The Top 25 Coming-of-Age Movies (RESULTS)

[The Panda]

#10, last one of today, this is also the second of three animated movies to be on the list

 

Persepolis

 

In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Statrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own. With Marji dangerously refusing to remain silent at this injustice, her parents send her abroad to Vienna to study for a better life. However, this change proves an equally difficult trial with the young woman finding herself in a different culture loaded with abrasive characters and profound disappointments that deeply trouble her. Even when she returns home, Marji finds that both she and homeland have changed too much and the young woman and her loving family must decide where she truly belongs.

 

TomatoMeter - 96% (98% Top Critics, 92% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.0

 

Metacritic - 90 (82 Audience)

 

Average Critical Score - 91.3

 

Press Exert - "It's striking how much emotion Satrapi is able to convey through these blocky drawings, which are simple but powerfully chosen." - Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

 

Box Office Analyst Exert - "a beautifully animated trip through a girl's perspective on modern iran. totally hipster, which can be a good and bad thing. ultimately poignant and charming." - lisa

 

Fun Fact - "The title, "Persepolis," means "Persian City" in Greek. The word is the Greek transliteration of the Old Persian word "Parsa" ("City of Persians"). Parsa, or Persepolis, was an actual ancient city that existed in Persia c. 550-330 BC. Its ruins still stand in southern Iran today."

 

If the Average Critical Score determined the ranking this movie would be ranked at #3.

 

Edited January 22, 2014 by The Panda

[Warhorse]

I haven't seen half these movies. Out of the ones I did see, only ones I liked were Super 8, The Lion King and The Goonies.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

Here is #17

Juno

A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?

TomatoMeter - 94% (100% Top Critics, 88% Audience)

IMDb - 7.6

Metacritic - 81 (84 Audience)

Average Critical Rating - 87.17

Press Exert - "By its end, Juno, in its guilelessly chatty way, touches the heart -- and yes, I had tears in my eyes. This movie works, on its own terms." - Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Box Office Analyst Exert - "Takes way too much hate on the Internet (I would know, I was kind of part of the hate brigade in early 2008). It's easily one of the sweetest and most insightful films to come out of either the teen or romantic comedy subgenres in years, and the quality of the writing, directing, and acting is superlative." - Webslinger

Fun Fact - "Jennifer Garner dropped her A-list salary to a percentage point agreement for Juno when it was expected to be a small, low-grossing indie film, but the decision paid off when Juno became a breakout smash at the box office - giving Garner her best payday yet."

If the Average Critical Score determined this movie's ranking it would be ranked at #9.

I am pretty sure my neighboring town somewhat inspired the city she lived in.

[The Panda]

#9

Good Will Hunting

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A touching tale of a wayward young man who struggles to find his identity, living in a world where he can solve any problem, except the one brewing deep within himself, until one day he meets his soul mate who opens his mind and his heart.

 

TomatoMeter - 97% (100% Top Critics, 94% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.2

 

Metacritic - 70 (84 Audience)

 

Average Critical Rating - 87.83

 

Press Exert - "Even rarer than a breath of fresh air is a breath of fresh Hollywood film. Brainy and heartfelt and right on target, Good Will Hunting is such a film." - Jay Carr, Boston Globe

 

Fun Fact - Robin William's last line, "That son of a bitch stole my line," was improvised.

 

If the Average Critical Rating Determined this movie's ranking it would rank at #5 tied with the Lion King.

[The Panda]

#8

Mud

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Mud is an adventure about two boys, Ellis and his friend Neckbone, who find a man named Mud hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. Mud describes fantastic scenarios-he killed a man in Texas and vengeful bounty hunters are coming to get him. He says he is planning to meet and escape with the love of his life, Juniper, who is waiting for him in town. Skeptical but intrigued, Ellis and Neckbone agree to help him. It isn't long until Mud's visions come true and their small town is besieged by abeautiful girl with a line of bounty hunters in tow. 

 

TomatoMeter - 98% (94% Top Critics, 81% Audience)

 

IMDb - 7.5

 

Metacritic - 76 (78 Audience)

 

Average Critical Rating - 83.67

 

Press Exert - "There is an enchanted-fairy-tale aspect to Mud, but its bright, calm surface only barely disguises a strong, churning undercurrent." - Adam Nayman, Globe and Mail

 

Box Office Analyst Exert - "Next to This is The End this is my favourite movie of the year.  MM is absolutely Oscar worthy and Im wondering if he'll be a double nom this year with Wolf of Wall Street as well. The guy who plays Ellis is fantastic as well. A beautiful story that reminded me of Stand By Me in some ways." - baumer

 

Fun Fact - Over 2000 boys auditioned for the role of Neckbone, including one I knew.

