Plot and Elements

Coming of age films tend to have relatively similar plot lines and elements, all of which are key counterparts in forcing characters to overcome issues and hardships. Classic examples of coming of age plot lines include character relationships and conflicts, moral ambiguity, loneliness, exposure, and a happy ending. These elements of plot lines all contribute to characters embracing on a journey of change and self-realisation. For example, in the Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie is a loner - his only friend committed suicide and now only finds comfort in his family. But when Charlie begins to make new friends, he is forced to reconsider his life and his issues and for once consider the feelings of others. This begins a significant journey for Charlie as he learns about not only himself but others and the problems of the world. The film shows charlie’s progress and then content at the end as he finds solitude with his life and experiences. In Jason Reitman’s Juno the audience bare witness to stronger themes of moral ambiguity as the main female protagonist, Juno, is forced to consider the potential life of her unborn baby. The film documents Juno struggle with options such as abortion and adoption; things that even though most teenagers wouldn't usually have to deal with, it is still a very real reality for many. The thought of deciding the fate of a human life at such a young and fragile stage age is intimidating if not frightening but Reitman handles it with humour and  grace. Watching characters grow in real life situations is what makes coming of age stories and films so appealing to audiences, because at one stage or another most of us have gone through a similar experience. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Dir. Stephen Chbosky. Summit Entertainment. 2012. Film.

Juno. Dir. Jason Reitman. Fox Searchlight Pictures. 2007. Film.

Corrigan, Timothy and White, Patricia. T he Film Experience: An Introduction. 3 rd Ed. United States of America: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print. 

Music

Music plays a large part in coming of age films in terms of culture and emotion. In many situations coming of age films can recognised by a particular song. For example John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club is recognisable by the song ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ by Simple Minds and is still, 30 years later a common cultural reference to the film. In Stephan Chbosky’s film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, music plays a large role in shaping the main protagonist, Charlie. Charlie's musical preferences in the film include David Bowie with The Smiths being “[his] favourite”. The whole film is quite centred around music and its effect that it has on the characters. In one particular scene Charlie watches his love interest, Sam, dance to music as if nothing else mattered in that moment. This moment planted the idea into Charlie's mind that music can act as an escape from reality. In the final sequence of the film Charlie is riding in a car with two of his closest friends and David Bowies ‘We Can Be Heroes’ begins to play, the three friends fully embrace the song and Charlie describes the experiences as feeling “infinite”. Another coming of age film that embraces music and its influences on youth is Lukas Moodysson’s We Are The Best!. The film focuses on two pubescent and very socially different girls and their attempts at keeping Punk ‘alive’. In this coming of age film Punk music and style offers the two main protagonists and outlet for their feelings of inadequacy and essentially a community to belong to. The two girls’ formation of a Punk band despite no prior musical skill and then their ultimate dedication to this band encompasses the impact of a musical community can have on youth. This is similar to the importance of music in The Perks of Being a Wallflower as it offers an escape as well as an affinity and a society for these characters. “Music is a crucial element in the film experience…it deepens emotional response" (Corrigan and White, 195). Music is so relevant to coming of age films because music is so relevant to every day lives. No matter who you are or where you're from, you grew up with music of one kind or another, whether it be influenced by the taste of those around you or your own. Music influences lives in a very personal way and different films with different music not only exposes us to new and alternative genres but also gives an insight to the more emotional and intimate side of a character and their experiences. 

We Are The Best!. Dir. Lukas Moodysson. Film i Väst. 2013. Film.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Dir. Stephen Chbosky. Summit Entertainment. 2012. Film.

The Breakfast Club. Dir. John Hughes. A&M Films. 1985. Film

Corrigan, Timothy and White, Patricia. T he Film Experience: An Introduction. 3 rd Ed. United States of America: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print. 

