Young Adult Literature and Multimedia—Resources
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Teen Movies
by Wendy K. Baldwin
Nashville, TN.
The elements that make teen movies popular are elements that make most
movies popular – interesting and original plots, satisfying endings,
humor and fun, and escape into a fantasy world or situation. Since
movies were first made, teenage moviegoers have been drawn to light,
happy stories that glorify their youth (Harlan, Loertscher and McElmeel
38). As teen movies have diversified and grown more complex, teens are
now drawn to characters that face moral choices they face, and whose
actions might teach them something about the consequences of those
choices. Both genders are drawn to thrilling, action driven stories as
well as stories of fantasy and authentic romance (Murray). Teenagers
are also free to like or dislike a movie without repercussion. Unlike a
book they’re supposed to be wowed by, like Dickens or Shakespeare, they
are allowed, after viewing a film, to say “It’s only a movie” (Kael
12). There are also practical reasons that teenagers like to go to the
movies. It gets them out of the house, and they often meet friends,
sometimes of the opposite sex, in darkened theatres where their
behavior is not as scrutinized by adults (Brustein 24).
Morality tales are popular with teenagers as well. From “Romeo and
Juliet” and “A Rebel Without a Cause,” to the more recent “Sisterhood
of the Traveling Pants” and “Step Up,” teenagers have an opportunity to
witness the choices made by a movie’s characters, and the consequences
of those choices. They can learn life lessons vicariously, as they
identify with an influential character in a movie, much like they do
with characters in novels.
The element of fantasy drives many teen movies. A girl and a boy who
are unlikely to meet are forced together by circumstance and discover
an attraction to each other (eg. “A Walk to Remember,” “Clueless”), an
awkward young woman discovers she is really a princess, and is suddenly
swept into a lavish lifestyle (eg. “Princess Diaries,” “Ella
Enchanted”), a social misfit conquers mean-spirited adversity at school
(eg. “Mean Girls,” “Napoleon Dynamite”) or a teenage boy without much
power in his life suddenly has unlimited strength and ability to stop
evil (eg. “Spiderman,” “Harry Potter”). In this season of life, often
punctuated by feelings of awkwardness, ostracism and powerlessness,
these fantasies are welcome and entertaining escapes.
Having taught 8th grade, I’ve observed the popularity of stories of
romance and fantasy. There is a feeling of safety in a tale where the
girl will always do the right thing, she’ll turn out to be gorgeous,
she’ll attract the cute guy, and everything will resolve. There’s also
a feeling of safety in tales where the hero is invincible and
pure-hearted. With evil and violence spiraling out of control in
today’s world, it is a blissful escape to see a movie where the young
hero fights evildoers, and restores law and order. As a teacher, I’d
have students write about these issues, to enable them to fully explore
feelings they might not have identified before, but which have risen to
the surface by viewing a film. Whether in film or in novel form, these
themes are at the core of what speaks to teens.
Because film and literature so often overlap, I always try to show a
film to my classes when we’re reading the book. For example, when I
taught “Romeo and Juliet” this past spring, my students struggled with
the Shakespearean language and the often confusing plot, but when they
saw the Zepherelli film, they grasped both much more readily. This
visual reinforcement can take pressure off those who struggle with
reading comprehension. The combination of the literary with the visual
is effective, and encompasses various styles of learning.
Whether to escape their reality or their parents, to fantasize about
power or romance, to reinforce a book they’ve read, or to learn
about the consequences of choices on their journey of growth and
self-discovery, teenage movie going is a trend that continues to
flourish.
Sources:
Brustein, Robert. The New Hollywood: Myth and Anti-Myth. Film Quarterly Vol. 12, No. 3 (Spring, 1959), pp. 23-31. Retrieved on October 7, 2006 via JSTOR
Harlan, Mary Ann, David V. Loertscher, and Sharron L. McElmeel. Young Adult Literature and Multimedia. 2nd ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Research and Publishing, 2006, p. 38-9.
Kael, Pauline It’s Only a Movie. Performing Arts Journal. Vol.17, No. 2/3, The Arts and the University (May, 1995), pp. 8-19. Retrieved on October 7, 2006 via JSTOR
Murray, Rebecca. About Entertainment – Hollywood Movies. Retrieved October 7, 2006 from http://movies.about.com/cs/teenflicks/tp/teenlovestories.htm
Additional Literature:
http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies/-
Mid-Continent Public Library’s “Based on the Book” highlights over a
thousand books, short stories, and plays that have been made into
movies.
http://www.hollywoodteenmovies.com – Features all the top, popular teen films!
http://www.movies.com – An in-depth guide to current movies, including teen films.
These lesson plans, guides, and other
resource materials for young adult literature topics were created by
participants in a professional development course in young adult
Literature. Each resource is copyrighted by the individual
educator who developed the material. The present course
being taught is titled: Teaching Young Adult Literature in the Classroom from the University of Wisconsin-Stout (Sharron L. McElmeel, instructor)
© 2006-07 Sharron L. McElmeel