Instead of movies intended for their age, teens typically watch movies recommended for much older audiences. They can also choose not to watch any movies at all depending on their preferences. Mainly because of the change in new movies coming out, with more inappropriate themes and topics, teens feel obligated to watch what their older family members, friends or influencers watch. A couple of comedies or a coming-of-age movie may result as the perfect choice for a teen to watch.

“Grown Ups”

The incredible Grown Ups movie, directed by the famous Dennis Dugan, released July 25, starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade; it remains one of the most iconic movies ever made. This comedy, written by Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf, tells the story of five boys who grew up together reuniting at their basketball coach, Robert “Buzzer” Ferdinando’s funeral. After the funeral, they decide to stay at an old lake house where they used to hang out. The boys and their families rediscover love and friendship at the house while staying true to their comedic selves. This film mainly shows the importance of friendship stemming from a young age teaching teens to stick to their roots and to always try to have a fun time.

“Grown Ups is one of the best comedies I’ve ever seen. I always laugh whenever I watch it. It’s also an extreme comfort movie, I can watch it anytime and it will always brighten my mood. The first time I watched it when I was a kid, I remember laughing so hard. I think a lot of people can relate to that feeling,” sophomore Zoe Williams said

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Based on the book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” written by Stephen Chbosk, published February 1, 1999, this movie tells the story of Charlie Kelmeckis, a freshman in high school, learning the ins and outs of high school while incredibly smart, yet working through his shyness. The film stars Emma Watson, Ezra Miller and Logan Lerman serve as the three main characters: Sam, Patrick and Charlie. Charlie meets two seniors early in the year and begins to join their crowd filled with friends and fun. Throughout the movie, the audience sees Charlie learning new facts and problems about his friends, as well as discovering new problems of his own.

“Personally, the way this movie made me feel was amazing. It was freeing to witness a teen in high school struggle with real-life problems that weren’t magically solved in the next scene. We get to see the main character at his highest and lowest moments, we were essentially in the mind of the main character. The scenery was beautiful and the soundtrack was incredible. I also love how the writers and producers portrayed struggles in the supporting actors to show that everyone could be going through something, not just the character the story revolves around,” sophomore Neneh Bah said.

“Napoleon Dynamite”

One of the best comedies of the early 2000s, Napoleon Dynamite, tells the story of a nerd in Idaho struggling with his grandma leaving town and his brother Kip coming to live with him; all while trying to find a date to the prom. Even though this debuted with a low $400,000 budget, its great comedic timing and hilarious dialogue resulted in the film making more than 46 million at the box office. This movie made Jon Heder, who plays Napoleon, debut his acting career and continue to produce other comedies, also making immense amounts of money. This movie remains a perfect comedy for teenagers to watch for its’ entails of an odd teenage boy’s mind in high school. 

In school, movies that most teens watch correlate to important lessons, or the books that they read and learn about in class. While this makes sense for learning purposes, these movies do not portray the situations that teens need or want to see while they still remain a teenager. This selection of movies could open a teenager’s eyes to the comedy, controversy or craziness they may need to watch.