As a self-proclaimed movie connoisseur, there have been many times where I watched a film that I thoroughly enjoyed, only to find out that the critics did not agree. While this has happened with any number of movies of all types, I’ve found that one specific genre consistently gets the shaft: coming of age movies. Coming of age films are a valuable and unique genre that provide something special for people who are coming of age themselves. Unfortunately, their catering to a particular demographic often sees them struggling to gain the widespread popularity that other movies receive.
One such example comes in the form of My Girl. This coming of age film focuses on the life of a preteen girl and her experiences transitioning into young adulthood. While she sees a series of challenges and frightening developments, the movie eventually settles on the topic of grief after the death of her best friend. After watching it for the first time, I was thoroughly impressed. As a hard-hearted movie goer who didn’t even have to sniffle at the end of Titanic, I have to admit that My Girl made me tear up a bit. I consider it to be a very special movie; part of this is how, as a young person myself, I can connect with the characters on some level. The world is a scary and brutal place, and it wasn’t too terribly long ago that I was in middle school trying to figure it out. I’m still trying to figure it out. Those are emotions that older, more experienced, more cynical viewers may not feel while watching movies about young people trying to find their place in the world. So, while I (along with 77% of audience members who dropped their thoughts on Rotten Tomatoes) give it the nod of approval, the TomatoMeter gives it a 50% (well under the 60% minimum to avoid a green splat indicative of rotten movies). The summary of one critic’s review simply stated that it’s “dreadful” because it’s “just depressing.” Another gives it two stars in a nitpicky review that focuses on storytelling but ignores the impact that the story and its touching emotions has had on countless viewers.
Meanwhile, compare this to a movie that came out a year earlier: The Hunt for Red October. I’ve seen this movie and I have to say that it’s all-star cast and exciting plot earned its TomatoMeter score of 88%. However, to say that it’s 38 points better than My Girl is most definitely a stretch at best. While The Hunt for Red October brings some big names to the table such as Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery, My Girl also has stars in the forms of Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis. While it’s true that coming of age films are notoriously cliché, so are action flicks. I hesitate to place one over the other, but I would contest that they are both leaders in their own rights. This is something that Hollywood critics seem to gloss over in favor of promoting only certain genres.
Another great example of a coming of age movie which struggles to connect with wider audiences is St. Elmo’s Fire. This ‘80s film features the Brat Pack fresh out of Georgetown University and struggling with a whole host of adulthood dilemmas. This movie may be even more niche to younger audiences. I’ve even heard an adult describe their transition of opinion from best to stupidest movie after rewatching it several decades after their initial viewing. Similarly, the critics also gave harsh reviews, giving it a TomatoMeter score of only 42%. As the critics point out, the characters are admittedly angsty, immature and even self absorbed. When I saw it though, the greatest appeal of this movie is again the connection of myself to the struggles of those same characters. Like them, a graduation (high school for me, rather than college) will soon see my life dramatically altered and thrown into uncertainty. The feeling of understanding that I got from watching it was immense and, in my opinion, enough to offset the cheesier aspects of the movie, at least a little.
This should be held especially true when compared to another movie released the year after: Big Trouble in Little China. This Kung-Fu B-Action movie is about as cheesily ‘80s as it gets. However, its lighthearted nature that resonates with people of all generations appears to have granted it the forgiveness of the critics who scored it the top grade of “Certified Fresh” coming in with 74% on the TomatoMeter. What really differentiates these two pieces? Both have their socially problematic moments. Both could be deemed cringeworthy by modern viewers because of their wild ‘80s style. Both also have their high points. In the case of Big Trouble in Little China, though, those high points involve comedy and over the top action, while the best of St. Elmo’s Fire falls more in line with existential drama. Certainly, if one can be forgiven its faults, then the other should too.
These are just some of many examples spanning decades where movies for young people aren’t scored to the same level as counterparts of arguably equal quality. Coming of age movies are great films that are important to a number of younger viewers. Unfortunately, when judged against more widely appreciable counterparts, they often fall to the wayside and suffer unfair treatment at the hands of the critics. These are critics who oftentimes overlook the impact that these movies have on the target audience. Instead of relying on the word of those who don’t seem to understand the feelings that these movies are intended to convey, the best way to determine their quality is to ask someone who does.
