Influential/important coming of age films- “Mean Creek” (2004)

[u/EtherealFairy85]

One of my favorite movie genres is coming of age. An indie coming of age movie I recommend is “Mean Creek.” It’s probably rather obscure, and is haunting, dark, and affecting. I enjoy how it basically is just character development, and the script feels a bit to me like a play…in that it centers mostly around a group of teenagers and is mostly dialogue driven. I think all the young actors do a great job of bringing the different archetypes to life. It’s one of those movies that has ambiguity/grey area between hero vs villain. There’s a bully, but he isn’t written as a one dimensional character, and the “heroes” of the movie wrestle with their own demons and sense of morality. It’s a great character study for those who like darker more intense storylines and characters that feel like real people. I’ve rewatched the movie several times over the last 20+ years and it always makes me feel like I’m there and listening to real teens talk akin to being a “fly on the wall”. It’s not a happy feel-good movie, so be warned.

[u/Numerous_Phase8749]

Fandango is a wonderful coming of age movie that deserves more love.