Teen Movies in Pop Culture
Gretchen Savina
Cameron, WI
University of Wisconsin – Stout
Teenagers are defined as human beings between the ages of twelve and
eighteen. Teenagers are not considered children, and they are not
considered adults. They are a group of individuals who are in
between childhood and adulthood. This is often a difficult age
for young people because of the emotional and physical changes that are
occurring within the body. During this awkward time, teenagers
seek reassurance that what they are experiencing is “normal”.
Teenagers have found this reassurance within the movie industry, and,
as a result, the teen movie has prospered. What exactly does the
teen movie offer teenagers? Teen movies provide teenagers with
approximately two hours of entertainment which address some of the same
issues they are dealing with on a daily basis. As a result,
teens are reassured of their “normalcy”. Over the years, the teen
movie has evolved to fit the ever changing world in which teenagers
live, and, as a result, it has become very popular with this group of
individuals. As a result, teenagers, now more than ever, have
access to this cultural icon called teen movies.
Teen movies have been around since the beginning of the 20th Century
and have been an important part of the teens’ social world. Teen
movies have changed over time to address the attitude and issues of the
times. Therefore, one can conclude that teens are drawn to movies
that “address real teen problems” (Harlan, Loertscher, and McElmeel,
2011, p. 38). However, during the Depression Era, teens were
drawn to movies that were “light and happy”. Let’s face it, the
country was facing some difficult times and teens needed an escape from
it; teen movies offered them exactly what they were looking for.
The middle part of the century brought “real teenage problems” (Harlan,
Loertscher, and McElmeel, 2011, p. 38) to the big screen as teens
actors began misbehaving. Classics like “The Godfather, Superman,
and Saturday Night Fever” (Harlan, Loertscher, and McElmeel, 2011, p.
38) became huge. Some of the best horror movies of all time were
created during this time period. Toward the end of the century,
some of the best teen movies of all time were created. “The
Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles” (Harlan, Loertscher, and McElmeel,
2011, p. 38) remain my personal favorites and the favorites of my
generation. Once again, the 1980s addressed real teen issues
which lured teens to the big screen. Issues of “popularity, sex,
drugs, and pregnancy” (Harlan, Loertscher, and McElmeel, 2011, p. 38)
dominated the latter half of the century. Movies are a powerful
way to connect with teenagers and engage them in difficult,
uncomfortable topics. At the same time, these are the most
engaging topics for teenagers to explore.
For the last seventy or more years, movies have been popular among
teenagers, because they have the ability to portray issues that teens
are troubled with. Therefore, teenagers seek entertainment in
screen media, and their exposure to it is significant. According
to a study conducted by Roberts and Foehr (2004), who see little reason
for differentiating between television, videos, and movies for the
purpose of their study, found that, on average, teenagers watch about
four hours of media per day (p. 58). Research also found that
“forty percent” of youths living in America will watch a videotape at
some point in the day, and “85 percent” (Roberts, D. F., & Foehr,
2004, p. 58) of teenagers watch television on a daily basis.
Roberts and Foehr (2004) also discovered that eight to ten-year-olds
attend movies more often than any other teen group (p. 62).
Roberts’ and Foehr’s research findings are substantial and lead me to
contemplate the impact of media on our teens’ lives. After
researching the data provided by Roberts and Foehr, I question the
impact media has had on the popularity of reading. It seems as
though media is more entertaining and stimulating for teens, and, as a
result, they prefer it to a good book. My guess is that there is
a direct correlation between the amounts of time teens spend in front
of media to their attitude toward reading. The entertainment
industry has capitalized on this very fact and, as a result, has built
a very successful industry.
Not only do teenagers love the movies, but they love their favorite
actors and actresses as well. As a result, teenagers look up to
their favorite celebrities as role models. “Lindsay Lohan, Paris
Hilton, and Britney Spears,” (Are Hollywood's Bad Girls a Bad Influence
on Teens?, 2006) to name a few, are idolized by young females. An
article, at ABCNEWS.com (2006), suggests parents should take an active
role in addressing celebrity mistakes with their teenager.
Parents should use these incidences as “teachable moments” (Are
Hollywood's Bad Girls a Bad Influence on Teens?). The teaching of
values and expectations can also be extended to the classroom.
Contemporary teen movies, involving these celebrities, can communicate
strong themes and messages about values, expectations and much
more. These movies can be utilized in the classroom to complement
books read within the classroom which express the same meaning or
message. Also, showing movie clips to engage students in class
discussion is an excellent pre-reading strategy which can be used to
introduce a themed unit of study. Further, comparing and
contrasting characters, plot, resolution, and other literary elements
can reinforce the importance of cohesive writing in communicating a
theme or a message to readers.