 

If the Average Critical Rating determined this movie's ranking it would be ranked at #14.

[The Panda]

#7

To Kill a Mockinbird

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Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning book of 1961. Atticus Finch is a lawyer in a racially divided Alabama town in the 1930s. He agrees to defend a young black man who is accused of raping a white woman. Many of the townspeople try to get Atticus to pull out of the trial, but he decides to go ahead. How will the trial turn out - and will it change any of the racial tension in the town?

 

TomatoMeter - 94% (68% Top Critics, 93% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.4

 

Average Critical Rating - 84.5

 

Press Exert - "Harper Lee's child's-eye view of southern bigotry gains something in its translation to the screen by Robert Mulligan, who knows exactly where to place the camera to catch a child's subjective experience." - Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

 

Fun Fact - Atticus Finch was voted as the top screen hero of the last 100 years by the American Film Institute.

 

If the Average Critical Rating Determined this movies ranking it would be ranked at #11 tied with another movie later down the list.

[The Panda]

#6 is the last animated movie to be on this list

Spirited Away

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Master animation director Hayao Miyazaki follows up on his record-breaking 1997 opus Princess Mononoke with this surreal Alice in Wonderland-like tale about a lost little girl. The film opens with ten-year-old Chihiro riding along during a family outing as her father races through remote country roads. When they come upon a blocked tunnel, her parents decide to have a look around -- even though Chihiro finds the place very creepy. When they pass through the tunnel, they discover an abandoned amusement park. As Chihiro's bad vibes continue, her parents discover an empty eatery that smells of fresh food. After her mother and father help themselves to some tasty purloined morsels, they turn into giant pigs. Chihiro understandably freaks out and flees. She learns that this very weird place, where all sorts of bizarre gods and monsters reside, is a holiday resort for the supernatural after their exhausting tour of duty in the human world. Soon after befriending a boy named Haku, Chihiro learns the rules of the land: one, she must work , as laziness of any kind is not tolerated; and two, she must take on the new moniker of Sen. If she forgets her real name, Haku tells her, then she will never be permitted to leave.

 

TomatoMeter - 97% (100% Top Critics, 96% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.6

 

Metacritic - 94 (93 Audience)

 

Average Critical Rating - 94.33

 

Press Exert - "Think you're too hip for Japanese anime about a lost ten-year-old girl whose parents turn into snorting pigs? Get over it." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

 

Box Office Analyst Exert - "Imagination gone wild, this really is awe-inspiring animation. Studio Ghibli is Japan's own version of Pixar. This film is an easy A" - EXtacy

 

Fun Fact - "This is the first film to earn US$200 million in grosses before opening in the U.S."

 

If the Average Critical Rating determined this movie's ranking this movie would be ranked as #1.

[The Panda]

#5, last one for the day

The Breakfast Club

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They were five students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library. At 7 a.m., they had nothing to say, but by 4 p.m., they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. To the outside world they were simply a Brain, an Athlete, a Basket Case, a Princess, and a Criminal, but to each other, they would always be the Breakfast Club.

 

TomatoMeter - 91% (57% Top Critics, 92% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.0

 

Metacritic - 62 (88 Audience)

 

Average Critical Rating - 78.33

 

Press Exert - "The Breakfast Club doesn't need earthshaking revelations; it's about kids who grow willing to talk to one another, and it has a surprisingly good ear for the way they speak." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

 

Box Office Analyst Exert - "The quintessential teen movie. It's a film with no plot. It just listens to kids talking for two hours. I grew up in this era and every one of these characters are people I went to school with. I'm not really sure which one I'd fall into but I could relate to every one of them.

John Hughes could make a film about two people stuck in a phone booth and it would be interesting." - baumer

 

Fun Fact - "The dandruff that Allison shakes onto her penciled drawing for snow was achieved by sprinkling Parmesan cheese."

 

If the Average Critical Rating determined this movie's ranking it would be ranked at #17.

 

 

[ChD]

When are we going to get the last 4 movies? 

