The coming-of-age narrative is inherently one of the most relatable tales ever told as it explores the inevitability of growing up. Most commonly explored through the transition from childhood to adulthood - made popular today through films like Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird - the coming-of-age narrative focuses on characters at a junction in their lives on their path to adulthood.
However, it’s important to note that coming-of-age isn’t a singular experience that happens only in our teenage years. Rather, coming-of-age is an ongoing experience throughout life. With protagonists who have already passed their transition into adulthood, these narratives focus on the quarter and midlife crises that occur later in life, and the countless lessons learned along the way.
‘Frances Ha’ (2012)
Frances (Greta Gerwig) is a struggling 27-year-old dancer who lives in New York with her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner). But when Sophie moves out, Frances’ life is upended as she’s thrown between living in different apartments with different people, all while trying to build her career and become her own person.
Noah Baumbach’s 2012 black and white film Frances Ha is a rare portrait of the struggles of friendship during adulthood. With its honest depiction of the everyday ups and downs of life in your 20s, Frances Ha shows that growing up isn’t simply achieved once you graduate or get a new job, but it’s something that happens bit by bit each day, where each small achievement is worth celebrating.
‘Unicorn Store’ (2017)
After being kicked out of art school for her vivid imagination, Kit (Brie Larson) moves back in with her parents and takes a temp job at a PR agency. Stuck in a soulless job, a mysterious letter from The Salesman (Samuel L. Jackson) who promises to fulfill Kit’s childhood fantasy of owning a unicorn sparks her curiosity and drives her to do everything she can to make her dream a reality.
As Larson’s directorial debut, Unicorn Store is an earnest tale about living in a world that demands you to grow up when you don’t want to forgo the whims of childhood. With all its glitter and child-like wonder, Unicorn Store proves that you’re never too old to seek the magic in your life.
‘Young Adult’ (2011)
Mavis (Charlize Theron) is a 37-year-old divorced, alcoholic, ghostwriter who upon receiving an email from her old high school boyfriend, sees it as a sign that they’re meant to be together. Returning to her hometown of Mercury, Minnesota, Mavis is confronted by the people in her past who have moved on without her.
While graduation often marks a new chapter in your life, for many who peaked during high school it’s a new chapter that you’re hesitant to start. Directed by Jason Reitman, Young Adult is about learning to leave your past behind in order to grow into the new stages of your life.
‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ (2010)
Scott (Michael Cera) is a 22-year-old slacker musician who falls in love at first sight with the purple-haired Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Although still dating 17-year-old high school student Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) at the time, Scott continues pursuing Ramona by defeating each of her seven evil exes.
Directed by Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World adapts Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novels into an equally stylistic film that feels like a video game. Much like in video games, Scott levels up throughout the film, learning the importance of emotional maturity and self-respect.
‘500 Days of Summer’ (2009)
Greeting-card writer and hopeless romantic Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is caught completely off-guard when the girl of his dreams Summer (Zoeey Deschanel) dumps him. As he reflects on their 500 days together, he tries to figure out exactly where it went wrong.
Marc Webb’s stylistic rom-com drama film, 500 Days of Summer, is a non-linear narrative showing how a relationship can change over time. Shifting from feeling like a romantic fairy tale to the depression of being dumped, Tom is confronted by the reality of life while learning what it truly means to love.
‘Another Round’ (2021)
Four high school teachers - Martin (Mads Mikkelsen), Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen), Peter (Lars Ranthe), and Nikolaj (Magnus Millang) - struggling with unmotivated students and feeling their lives have become stale, launch an experiment to uphold a constant low level of alcohol intoxication. Feeling more carefree, their lives all improve significantly, however their success is short-lived with disastrous effects once they gradually begin increasing their alcohol consumption.
The Academy Award-winning Danish film Another Round directed by Thomas Vinterberg is a cautionary tale of chasing a carefree life through destructive means. Caught in the rut of a midlife crisis, the teachers of Another Round learn what it means to truly live, and discover what it means to value life itself.
‘Beginners’ (2010)
After being happily married for 44 years, shortly after the death of his wife and at the age of 75, Hal (Christopher Plummer) comes out as gay to his son Oliver (Ewan McGregor). Out of the closet, Hal finds a new energy for life, able to enjoy his last few years finally free to live as himself.
Mike Mills’ comedy-drama Beginners is not just a coming-out narrative but also a coming-of-age one. As Hal overcomes the barriers preventing him from being his true self, Beginners proves that it’s never too late to be who you are.
‘Going in Style’ (1979)
Joe (George Burns), Al (Art Carney), and Willie (Lee Strasberg) are three senior citizens in their 70s sharing a small apartment. Slowly decaying in their endless days with nothing to do but feed the birds, they are desperate to break the monotony. So despite having no experience as criminals, they concoct a scheme to rob a bank.
As Martin Brest’s Going in Style proves, coming-of-age doesn’t always indicate passing a threshold into a greater stage of your life. Depicting the woes of aging, and the disappointing way life slows down in its final stages, Going in Style is a coming-of-age film that celebrates the value of life, while providing a sense of closure towards the end.
‘Harold and Maude’ (1971)
Harold (Bud Cort) is a death-obsessed 19-year-old who rejects the life his detached mother prescribes for him. When he meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), an eccentric 79-year-old woman with a zest for life, the two form a tight friendship and each learn from each other lessons in life and in love.
Directed by Hal Ashby, Harold and Maude is a romantic black comedy-drama film about an unconventional romance. With Maude’s optimistic energy, Harold is guided away from his obsession with death as he discovers the importance of living life to its fullest.
‘Poms’ (2019)
Recently moving into a retirement community, Martha (Diane Keaton) quickly learns that each resident must belong to one of the community’s clubs. As the local residents learn of Martha’s past as a cheerleader, they reignite her passion and form their own cheerleading club. While their age and ailments impact their cheerleading abilities, the team makes it all the way to a competition going up against cheerleaders 50 years younger than they are.
Zara Hayes’ film Poms brings together great female comedians in a heartfelt tale about never being too old to follow your dreams. Poms acknowledges coming-of-age as an inevitable process, but one that can always be made all the more exciting with a little bit of fun.