Although media, which includes movies, seems to have had a negative
impact on some aspects of our teenagers’ lives, it is apparent that
there are also positive impacts which result from exposure to this
popular form of entertainment. Often times, movies are inspired
by books; the classics seem to have had the greatest success on the big
screen. There is a reason behind their success; the classic
stories that are made into movies have an important lesson to share
with movie-goers. Although making a book into a movie can be
challenging, it can have a big payoff. Movies such as “The Wizard
of Oz, Stuart Little, and Charlotte’s Web,” (Kreisman, 2006, p. 3) to
name a few, have been very successful at the box office. More
importantly, they share an important moral lesson with their
viewers. According to Rachelle Kreisman (2006), these classics
turned movies, can communicate lessons about “loyalty, trust, and
friendship” (p. 3) to young people. Books made into movies can be
a useful teaching tool in considering the moviemaker’s intention in
conveying the major themes of the book. A comparison between the
elements of a book and the same book made into a movie may be a great
way to engage students in the classics. Let’s face it; we could
all use a little lesson on how to be a better person in the 21st
Century.
A list of movies, with recognizable origins in literature, which have
made it to the big screen within the last year is provided below.
• The Help
• Gulliver’s Travels
• Jane Eyre
• Red Riding Hood
• Sarah’s Key
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• Water for Elephants
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (Books into Movies: (1997-2011))
English teachers have the opportunity to
incorporate the classics into their English curriculum. However,
sometimes reading a classic can be difficult for low-level English
students. Researchers suggest that watching a book-based movie
can allow low-level English students to better understand the themes of
a book. It can also serve as a reinforcement tool in the
comprehension of a difficult book. It is easier for visual
learners to comprehend the themes of a book through a movie.
Teachers, of other subject matters, can incorporate movies into their
curriculum as a way to teach character education, because many movies
send a strong message to teenagers about the value of “loyalty, trust,
and friendship” (Kreisman, 2006, p. 3). Because movies are so
popular among teenagers, they are being used to teach about
addictions. According to Gavin Cape (2009), movies engage and can
be a “powerful teaching tool” (p. 215) which can be used in treatment
for addictions. Movies are the stage for communicating real-life
problems that people go through. Movies “provide role models”
(Cape, 2009, p. 215) and help “individuals reprioritize values” (p.
215). Cape (2009) discusses that movies can “enhance therapeutic
commitment to addictions” (p. 215), because of their deep impact on
people. The use of movies as a teaching tool should be
implemented very carefully, because, sometimes, movies do not
accurately portray drug and alcohol abuse. Therefore, the use of
movies should be used as an “aid in the learning process” (Cape, 2009,
p. 215).
As you can see, movies play a very important role in the lives of
teenagers. Teenagers seek reassurance that what they are
experiencing, during the awkward part of their life, is “normal”.
Teenagers have found this reassurance within the movie industry.
Over the years, the teen movie has evolved to fit the ever changing
world in which teenagers live, and, as a result, it has become very
popular with this group of individuals. As a result, teenagers,
now more than ever, have access to this cultural icon called teen
movies. Although there are many benefits to movies, there are
also many downfalls that have reverse effects on teenagers. It is
with great caution that teenagers should be exposed to this cultural
element.
References:
Are Hollywood's Bad Girls a Bad Influence on Teens? (2006, December 12). Retrieved September 29, 2011, from ABCNEWS.com: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2718991&page=1
Books into Movies:. (1997-2011). Retrieved September 29, 2011, from Teenreads.com: http://www.teenreads.com/features/books2movies.asp
CAPE, G. (2009). Movies as a vehicle to teach addiction medicine. International Review of Psychiatry, 21(3), 213-217. doi:10.1080/09540260902747094
Harlan, Mary Ann, David V. Loertscher, and Sharron L. McElmeel. Young Adult Literature and Multimedia. 7th ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Research and Publishing, 2011, p. 38-9.
Kreisman, R. (2006). Bringing Books to Life. (cover story). Weekly Reader News - Edition 3, 76(13), 3. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Roberts, D. F., & Foehr, U. G. (2004). Kids and Media in America. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Additional Literature Sources for Teens:
Books into Movies:. (1997-2011). Retrieved September 29, 2011, from Teenreads.com: http://www.teenreads.com/features/books2movies.asp
Dirks, T. (n.d.). AMC Filmsite. Retrieved September 29, 2011, from 50 Best High School Movies: http://www.filmsite.org/50besthsfilms.html
Upcoming Movies 2012. (1999-2011). Retrieved September 29, 2011, from Movie Insider: http://www.movieinsider.com/movies/-/2012/