Growing up on the big screen

Coming-of-age films are a genre but few navigate the experiences of teenage girls without judgement. Metrolife puts together some recommendations

June

The film follows June from age 16 to 26. The first half of this 2019 Malayalam film has been highly praised for transporting viewers back to their days in high school. It has been compared to ‘Premam’ for its portrayal of June and her relationships. But the unlike the latter, the focus of it is more on June and her growth than the dynamic between her and her partners. It showcases her friendships, relationship with her family and her growth without judgement.

Lady Bird

Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut is a landmark film that earned her the title of an auteur and rightly so. The film follows the late teenage years of Christine, who insists on being called Lady Bird. It explores themes of sexuality, acceptance, standing up for oneself and more. At the heart of the film is a strained mother-daughter relationship, expertly and honestly portrayed by Greta.

Eighth Grade

The 2018 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film is comedian Bo Burnham’s debut as a screenwriter and director. It stars Elsie Fisher as Kayla, a middle school teenager who struggles with anxiety but strives to gain social acceptance from her peers during their final week of eighth grade. To cope, she publishes video blogs as a self-styled motivational advice-giver. It has received high praise from critics for its honest and intelligent writing.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

The sexuality of women is always a taboo topic, especially the exploration of sex by young girls. This 2015 film, based on a book of the same name, shows viewers the world of 15-year-old Minnie who is obsessed with sex and places her value on sexual conquests. The film follows her journey as she makes mistakes, some illegal and some immoral. But the camera is never voyeuristic, it allows her room for exploration and provides a raw portrayal of a teen discovering herself.

Gantumoote

A landmark Kannada film by Roopa Rao, it is the story of Meera and her high school days in ‘90s Bengaluru. The sensitively portrayed story explores her encounters with harassment, bullies and young love. It captures her shift from a naive young girl to the hero of the story without being heavy-handed with its metaphors and visual imagery. It shows how a film can change its character when told through the female gaze.