[Films]

SO GLAD MEAN GIRLS MADE THE LIST. ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS FILM

[The Panda]

Sorry for the delay, here are the last 4

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

 

Based on the novel written by Stephen Chbosky, this is about 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman), an endearing and naive outsider, coping with first love (Emma Watson), the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him to the real world.

 

TomatoMeter - 85% (82% Top Critics, 89% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.1

 

Metacritic - 67 (84 Audience)

 

Average Critical Rating - 81.33

 

Press Exert - "Perks seems like the work of a much more experienced director, maintaining fidelity to the source material without sacrificing any cinematic qualities, triggering genuine sentimentality and nostalgia through interaction between sound and image." - Ian Buckwalter, The Atlantic 

 

Box Office Analyst Exert - "The Perks of Being a Wallflower is better than Inception." - The Panda

 

Fun Fact - When the family is eating dinner at the end of the movie Charlie asks his dad how he thinks the Penguins will do this year. The Dad replies that they will suck and need to learn defense. The Penguins went on to win their first Stanley Cup that year.

 

 

If the Average Critical Rating determined the movie's ranking this movie would be ranked at #16.

 

[The Panda]

Here is #3

 

City of God

 

Brazil, 1960's, City of God. The Tender Trio robs motels and gas trucks. Younger kids watch and learn well...too well. 1970's: Li'l Zé has prospered very well and owns the city. He causes violence and fear as he wipes out rival gangs without mercy. His best friend Bené is the only one to keep him on the good side of sanity. Rocket has watched these two gain power for years, and he wants no part of it. Yet he keeps getting swept up in the madness. All he wants to do is take pictures. 1980's: Things are out of control between the last two remaining gangs...will it ever end? Welcome to the City of God.

 

TomatoMeter - 90% (89% Top Critics, 97% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.7

 

Metacritic - 79 (88 Audience)

 

Average Critical Rating - 88.3

 

Press Exert - "City of God delivers a bruising, visceral experience of the vicious spiral of violence that draws kids into a life of crime, brutality and murder as the only avenue open to them." - David Rooney, Variety

 

Fun Fact - All of the amateur actors were recruited from favelas (slums) in Rio de Janeiro, and a couple of them actually lived in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) itself. 

 

If the Average Critical Rating determined this movie's ranking it would be ranked at #4.

 

[The Panda]

And for #2

 

Pan's Labrynth

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In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she's a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again.

 

TomatoMeter - 96% (100% Top Critics, 92% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.3

 

Metacritic - 98 (85 Audience)

 

Average Critical Rating - 92.33

 

Press Exert - "So breathtaking in its artistic ambition, so technically accomplished, so morally expansive, so fully realized that it defies the usual critical blather. See it, and celebrate that rare occasion when a director has the audacity to commit cinema." - Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

 

Box Office Analyst - "Oh Pan's Labyrinth, how I love thee. This is my favorite foreign language film. Del Toro's directing is absolute perfection, as well as the cinematography. Navarette created such a great atmospheric score for this. Doesn't stand well alone after multiple listenings, but always is great during the film. So many great scenes, especially the man with no eyes. So chilling. One of my favorites." - ascs1312

 

Fun Fact - Guillermo Del Torro gave up his entire salary, including back-end points, to see this film become realized

 

If the Average Critical Rating Determined this movie's ranking it would be ranked at #2.

[The Panda]

And the number 1 is

 

Stand By Me

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4 young friends set out on an adventure. Geordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern go looking for the missing body of a local teenager - found by a gang of older boys. A story of boys hangin' out and growin' up.

 

TomatoMeter - 91% (73% Top Critics, 92% Audience)

 

IMDb - 8.2

 

Average Critical Rating - 84.5

 

Press Exert - "Stand by Me is a small, quiet film that walks tall and resonates long after." - Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

 

Fun Fact - "The movie is based on a short story called "The Body" by Stephen King from a book of short stories called "Different Seasons" which also includes "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption""

 

If the Average Critical Rating Determined this movie's ranking it would be ranked at #11 tied with To Kill a Mockingbird.

 

Edited January 25, 2014 by The Panda

[Blankments]

Good job with the list Panda!

[Fancyarcher]

Great list. Not a crappy film in sight. 

[baumer]

Good job Panda.  Not overly thrilled with the top portion of the list.  My top picks are much much different, with the exception of SBM, which is my number 1.

[Goffe]

shame on you guys for putting Donnie Darko so low in this list.

[bed005]

Can't argue with Stand By Me, very deserving winner.