coming of age films

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  • coming of age films

    are there any conventions that define the subgenre "coming of age"?

    I mean, I can see obviously that they usually have "getting laid" as the hero's main external goal (i.e. Superbad) but is there any other conventions that, like with RomCom's boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again..yadd yadda.

    That sort of thing?

    sorry if this makes no sense.
    s

  • #2
    Re: coming of age films

    The underlying theme is usually, "Grow up already!"

    Sorry -- I'm in a silly mood. Scusa.
    Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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    • #3
      Re: coming of age films

      Another popular arc is the child who can't express himself/herself, finding their own voice. Dead Poets Society has several good examples of coming of age film arcs - taking this voice theory quite literally, by giving Ethan Hawke a clear, strong voice after suffering a stutter. It's a lovely movie and seems to epitomise the "serious" side of coming of age.
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      • #4
        Re: coming of age films

        Originally posted by santino2699 View Post
        are there any conventions that define the subgenre "coming of age"?
        the usual. Life, movies, books.

        do you mean conventions with in film or lit?

        coming of age films seem to change with each generation. as said before "grow up already" people also say, "kids grow up faster than when i was a kid", in the same year(1995)KIDS and BASKETBALL DIARIES were released.

        1970's
        A Boy and His Dog(1975)"A post-apocalyptic tale based on a novella by Harlan Ellison. A boy communicates telepathically with his dog as they scavenge for food and sex, and they stumble into an underground society where the old society is preserved. The daughter of one of the leaders of the community seduces and lures him below, where the citizens have become unable to reproduce because of being underground so long. They use him for impregnation purposes, and then plan to be rid of him"
        -IMDB.com (Ed Sutton {[email protected]})

        Logan's Run(1976)"It is 2274. Some type of holocaust has decimated the earth, and the survivors sealed themselves into a domed city near Washington, D.C. To maintain the population balance, the computers that run the city have decreed that all people must die at 30. This system is enforced by "sandmen" : black-clad police operatives who terminate (kill) "runners" (those who attempt to live beyond 30). Logan, a sandman, is sent on a mission to find "sanctuary," which is a code- word used by the master computer to describe what it believes is a place to which runners have been escaping. Logan begins to question the system he serves and after seeing for himself that there is life beyond the dome"
        -IMDB.com (Anonymous)

        1980's
        Sixteen Candles(1984)
        Weird Science(1985)
        Ferris Bueller's Day Off(1986)
        Pretty in Pink(1986)
        Breakfast Club(1985)"When five students are thrown together by Saturday morning detention, each begins to see the others apart from their stereotypes. Andrew, the jock; Brian, the geek; John, the wastoid; Claire, the popular Prom Queen; and Allison, the psycho girl; each finds qualities about the others that make the Saturday morning change their lives."
        -IMDB.com (Rick Munoz {[email protected]})

        Stand By Me(1986)"4 young friends set out on an adventure. Geordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern go looking for the missing body of a local teenager found by a gang of older boys. A story of boys hangin' out and growin' up"
        -IMDB.com (Colin Tinto {[email protected]})

        1990's
        KIDS(1995)"Primarily the story consists of Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) a 17 year old slacker whose mission is to de-flower as many young girls as possible, whilst unprotected. Things turn bad when an old flame finds out she has tested positive for HIV and the only person she has had sex with is Telly."
        -IMDB.com (Dan Adamson [email protected])

        BASKETBALL DIARIES(1995)"Jim's life centers around the basketball court and the court becomes a metaphor for the world in his mind. A best friend who is dying of leukemia, a coach ("Swifty") who takes unacceptable liberties with the boys on his team, teenage sexual angst, and an unhealthy appetite for heroin -- all of these begin to encroach on young Jim's dream of becoming a basketball star. Soon, the dark streets of New York become a refuge from his mother's mounting concern for her son. He can't go home and his only escape from the reality of the streets is heroin for which he steals, robs and prostitutes himself."
        -IMDB.com (Mark Fleetwood {[email protected]})

        the end of this Genre
        Requim for a Dream(2000)"Doing their best to succeed in the world, but failing miserably, four people get hooked on various drugs... we bear witness to the dirtiest, ugliest portions of the underworld addicts"
        -IMDB.com (Jeff Mellinger {[email protected]})



        y2k happened and people started putting their d!cks in pies and superheroes became the norm. Coming of Age became Peter Parker becoming Spiderman; Bruce Wayne becomes Batman, in Batman Begins. The phrase usually used with comics is Origin.

        BTW: they are remaking Logan's Run, maybe the next will be A Boy and his Dog
        But this wily god never discloses even to the skillful questioner the whole content of his wisdom.

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        • #5
          Re: coming of age films

          Seeing how I'm currently writing one of these, I thought I should throw in my $0.02.

