A Brief History of Teen Cinema:
From Rebels to Nerds to Superbad Wallflowers
For this brief unit, we will be examining the genesis and development of the teen movie genre in American cinema. In order to examine how teen-themed films have matured and changed over time, we will examine a variety of film clips from the 1950's to present day. Additionally, we will examine two films, The Breakfast Club (1985) and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), in more depth as full-length features. Over February break, I will encourage you to find and watch a teen-genre movie of your own selection to share and discuss on the blog.
Key Links:
Overview and Clips Courtesy of...
Toronto Film Scene: Overview of the History of Teen Movies
http://thetfs.ca/2013/07/17/tfs-explains-the-history-of-teen-cinema/#.UuqZE3lL0eM
Wikipedia List of Teen Films: 1930's to Present
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teen_films
Key Links:
Overview and Clips Courtesy of...
Toronto Film Scene: Overview of the History of Teen Movies
http://thetfs.ca/2013/07/17/tfs-explains-the-history-of-teen-cinema/#.UuqZE3lL0eM
Wikipedia List of Teen Films: 1930's to Present
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teen_films
1950s
In the 50s the concept of the teenager was only just emerging, and studios were discovering this newly formed demographic. Understanding that teens were seeking entertainment, studios were also keenly aware that this was a good way to impart important moral lessons on them, in a sense becoming modern-day morality plays. Characters in teen films of the ‘50s would often personify either good or evil, and would also clash frequently with the law.
A frequent subject of this era was the “rebel” film. Most notably Rebel Without A Cause, but also films like Jailhouse Rock, High School Confidential and The Wild One, in which when a young Marlon Brando was asked “What are you rebelling against, Johnny?”, he replied “Whaddaya got?”
The flipside of the serious and often melodramatic “rebel” film was the musical, or music-centric film. Movies like Rock Around the Clock, Rock, Rock, Rock and Don’t Knock the Rock had storylines that centred around the discovery of rock n’ roll or the banning of rock n’ roll by adults. In every case, the films served as a vehicle for the product of time: music. Musical stars like Chuck Barry, Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard and more featured prominently, and disc jockey Alan Freed was a regular in these films.
In the 50s the concept of the teenager was only just emerging, and studios were discovering this newly formed demographic. Understanding that teens were seeking entertainment, studios were also keenly aware that this was a good way to impart important moral lessons on them, in a sense becoming modern-day morality plays. Characters in teen films of the ‘50s would often personify either good or evil, and would also clash frequently with the law.
A frequent subject of this era was the “rebel” film. Most notably Rebel Without A Cause, but also films like Jailhouse Rock, High School Confidential and The Wild One, in which when a young Marlon Brando was asked “What are you rebelling against, Johnny?”, he replied “Whaddaya got?”
The flipside of the serious and often melodramatic “rebel” film was the musical, or music-centric film. Movies like Rock Around the Clock, Rock, Rock, Rock and Don’t Knock the Rock had storylines that centred around the discovery of rock n’ roll or the banning of rock n’ roll by adults. In every case, the films served as a vehicle for the product of time: music. Musical stars like Chuck Barry, Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard and more featured prominently, and disc jockey Alan Freed was a regular in these films.
1960s
Teen movies of the ‘60s matched the tone of the times. While there were films at the beginning of the decade like The Explosive Generation, Because They’re Young and To Sir, With Love which involved teachers trying to make an impact on an impressionable group of people (The Explosive Generation was specifically about sex education), teen films of the ‘60s were primarily about the fun side of being a teenager – dating and dancing.
Characterized by bright colours, fun music and relationship issues, the most popular type of teen film in the ‘60s was the beach party movie. Starring heartthrobs like Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, the beach party movies were a huge hit with teens of the era. Classics like Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini often had cameos of popular personalities of the time, including musical guests. (This was satirized very well in Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do when The Wonders appear in a fictional film-within-the-film called “Weekend at Party Pier”.) Oddly, Buster Keaton appeared in many of these films in a variety of comedic roles (such as a witch doctor in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini).
Teen movies of the ‘60s matched the tone of the times. While there were films at the beginning of the decade like The Explosive Generation, Because They’re Young and To Sir, With Love which involved teachers trying to make an impact on an impressionable group of people (The Explosive Generation was specifically about sex education), teen films of the ‘60s were primarily about the fun side of being a teenager – dating and dancing.
