The Greatest Movies with Precocious Teen Stars

Updated September 6, 2019 1.2k votes 158 voters 4.7k views31 items

List RulesVote up the best movies that feature sharp teenagers with witty dialogue.

Sharp teenagers may be wise beyond their years, but they still find themselves entangled in high school drama. The best precocious teen movies feature students taking their lives into their own hands, despite opposition from their parents and teachers. This is a list of the top movies about witty teens including everything from Superbad to Little Miss Sunshine to Election.

What films will you find on this list of the best movies about precocious teens? Maybe you're a fan of the slacker classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This 1986 comedy inspired teens across the world to make the most of their sick days, just like the title character. The snappy dialog of Juno makes it a film synonymous with smart teenagers. Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) was an incredibly ambitious student when it came to everything but his school work in Wes Anderson's film Rushmore. Other good movies found on this best smart teen films list include Heathers, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Cruel Intentions.

Which precocious teen movie do you think is the best? Vote your favorite up to number one on this list, and add any great features that are missing.

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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 on Wikipedia
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Emma Watson, Nina Dobrev
Released: 2012
Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film, and an... more on Wikipedia
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Election
Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick
Released: 1999
Directed by: Alexander Payne
Election is a 1999 American comedy film directed and written by Alexander Payne and adapted by... more on Wikipedia
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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 on Wikipedia
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Scream
Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan
Released: 1996
Directed by: Wes Craven
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Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Charlie Sheen, Matthew Broderick
Released: 1986
Directed by: John Hughes
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Little Miss Sunshine
Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston
Released: 2006
Directed by: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama road film and the directorial film debut... more on Wikipedia

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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 on Wikipedia
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Cruel Intentions
Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Released: 1999
Directed by: Roger Kumble
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American drama film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe,... more on Wikipedia
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Juno
Jennifer Garner, Ellen Page
Released: 2007
Directed by: Jason Reitman
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The Edge of Seventeen
Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson
Released: 2016
Directed by: Kelly Fremon Craig
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Clueless
Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy
Released: 1995
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
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Saved!
Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin
Released: 2004
Directed by: Brian Dannelly
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Superbad
Emma Stone, Seth Rogen
Released: 2007
Directed by: Greg Mottola
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The Way, Way Back
Steve Carell, Amanda Peet
Released: 2013
Directed by: Jim Rash, Nat Faxon
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Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup
Released: 2018
Directed by: Richard Linklater
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Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler
Released: 2015
Directed by: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
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Blinded by the Light
Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell
Released: 2019
Directed by: Gurinder Chadha
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Booksmart
Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein
Released: 2019
Directed by: Olivia Wilde
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Charlie Bartlett
Robert Downey Jr., Kat Dennings
Released: 2007
Directed by: Jon Poll
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Titanic
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Released: 1997
Directed by: James Cameron
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Thoroughbreds
Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy
Released: 2018
Directed by: Cory Finley
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Valentine
Katherine Heigl, Denise Richards
Released: 2001
Directed by: Jamie Blanks
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It's Kind of a Funny Story
Emma Roberts, Viola Davis
Released: 2010
Directed by: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
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The Squid and the Whale
Anna Paquin, Alexandra Daddario
Released: 2005
Directed by: Noah Baumbach
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