          Mine pretty much takes the following path:

          -- Kid's entire future is planned and controlled by other people (i.e., his parents)

          -- Kid stumbles upon some new talent that he loves and is really good at.

          -- Kid's parents tell him to give up his pipe dream.

          -- Kid finally confronts his parents. Tells them he's going to make his pipe dream a reality.

          -- Kid ends up making his pipe dream a reality.

          I'm sure many other films use this arc, but I just can't think of any at this second.

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          • #6
            Re: coming of age films

            Many coming of age stories IMO talk about the realization that there's something different about us, the struggle to accept our differences and finally embracing it and using it to our advantage. I know this is very broad, but so is the original post.

            Some good stories are STAND BY ME & SAVED.
            Never mistake motion for action. ~Ernest Hemingway

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            • #7
              Re: coming of age films

              I always thought that the whole point of 'coming of age' was:

              Finding out you are going to die.

              Learning that adults are not infallible. They can often be incompetent and hypocritical, or worse.

              Caring about something besides your own basic needs.

              everything else (first love, losing the big game) just seems like filler to me. Not to mention tripe.

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              • #8
                Re: coming of age films

                Also, coming of age, to me, is a pretty narrow age braket. 11 or 12, I guess. No one should be trying to get laid.

                Stand By Me is a perfect example.

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                • #9
                  Re: coming of age films

                  Don't forget THIS BOY'S LIFE and THE GREAT SANTINI-types of stories. New stepparent or some other force (almost a Cinderella convention) oppressing the coming-of-ager.

                  Check out Truffaut's THE 400 BLOWS as well. Teacher and parents as opposing force to rebellious teen.
                  Last edited by ihavebiglips; 11-27-2007, 10:59 AM.

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                  • #10
                    Re: coming of age films

                    Originally posted by ihavebiglips View Post
                    Check out Truffaut's THE 400 BLOWS as well. Teacher and parents as opposing force to rebellious teen.
                    You have good taste Ihavebiglips.. Great movie..

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                    • #11
                      Re: coming of age films

                      Originally posted by santino2699 View Post
                      are there any conventions that define the subgenre "coming of age"?

                      I mean, I can see obviously that they usually have "getting laid" as the hero's main external goal (i.e. Superbad) but is there any other conventions that, like with RomCom's boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again..yadd yadda.

                      That sort of thing?

                      sorry if this makes no sense.
                      s
                      Why would you be writing in a genre that you evidently don't care enough about to even know the most basic of conventions?

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                      • #12
                        Re: coming of age films

                        Originally posted by Master of Horror View Post
                        Why would you be writing in a genre that you evidently don't care enough about to even know the most basic of conventions?
                        Wow, what a pompous response.

                        I ask the question because I do care.
                        I'm starting to research the genre RIGHT NOW.

                        Does that disqualify me in some bizarro way?

                        Geez, man. I'm asking for a heads up on a WRITER'S BOARD from people who may have experience with a genre that I'm beginning to explore for an idea I have not yet written.

                        If this place isn't where I should be looking, than boy am I confused.

                        To everyone else...thanks a lot. Very good stuff for me to...(listen up M.O.H....) re-search.
                        s

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                        • #13
                          Re: coming of age films

                          You have two subgenres, or demographics for a coming of age story:

                          1) Tweens (younger than 12)

                          2) Teens

                          These two are very different because they represent vary different phases of development. However, the story arcs can often overlap. Other posters have given pretty good examples, so no need to go over them.

                          I'll spare the gory details and just say tweens want to be teens. They're becoming interested in the opposite sex for the first time and want independence... But they are still kids at heart. They aren't at the rebellious phase yet.

                          Teens want to be adults. They want a lot of independence and are really questioning the world around them. They are experiencing a lot of rites of passage like driving, sexual intercourse, first jobs (responsibility), etc.

                          Teen coming of age stories present more lee-way because they are closer to adults and adult subject matter... Which can make them less coming of age as a result depending on the story itself.
                          Positive outcomes. Only.

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                          • #14
                            Re: coming of age films

                            WB.

                            Thanks.
                            Check your PM please.

                            S

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                            • #15
                              Re: coming of age films

                              The 'coming of age' genre has always been characterized by one distinct theme: loss of innocence. It can be the change that takes place when one becomes pubescent or the change that takes place when puberty descends into adulthood and the accompanying chaos.
                              The genre often gets bogged down in loss of sexual innocence, but can be clever in other areas such as loss of moral/ethical innocence or
                              loss of political innocence and so on. I guess that opens the genre to quite a wide range of stories and styles and co-genres, with or without cheese.
                              Last edited by DavidK; 11-28-2007, 03:03 PM. Reason: incomplete
                              "Friends make the worst enemies." Frank Underwood

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