Characterized by bright colours, fun music and relationship issues, the most popular type of teen film in the ‘60s was the beach party movie. Starring heartthrobs like Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, the beach party movies were a huge hit with teens of the era. Classics like Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini often had cameos of popular personalities of the time, including musical guests. (This was satirized very well in Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do when The Wonders appear in a fictional film-within-the-film called “Weekend at Party Pier”.) Oddly, Buster Keaton appeared in many of these films in a variety of comedic roles (such as a witch doctor in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini).
1970s
In keeping with the mood of the decade, topics of teen films turned serious. Carrie, an iconic and terrifying look at a girl becoming a woman, also tackled the concept of bullying and a less-than-positive high school experience, while American Graffiti looked at some of the more complex relationship issues facing teenagers. While both of these films may seem frivolous on the surface, they were both critically well received. In the case of American Graffiti, the film was selected to be part of the US Library of Congress’ National Film Registry after it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Rounding out the teen films of the decade were comedies, satires and musicals aimed at young audiences. Films like Grease, National Lampoon’s Animal House and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls all looked at societal expectations in a satirical way, asking their viewers to do the same.
In keeping with the mood of the decade, topics of teen films turned serious. Carrie, an iconic and terrifying look at a girl becoming a woman, also tackled the concept of bullying and a less-than-positive high school experience, while American Graffiti looked at some of the more complex relationship issues facing teenagers. While both of these films may seem frivolous on the surface, they were both critically well received. In the case of American Graffiti, the film was selected to be part of the US Library of Congress’ National Film Registry after it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Rounding out the teen films of the decade were comedies, satires and musicals aimed at young audiences. Films like Grease, National Lampoon’s Animal House and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls all looked at societal expectations in a satirical way, asking their viewers to do the same.
1980s
It has been said that the teen film didn’t actually exist until the ‘80s, which is an interesting assertion. Technically speaking, there were films aimed at the young or teen demographic for decades (as this column has shown), but studios began to target teens in a new way in the 1980s and production on teen movies exploded and created some of the most potent and classic on-screen depictions of the teen experience to date.
Of course there was the John Hughes films – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink – but there were other classics from the time as well like The Outsiders, The Karate Kid, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Stand By Me, Dirty Dancing, Say Anything, Heathers, Dead Poets Society and so many more.
Many of these films dealt with the more superficial struggles of being a teenager, like the Hughes films, Fast Times and Heathers, while others like Stand By Me, Red Dawn, The Karate Kid and The Outsiders dealt with the more serious issues that teens can face (like death, gangs and divorce). Regardless of what it was specifically, something about these films stands the test of time, as though each is a single part of teen life and the sum of its parts is a whole teenage experience.
It has been said that the teen film didn’t actually exist until the ‘80s, which is an interesting assertion. Technically speaking, there were films aimed at the young or teen demographic for decades (as this column has shown), but studios began to target teens in a new way in the 1980s and production on teen movies exploded and created some of the most potent and classic on-screen depictions of the teen experience to date.
Of course there was the John Hughes films – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink – but there were other classics from the time as well like The Outsiders, The Karate Kid, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Stand By Me, Dirty Dancing, Say Anything, Heathers, Dead Poets Society and so many more.
Many of these films dealt with the more superficial struggles of being a teenager, like the Hughes films, Fast Times and Heathers, while others like Stand By Me, Red Dawn, The Karate Kid and The Outsiders dealt with the more serious issues that teens can face (like death, gangs and divorce). Regardless of what it was specifically, something about these films stands the test of time, as though each is a single part of teen life and the sum of its parts is a whole teenage experience.
1990s
In the ‘90s, studios began to explore more than just the teen experience and create films that involved teens, but would also open them up to new genres (and potentially create life-long moviegoers). Comedies lie American Pie and Can’t Hardly Wait dealt with graduating from high school and what the future might mean (especially if you happened to graduate a virgin), while more serious fare like Boyz n the Hood, Pump up the Volume and Kids looked how teens react to the world around them, looking at whether or not teens are powerless to take control of their own destiny.
Studios also started to delve into the horror genre for teens. While not the first time horror films had been made with teens in mind, they had never been made in such numbers. Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Craft, The Faculty, Urban Legend and Disturbing Behavior, were big box office hits with films that provided a good scare, while still allowing teens to access the films in cinemas with low ratings.
