From The Graduate (1967) and Grease (1978) to The Sandlot (1993) and Stand By Me (1986), the coming-of-age genre is filled with some of cinema's finest feature films. For decades, these movies have revisited the uncynical joys of childhood and have captured the adolescent experience with authenticity, sincerity, and heart.
The 2000s produced several coming-of-age classics, reinvigorating the medium with films that resonated both among nostalgic adults and younger generations living through the stories being played out on screen. The best of the genre conveys the adolescent experience through unique lenses and allows viewers to reflect on their own transitional periods. Several coming-of-age movies from the 2000s even sit on IMDb's chart of Top 250 films of all time.
7 Mean Girls (2004) Reinvented The Genre – 7.1
Written by Tina Fey and directed by Mark Waters, Mean Girls stars Lindsey Lohan in the leading role of Cady Heron, a naive teenager navigating her way through the social hierarchy of American high school after twelve years of homeschooling in Africa. Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey co-star in supporting performances.
Elevated by a brilliant screenplay from Fey, Mean Girls finds a fresh, female-fronted take on the modern American high school experience. Nailing the "survival of the fittest" mentality that permeates teenage hierarchy, the film has since become part of the cultural consciousness that is classic movies from its respective genre. Mean Girls currently sits at a weighted average vote of 7.1/10 on IMDb, with 373K user ratings.
6 Juno (2007) Juggles Teen Pregnancy With Poignancy – 7.5
Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, Juno stars Elliot Page (credited as Ellen Page) in the titular role of an independent-minded teenager confronting the tribulations of an unplanned pregnancy. Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, and J. K. Simmons star in supporting performances.
Boasting an Oscar-winning screenplay with witty dialogue and sensitively-approached themes, Juno's wistfully acerbic comedy makes for one of the best coming-of-age flicks from the 2000s. At the heart of the film is Elliot Page's performance, unerringly nuanced in self-assuredness with just the right amount of blithe and innocence. With 517K user ratings on IMDb, Juno currently sits at a weighted average vote of 7.5/10.
5 Superbad (2007) Balances Vulgarity With Sincerity – 7.6
Directed by Greg Mottola, produced by Judd Apatow, and co-written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Superbad stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as two high school seniors on the verge of graduating and going to different colleges. Plotting to score booze and lose their virginity at an end-of-year party, their debaucherous plan proves to be more difficult than expected.
Superbad successfully showcases the disconnect between what comes from the mouths of hormone-addled teenagers with what actually goes on in their heads. Michael Cera's comedic timing is best-in-class, opposite Jonah Hill's wildly hilarious portrayal of profane adolescence. Sitting at a weighted average vote of 7.6/10 on IMDB, Superbad currently has 566K user ratings.
4 Almost Famous (2000) Is Blissfully Wholesome – 7.9
Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous follows the semi-autobiographical story of Crowe, who was an aspiring rock journalist during his teenage years, writing for Rolling Stone in the early 1970s. The film features performances from Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, and Patrick Fugit.
Well-crafted, warm-hearted, and infinitely wholesome, Almost Famous perfectly captures an era with profoundly affecting amounts of nostalgia. Taking the audience on a euphoric road trip, Cameron Crowe fashions a film about the self-destruction nature of touring musicians in the 1970s, crafting a tragicomic snapshot of the fading swagger-rock scene. With 272K user ratings on IMDb, Almost Famous currently sits at a weighted average vote of 7.9/10.
3 Donnie Darko (2001) Is Complex & Gripping – 8.0
Written and directed (in his directorial debut) by Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko stars Jake Gyllenhaal in the titular role of a troubled teenager who, after narrowly escaping an accident, starts seeing visions of a mysterious figure in a rabbit costume who informs him that the world will soon end. Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, Daveigh Chase, and James Duval round out the cast in supporting performances.
Donnie Darko defines itself through sustained mood and atmosphere; its otherworldly intrigue makes for an amazing amalgam of genres that manifest a story of abiding humanism. Richard Kelly's debut feature hits an incredibly fascinating note, and Gyllenhaal's breakthrough performance is every bit as mischievous as it is melancholy. Sitting at a weighted average vote of 8.0/10, Donnie Darko currently has 787K user ratings on IMDb.
2 Spirited Away (2001) Enchants & Inspires – 8.6
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli, Spirited Away follows the story of Chihiro Ogino, a ten-year-old girl who enters the supernatural realm of Japanese Shinto folklore. Encountering a host of characters, Chihiro endures labor in a bathhouse for spirits, awaiting a reunion with her parents after the witch Yubaba transformed them into pigs.
Spirited Away deserves to be recognized as one of the finest animated features of all time. The magic of the film exists well beyond the simple beauty of its visuals; the way in which it introduces elements of Japanese culture to an international audience is vivid and genuinely awe-inspiring. With 738K user ratings on IMDb, Spirited Away currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.6/10 and is one of the highest-rated coming-of-age films from the 2000s.
1 City Of God (2002) Looks At Life In The Slums – 8.6
Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, Cidade de Deus (known internationally as City of God) is a Brazilian coming-of-age/crime epic adapted from Paulo Lins' 1997 novel of the same name. Set in the poverty-stricken favelas of 1970s Rio de Janeiro, the film follows two boys who adopt diverging professional paths, with one becoming a photographer and the other becoming a drug dealer.
City of God is a darkly skewed coming-of-age film that peerlessly utilizes an obscure setting with striking authenticity. It's difficult to watch and, at times, incredibly disturbing, but the film crafts a cold, hard look at reality from a specific point of view. Sitting at a weighted average vote of 8.6/10 with 744K user ratings, City of God is the highest-rated coming-of-age film from its respective decade.