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1983 BCE
"Dazed and Confused"
As in "American Graffiti" and "Fast Times" in the decades before, Richard Linklater managed to score a cast who would later become some of the most prominent actors of their generation: Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Renée Zellweger, to name a few. With dozens of peripheral characters floating in and out of the picture, Linklater takes an honest, rambling look at the inaugural night of the summer of '76. -
"Carrie"
"They're all gonna laugh at you!" Before Columbine, there was Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), a wackadoo Christian fundamentalist's screwed-up daughter, whose sheltered rage manifests itself in psychic powers. Carrie tries her best to cope with the ridicule of classmates and indifference of teachers, but a class prank in which she winds up looking like a pigs' blood-dipped ice cream cone lets the telekinetic tiger out of the cage. -
"The Karate Kid"
No one likes to be bullied, but is fighting back really the answer? Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) takes up karate so he can fight the jerks, but his teacher Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) shows him there's more to life than a sweet crane pose. Yeah, there's a cute girl (Elisabeth Shue) on the scene and an angry ex-boyfriend who trains under a war-hardened sensei, but Mr. Miyagi's lessons are all about the bigger picture: life, love and honor. Of course, a sweet crane pose doesn't hurt. -
"Dirty Dancing"
Often imitated but never duplicated, this tale of love and sexy dancing in the Catskills among Jewish tourists and the gentiles who entertain them practically induced puberty in all the teens who saw it. Featuring Patrick Swayze's smooth moves and Jennifer Grey's old nose, "Dirty Dancing" tackled all sorts of real-world problems, from abortion to class issues. -
"Clueless"
Amy Heckerling mastered the art of teen girl lingo before Diablo Cody ever took to the Internet. This unforgettable comedy stars Alicia Silverstone as a seemingly dippy princess who loves to play matchmaker, and even takes over the life and style of weird new girl Tai, played by the late Brittany Murphy. This is also one of Paul Rudd's earliest "adorable dude" roles, which in and of itself makes "Clueless" a must-see. -
"American Pie"
Don McLean definitely didn't have this movie in mind when he was warbling about the day the music died. This pie is freshly baked and quickly befouled by Jason Biggs in an icky, sticky sex (?) scene. That's just one of many ridiculously silly and gross things that the crew get up to, like band camp shenanigans (where did you put that flute, Willow?), explosive bodily functions and a horny cougar of a mom. -
"Spiderman"
This version of the Spider-Man tale sticks with the radioactive spider-bite theory, which turns dorky Peter Parker into a web-slinging bad ass. Spider-Man manages to woo dreamy Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) while he's getting revenge on the jerk who killed his Uncle Ben and fighting crime and becoming the do-gooding-est Public Enemy #1. Sure, it's not your typical teen's life, but it's one of the most iconic out there. -
"Mean Girls"
t's weird to turn a non-fiction book about girls being mean to each other into an effective comedy, but somehow Tina Fey's screenplay makes it work. Lindsay Lohan plays Cady, a sweet-faced young redhead who, after years of home-schooling and traveling the world, has to figure out the shark-infested waters of high school. -
"Superbad"
Although "Superbad" traded on some typical tropes — nerds trying to get booze and impress girls! — the hilarious writing and cast has made this a modern teen classic. Whether it's Christopher Mintz-Plasse trying to buy beer with an ID that reads McLovin' or Jonah Hill and Michael Cera cementing their bromance while high as kites, "Superbad" is chock full of giggles. -
"Juno"
Has the backlash to the backlash to the backlash over this precious indie ended yet? Delightful Diablo Cody penned this Oscar-winning script about a young girl named Juno (Ellen Page) who gets knocked up by her nerdy best friend Paulie (Michael Cera). She finds two seemingly perfect birth parents (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman), and things seem on the up and up for this "fertile Myrtle" and her fetus when she learns that love just isn't always what it seems to be. -
"Adventure Land"
Coming off of the smash success of his previous coming-of-age laugher "Superbad," director Greg Mottola made this smaller, more personal comedy about a virginal college grad named James (Jesse Eisenberg) whose first taste of adulthood is a dead-end summer job at an amusement park. -
"Easy A"
This 21st century take on "The Scarlet Letter" made us want to be BFF with Emma Stone immediately, and also be adopted by her awesome onscreen parents, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. When Olive's reputation begins to get a little tarnished around the edges because of a complete misunderstanding, she decides to embrace her new social standing with zest. -
"The Perks of Being a WallFlower"
This beloved young adult novel is finally making it to the big screen with Logan Lerman starring as our hero Charlie, a new freshman who feels especially vulnerable after the loss of his best friend to suicide. Emma Watson and Ezra Miller play Sam and Patrick, the step-siblings who introduce him to the world of awesome music, parties, sex and assorted harsh realities of high school.