Despite this branching out of teen films, there were still a few classic films made specifically about the high school experience. Films like Jawbreaker, which looks at popularity and high school hierarchy, and Clueless, which shone a slightly less cruel light on a similar subject.
In the ‘90s, studios began to explore more than just the teen experience and create films that involved teens, but would also open them up to new genres (and potentially create life-long moviegoers). Comedies lie American Pie and Can’t Hardly Wait dealt with graduating from high school and what the future might mean (especially if you happened to graduate a virgin), while more serious fare like Boyz n the Hood, Pump up the Volume and Kids looked how teens react to the world around them, looking at whether or not teens are powerless to take control of their own destiny.
Studios also started to delve into the horror genre for teens. While not the first time horror films had been made with teens in mind, they had never been made in such numbers. Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Craft, The Faculty, Urban Legend and Disturbing Behavior, were big box office hits with films that provided a good scare, while still allowing teens to access the films in cinemas with low ratings.
Despite this branching out of teen films, there were still a few classic films made specifically about the high school experience. Films like Jawbreaker, which looks at popularity and high school hierarchy, and Clueless, which shone a slightly less cruel light on a similar subject.
2000s
The oughts brought a similar sensibility to the teen film as the decade before, with studios producing a slate of movies from all genres. What sets this decade apart from the ‘90s is a return to the overwhelming idea that teens are intelligent people who simply have yet to become adults. Films from the ‘00s looked at everything from school shootings (Elephant) to crushing parental control (The Virgin Suicides) to how we treat one another in high school and beyond (Mean Girls) to dealing with class and socio-economic differences (The Class). Certainly this is not to say that there weren’t smart teen films in the past, but this is a significant characteristic of the teen films of this decade.
Teen comedy also took a turn in this decade. Bringing to the screen the talents of Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Ellen Page and Amanda Seyfried, comedy for teens took a fast-talking, smart-mouthed tone not seen in teen comedy before. Films like Superbad and Juno have a nostalgic feel that teen films in the past didn’t have.
The 2000s didn’t forget the homicidal teen, don’t you worry. Swim Fan, Urban Legends 2, The Skullsand Jennifer’s Body rounded out the horror offerings for teens in this decade.
The oughts brought a similar sensibility to the teen film as the decade before, with studios producing a slate of movies from all genres. What sets this decade apart from the ‘90s is a return to the overwhelming idea that teens are intelligent people who simply have yet to become adults. Films from the ‘00s looked at everything from school shootings (Elephant) to crushing parental control (The Virgin Suicides) to how we treat one another in high school and beyond (Mean Girls) to dealing with class and socio-economic differences (The Class). Certainly this is not to say that there weren’t smart teen films in the past, but this is a significant characteristic of the teen films of this decade.
Teen comedy also took a turn in this decade. Bringing to the screen the talents of Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Ellen Page and Amanda Seyfried, comedy for teens took a fast-talking, smart-mouthed tone not seen in teen comedy before. Films like Superbad and Juno have a nostalgic feel that teen films in the past didn’t have.
The 2000s didn’t forget the homicidal teen, don’t you worry. Swim Fan, Urban Legends 2, The Skullsand Jennifer’s Body rounded out the horror offerings for teens in this decade.
2010s
It’s a little too early in this decade to characterize the overall feel of teen movies, but so far we’ve had some stand out films for young adults. Easy A, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Chronicle, The Hunger Games, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Spring Breakers have all brought their own unique aesthetic to the teen genre. Hopefully the remaining seven years of this decade won’t let our teens down.
It’s a little too early in this decade to characterize the overall feel of teen movies, but so far we’ve had some stand out films for young adults. Easy A, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Chronicle, The Hunger Games, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Spring Breakers have all brought their own unique aesthetic to the teen genre. Hopefully the remaining seven years of this decade won’t let our teens down.
Class Screenings: The Breakfast Club (1985) and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Here are the attached handouts from The Breakfast Club and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I will also hand these out in class for your notes. Please refer to them as you watch the film for guide questions that you will answer later on the blog.
The Breakfast Club
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
/uploads/9/0/3/3/9033138/wallflowerquestions.docx
Here are the attached handouts from The Breakfast Club and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I will also hand these out in class for your notes. Please refer to them as you watch the film for guide questions that you will answer later on the blog.
The Breakfast Club
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
/uploads/9/0/3/3/9033138/wallflowerquestions.docx