverses her final year of high school. Though her coming of age is painful, it is also humorous, and she ultimately accepts herself as she is and not who she is pretending to be.
11. Adventureland (2009) – Amazon Prime
A period comedy set in the late ‘80s, Adventureland features the difficult period after college. When James (Jesse Eisenberg) realizes he doesn’t have enough money to travel abroad, he takes a job at an amusement park. There, he forms memories but also falls for a fellow employee, Em (Kristen Stewart).
The chemistry between the two actors makes for a comedy for the ages, but it also shows the realism of relationships. Both make mistakes and come to terms with their shortcomings. With Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Ryan Reynolds in supporting roles, this offbeat dramedy is highly underrated.
12. Saved! (2004) – Amazon Prime
Teen pregnancy is complicated enough, but throw in organized religion, and it’s a whole different set of circumstances. Mary (Jena Malone) believes herself to be a good Christian girl, but that changes when her boyfriend, Dean (Chad Faust), comes out to her.
In an effort to save him, they have sex, which results in a teen pregnancy. Dean gets sent away to a Christian reform school, leaving Mary alone to deal with the ramifications. The further she gets along in her pregnancy, the more she sees the hypocrisy of her religious high school. Saved! sets the typical trope of teen pregnancy in an uncommon setting to show that love and acceptance comes out of the most unexpected places.
13. Whip It (2009) – Hulu
In Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It celebrates individuality in a world of conformity. Bliss Cavendar (Elliot Page) lives in small-town Texas, enduring her mother’s love of beauty pageants. Only when she discovers the world of roller derby, does she find out who she truly is. Page excels in the material that shows humor as well as the merits of finding your — well — bliss.
14. Young Adult (2011) – Amazon Prime
Sometimes coming-of-age stories don’t always happen in our formative years. Sometimes achieving maturity takes a while, like in the case of the 2011 film, Young Adult. The dark comedy stars Charlize Theron as Mavis Gray, a recent divorcee who returns to her hometown to strike up a relationship with an old flame.
The only problem is that her high school ex is now married with a baby. Mavis takes no part in the logic of those around her, such as Matt (Patton Oswalt), who urges her to seek therapy. Throughout her experiences, Mavis learns to become a better person — whether she wants to or not.
15. Sugar & Spice (2001) – Apple TV
In many teen films, pregnancy is a consequence often followed by lessons to be learned. In Sugar & Spice, however, it is just the inciting incident. After a whirlwind romance, Jack (James Marsden) and Diane (Marley Shelton) get pregnant and quickly learn the realities of the world.
The relationship between the two remains strong, but they still need to get ahead. And what can two high school students with no real-world experience do to get ahead? By robbing a bank, of course. Diane enlists the help of her cheerleading squad to be able to provide for her family. There is no moral lesson to be learned in this film. Just hilarious, campy fun.
16. Empire Records (1995) – Hulu
Oh, the days when music was sold in record shops, and you could spend all day jamming with your friends. Empire Records is a relic of a different time, but always worth a rewatch. Taking place in the day of the life of working at the record store in question, five friends experience the trials of growing up while their boss tries to keep the store afloat. Accompanied by the classic music of the era, the film is a time capsule about love, loss, and the best times of your life.
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Published: Mar 26, 2024 06:33 pm