The Best Coming of Age Movies

Updated August 14, 2020 20.4k votes 1.7k voters 149.2k views181 items

List RulesVote for the greatest coming of age films, regardless of how popular or successful they were at the box office.

For this list, we're ranking the best coming of age movies of all time, with the help of your votes. The coming of age films list is special in the sense that everyone on the planet can relate to these movies. They tell stories of awkward teenagers transitioning from children into adults, and the journey is almost always familiar to grown men and women who have already been through it themselves. Many of the top coming of age movies were released in the '80s and '90s, including Dazed and Confused, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. A good example of a newer coming of age film is Superbad, the movie that launched the careers of Michael Cena and Jonah Hill.

Don't be afraid to add one of your favorites to this coming of age movies list if it's missing. Try not to downvote the films you haven't seen, as we want this list to be as accurate as possible.

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Stand by Me
Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman
Released: 1986
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Stand by Me is a 1986 American coming of age comedy-drama adventure film directed by Rob... more
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Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'Stand By Me' That Prove The Film Shaped The Child Actors#1 of 53 The Best Coming of Age Movies About Boys
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The Breakfast Club
Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald
Released: 1985
Directed by: John Hughes
The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and... more
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Don’t You Forget About These Small But Poignant Details From 'The Breakfast Club'#2 of 261 The Best Ensemble Movies
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Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Charlie Sheen, Matthew Broderick
Released: 1986
Directed by: John Hughes
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American comedy film written, produced and directed by John... more
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Interesting Details From 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' That Made Us Stop And Look Around#10 of 922 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
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Big
Tom Hanks, Jon Lovitz
Released: 1988
Directed by: Penny Marshall
Big is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Penny Marshall, and stars Tom Hanks as... more
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Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'Big,' Tom Hanks's First Blockbuster Hit#106 of 206 The Best Adventure Movies
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Dead Poets Society
Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke
Released: 1989
Directed by: Peter Weir
Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American drama film written by Tom Schulman, directed by Peter... more
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#105 of 275 The Best Movies Based On True Stories#18 of 50 The Best Oscar-Nominated Movies of the '80s
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The Sandlot
James Earl Jones, Denis Leary
Released: 1993
Directed by: David M. Evans
The Sandlot, also known as The Sandlot Kids, is a 1993 American coming-of-age film Comedy... more
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What Ever Happened To All The Kids From The Sandlot?#13 of 252 The Funniest '90s Movies
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Good Will Hunting
Ben Affleck, Robin Williams
Released: 1997
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 American drama film directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Matt... more
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#4 of 84 Great Movies That Take Place in Autumn#8 of 50 The Best Oscar-Nominated Movies of the '90s
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Dazed and Confused
Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich
Released: 1993
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Dazed and Confused is a 1993 coming of age comedy film written and directed by Richard... more
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Superbad
Emma Stone, Seth Rogen
Released: 2007
Directed by: Greg Mottola
Superbad is a 2007 American teen comedy film directed by Greg Mottola and starring Jonah Hill... more
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#193 of 480 The Greatest Movies For Guys#25 of 151 The Most Rewatchable Comedy Movies
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American Graffiti
Harrison Ford, Ron Howard
Released: 1973
Directed by: George Lucas
American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming of age comedy-drama film directed and co-written... more
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Juno
Jennifer Garner, Ellen Page
Released: 2007
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Juno is a 2007 Canadian-American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by... more
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#328 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#73 of 782 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made
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Sixteen Candles
John Cusack, Molly Ringwald
Released: 1984
Directed by: John Hughes
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael... more
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Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Nicolas Cage, Sean Penn
Released: 1982
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by... more
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The Karate Kid
Elisabeth Shue, Ralph Macchio
Released: 1984
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts romantic drama film directed by John G.... more
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#14 of 65 The Best Adventure Movies for Kids#20 of 150 The Most Inspirational Sports Movies
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Almost Famous
Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson
Released: 2000
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Almost Famous is a 2000 comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and starring... more
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My Girl
Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin
Released: 1991
Directed by: Howard Zieff
My Girl is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Howard Zieff and written by Laurice... more
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Mean Girls
Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams
Released: 2004
Directed by: Mark Waters
Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy film. Mark Waters directed, and Tina Fey wrote the... more
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Easy A
Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes
Released: 2010
Directed by: Will Gluck
Easy A is a 2010 American teen comedy film directed by Will Gluck. A clean-cut high school... more
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#11 of 116 The Funniest Movies About High School#1 of 21 The Funniest Movies About Teachers
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The Outsiders
Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage
Released: 1983
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
The Outsiders is a 1983 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, an adaptation of... more
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#34 of 96 The Best Film Adaptations of Young Adult Novels#32 of 101 The Best Bromance Movies
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The Goonies
Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin
Released: 1985
Directed by: Richard Donner
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Richard Donner. The... more
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Interesting Details From 'The Goonies' That Make Us Want To Rewatch#24 of 112 Movies That Need Sequels
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Rebel Without a Cause
Natalie Wood, James Dean
Released: 1955
Directed by: Nicholas Ray
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban,... more
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#133 of 196 The Biggest Tearjerker Movies of All Time#13 of 28 Great Movies About People Going Through Life Solo
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Clueless
Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy
Released: 1995
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Clueless is a 1995 American comedy film loosely based on Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma. It... more
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The Best Outfits from Clueless#15 of 15 Classic Teen Movies That Got Away With Not Explaining Major Things
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Boyz n the Hood
Ice Cube, Angela Bassett
Released: 1991
Directed by: John Singleton
Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood drama film directed by John Singleton. Three young men... more
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Heathers
Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty
Released: 1988
Directed by: Michael Lehmann
Heathers is a 1988 comedy, drama film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael... more
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Pretty in Pink
James Spader, Gina Gershon
Released: 1986
Directed by: Howard Deutch
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American romantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in... more
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