Image: PlayBuzz: http://www.playbuzz.com/chloebrown10/how-much-do-you-know-about-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower

Characters

“Characters are either central or minor figures who anchor the events in a film" (Corrigan and White, 224). Characters are perhaps the most important part of a coming of age film. Its the main aspect of the films story in that they endure a journey that will in some way change or mature them for the better. Most coming of age films have a complex character relationship e.g. between the child and the parent, a friendship or a romantic relationship. Its often these relationships that drives the main protagonists journey or changes. For example in Richard Linklaters Boyhood, protagonist Mason’s relationships with his parents weighs heavily on his life; his father had been awol for the earlier years of his life and his mothers constant search for companionship elsewhere. These relationships not only shape Masons life but are also extremely relatable for audiences as many people experience similar situations in their lifetimes. Jason Reitman’s Juno however focuses more on the main protagonist Juno and her relationship with her unborn baby and those involved. This is an interesting concept for a coming of age film as teen pregnancy isn't often looked at through such an open minded scope thus watching a teenage girl try to deal with something as difficult as teen pregnancy is both enlightening and heart warming. John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club focuses less on individual characters and their relationship with others but more on a small group of characters and their lack of relationship to each other. The beauty of this film is that it perfectly encompasses high school stereotypes and at the same time completely abolishes their significance. Characters are also vital in Stephan Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In this film, main protagonist, Charlie, has deep rooted social issues and it isn't until he makes friends and joins a ‘community’ that he begins to discover the root of his problems and be comfortable with who he is. The Characters in this film all work together to portray the highs and lows or friendship in a way that abolishes stereotypes and condones differences. The use of characters in coming of age films adds to the authenticity and charm of a film as well as helping the audience understand the individual characters from more than one point of view. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Dir. Stephen Chbosky. Summit Entertainment. 2012. Film.

Boyhood. Dir. Richard Linklater. IFC Productions. 2014. Film.

Juno. Dir. Jason Reitman. Fox Searchlight Pictures. 2007. Film.

The Breakfast Club. Dir. John Hughes. A&M Films. 1985. Film

Corrigan, Timothy and White, Patricia. T he Film Experience: An Introduction. 3 rd Ed. United States of America: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print. 

Mise-en-scene

“Settings and sets contribute to a films mies-en-scene by establishing scenic realism and atmosphere” (Corrigan and White, 70). Mise-en-scene in a coming of age film is quite specific and is generally used to create realism and authenticity within the films setting. A sense of authenticity is vital in a coming of age film as we, especially as teenagers, go through similar motions in our day to day lives and a comparable and realistic environment makes the film far more relatable for audiences. Mise-en-scene is especially significant in Richard Linklaters 2014 film Boyhood. Because of the unique way that Boyhood was filmed (over a 12 year period), the setting is always subtly changing. For example as our main character Mason grows and evolves, inevitably so does his environment. So while we witness Mason and his family grow and move through life, we also see the subtle developments in human resources and technology. Its these subtleties in the mise-en-scene that make the film so authentic and relatable to audiences, especially those who grew up in a similar time. John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club, is very different to Boyhood in that the entire film takes place over a single day rather than 12 years but the mies-en-scene is no less significant. For starters the entirety of the film is set at the high school. This is a very common setting for coming of age films as not only do we spend many days at school as we come into our own, its also symbolic of learning. “How actors are costumed and made up can play a central in a film…[costumes] draw out or point to important parts of a characters personality” (Corrigan and White, 77-78). The costumes in The Breakfast Club in particular are the most significant aspect of mise-en-scene. The stereotypical nature of the main characters costuming is successful in immediately establishing a personality and a social group for each of them. For example, John wears layers of edgy and dissolved clothing that compliment his rebellious attitude, while Andrew wears clothing very typical of a high school jock - his Nike sports top and letterman jacket also act as symbols of status and sport. Whats mainly interesting about the mise-en-scene in The Breakfast Club is that although they are all in the same school, in the same detention, the main thing that separates them is their appearance and therefore social status. Other coming of age films such as Juno, Perks of Being a Wallflower, and We Are The Best! have similar aspects of mise-en-scene running throughout them such as the school setting, costumes that establish personality and social standing, and technology and props that signify an era, time period, or style. 

Boyhood. Dir. Richard Linklater. IFC Productions. 2014. Film.

The Breakfast Club. Dir. John Hughes. A&M Films. 1985. Film

Corrigan, Timothy and White, Patricia. T he Film Experience: An Introduction. 3 rd Ed. United States of America: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print. 

Image: NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/magazine/richard-linklaters-leading-boy.html?_r=0