Coming of age, what a weird and beautiful time to be alive, isn’t it? The exact timing that this transition from childhood to adulthood takes place definitely ranges in age for each person. I don’t think there’s an “Aha!” moment either, one where we fully realize when we’ve made it and are mature in every aspect of our being to truly go out into the world. Perhaps the answers never come to us completely and our entire lives are about searching for all those puzzle pieces that make up who we are, maybe that’s what makes it interesting.
This sort of journey that every person takes is what makes coming of age stories so compelling, because anyone can relate to them; whether they feel that they’ve already gone through that process of self-discovery or whether they are right in the middle of it. Whether it is film, literature, or music, coming of age stories attract us all. The uncertainty of the future, new feelings, new experiences, as frightening as they might make us feel, also make us feel alive and connected to others. These things are such a tremendous part of molding us into the people we become; that seeing these stories reflected in art makes us feel just that much more connected to the world and the chaos of it all.
Some of my favorite coming of age stories have, more than I’d like to admit, reflected so much of what I’ve felt as I’ve learned more about myself. And even when the characters have been so much of a stretch from what I identify with, there is always something, even seemingly insignificant, that I can connect to in one of the characters. Now, who can speak about coming of age stories without mentioning the brilliant man who transformed them into pop culture: John Hughes. Although the list of amazing Hughes movies is definitely more than one, the one that resonates most with a lot of people is the 1985 classic, “The Breakfast Club”. The film examines the lives and roles of five very different teenagers all stuck in detention together, on a Saturday morning. The honest depiction of the pressures teenagers feel makes the story so human. The pressure to live up to certain expectations or to fulfill roles that others place on us is something that has kept so many young people from living as authentically as they possibly can.
While on the topic of coming of age movies, I can’t continue without mentioning the incredible 1967 Mike Nichols directed film, “The Graduate”; partly because of the character work between Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, and partly because of amazing films that came out of 60s and 70s Hollywood. This film was revolutionary in the genre, as well as in plot developments and cinematography. Without getting into all that nerdy stuff though, the story was truthful in the uncertainty that life after college offers, one that is very quickly coming upon me. It isn’t easy to live up to the expectations parents put on us and it isn’t easy to decide what the rest of our lives will look like with one job. The last scene in the movie, as Elaine and Ben sit on the back of the bus staring into the uncertainty that their lives have become, is one of the greatest scenes I have ever seen on film.
Coming of age stories not only reflect our stories, but they tell the unique stories of so many different kinds of people; the stories of alienation, of loss, of discovery, of passion, and ultimately of the truths that we fight for. Whether it is Charlie and his friends that help him feel less of an outcast, or Holden’s angst as he struggles with what adulthood can change, or Harry unsure of whom he should be while others tell him what that must be. The stories are endless and will continue to compel us as they continue to reflect the very human thing we all experience: growth.
