The movie industry hasn’t been the same for many years. Whether it’s the aftermath of Covid, political correctness, or something else, most movies don’t seem as entertaining as they were in the previous century. But even in the twentieth century, one decade dominated movies – the 1980s. The following are a few great coming-of-age movies we had… back in the day.
The Breakfast Club – 1985
This iconic movie features five types of teenagers, each representing a stereotype. This includes the hoodlum, the jock, the brain, the spoiled princess, and the weirdo. We all knew these people when we were in high school. Perhaps we were one of them.
When the kids have to spend Saturday together for detention, the group discovers they have more in common than they realize. The Breakfast Club has the best acting and one-liners, mixed with deep meaning. This movie has got it all.
Even though each actor plays their part to perfection, Judd Nelson rules in this movie with his spot-on dialogue and snappy one-liners.
But my favorite part is when Nelson progressively yells, “Dad, what about you?”… “NO DAD, WHAT ABOUT YOU!”…
… “NO, DAD, WHAT ABOUT YOU!!”
If you don’t understand that, you have to see the movie.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – 1986
Ferris’s ability to get away with pretty much everything is a bit over the top, but his personality and charisma are hard to resist. The movie revolves around Ferris skipping school and dragging his best friend and girlfriend along for the ride.
Many writers have tried to over-analyze the movie, the spoiled characters, and especially the long-suffering Cameron. I try to look at the film as just a fun, silly romp that teenagers occasionally indulge in. The movie is summed up in the famous line, Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Pretty in Pink – 1986
The classic conflict of a rich kid and a poor kid falling in love is the basic plot of Pretty in Pink. This conflict between the poor outcast kids and the snotty rich kids makes up most of the movie. Of course, today Duckie would be considered a stalker, and most girls wouldn’t wear Andie’s homemade prom dress to scrub the kitchen floor.
Molly Ringwald was the star, but in my opinion, Jon Cryer and James Spader stole the show. You absolutely have to see Jon Cryer lip-synching Otis Redding’s song, Try a Little Tenderness, in the music store. His slinky dance moves would be enough to make me drop the sexy Andrew McCarthy for the nerdy Cryer in a heartbeat.
I also love the classic Cinderella ending, with the girl getting her man. Or the guy getting his girl, however you want to look at it. My fave line in the movie is when Iona says, I know I’m old enough to be his mother, but when the Duck laid that kiss on me last night, I swear my thighs just went up in flames! He must practice on melons or something!
Risky Business – 1983
I was never that into Risky Business, but a lot of people my age were. Whether you watched the movie or not, pretty much everyone has seen the part where Tom Cruise slides across the floor without any pants on. Personally, I liked it better when Matthew Broderick danced to I Dream of Jeannie in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Like many 80s movies, this one is also a bit unrealistic and over-the-top. The acting and the dialogue, however, make the film an enduring classic. The plot involves a teenage kid going crazy when his parents leave on vacation. Many of us can relate to that, but thankfully, most of us didn’t turn our house into a brothel or let our parents’ car roll into Lake Michigan when they were gone.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High – 1982
It’s hard to nail down the plot, as this movie is all over the place. It’s basically just the typical 80’s teen angst movie. Surfer dude, Jeff Spicoli, played by Sean Penn, seems to be everyone’s favorite character.
I also liked watching Judge Reinhold having to work that crappy fast food job. Many of us still have emotional scars from the minimum-wage, dead-end jobs we had in our younger days. In 1982, Roger Ebert gave it only one star. Spicoli and the line, We can’t even get cable TV here, Stacy, and you want romance? make the movie worth at least two stars.
These are some of the best coming-of-age movies from… back in the day.
Back in the Day... 
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