Fabulous Films for Young Adults Nominations
Updated Nov. 2, 2009
The 2010 list's theme is Outside In: Rebellion vs. Conformity.
Feature Films
12 Angry Men. MGM. 1957. DVD. NR
Courtroom drama revolving around the trial of a boy accused of killing his father, where one dissenting juror stands between him and capital punishment.
The Addams Family. Orion Pictures. 1991. DVD. PG-13. $12.98
The Addams step out of Charles Addams' cartoons, where “weird is relative.”
Breakfast Club. Universal Studios. 1985. DVD. R. $19.98
When Saturday detention started, they were simply the Jock, the Princess, the Brain, the Criminal and the Basket Case, but by that afternoon they had become closer than any of them could have imagined.
Breaking Away. Twentieth Century Fox. 1979. DVD. PG. $9.98
Four friends come to terms with life after high school. When top-notch cyclist Dave learns that the world's bicycling champions are always Italian, he attempts to turn himself into an Italian, driving his parents crazy. But everything changes after he meets the Italian racing team—an encounter that ultimately leads him and his friends to challenge the local college boys in the town's annual bike race.
Chocolat. Miramax. 2000. DVD PG-13. $14.99
When a single mother and her young daughter move to rural France and open a chocolate shop—with Sunday hours—across the street from the local church, they are met with some resistance from the rigidly moral community. But as soon as the townspeople discover their delicious products, their attitudes begin to change.
Dead Poets Society. Touchstone Pictures. 1989. DVD. PG. $14.99.
Robin Williams portrays English professor John Keating, who, in an age of crew cuts, sport coats and cheerless conformity, inspires his students to live life to the fullest, exclaiming "Carpe Diem, lads! Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary!" The charismatic teacher's emotionally charged challenge is met by his students with irrepressible enthusiasm--changing their lives forever.
The Devil Wears Prada. Twentieth Century Fox. 2006. DVD. PG-13. $14.98.
An aspiring journalist recently graduated from college lands a job in a trendy fashion magazine where she doesn’t fit it, but she learns to conform to the demands her job because it could be the stepping stone in her career, but at what cost?
Donnie Darko. Twentieth Century Fox. 2001. DVD. R. $19.98.
An edgy, psychological thriller about a suburban teen, who struggles to figure out where he fits in, and comes face-to-face with his dark destiny. Donnie Darko is a delusional high-school student visited by a demonic rabbit with eerie visions of the past and deadly predictions for the future.
Drive Me Crazy. Twentieth Century Fox. 1999. DVD. PG-13. $9.98.
A popular high school senior Nicole, planning her schools centennial prom, has her life turned around when her “perfect date” dumps her for the cute cheerleader; to save her reputation she pretends to be in a relationship with Chase, the boy-next-door, who has a reputation as a trouble-maker, who by coincidence was also dumped and wants to make his ex jealous too. Nicole tries to change Chase’s image, and changes her mind about fitting in with the “in-crowd” instead. Based on the book How I Created My Perfect Prom Date by Todd Strasser.
Edward Scissorhands. Twentieth Century Fox. 1990. DVD. PG-13. $14.98
Once upon a time in a castle high on a hill lived an inventor whose greatest creation was named Edward. Although Edward had an irresistible charm, he wasn't quite perfect. The inventor's sudden death left him unfinished, with sharp shears of metal for hands. Edward lived alone in the darkness until one day a kind Avon Lady took him home to live with her family. And so began Edward's fantastic adventures in a pastel paradise known as Suburbia.
Freedom Writers. Paramount Pictures. 2007. DVD. PG-13. $29.99
A true story about a teacher in a racially divided school who gives her students what they've always needed, a voice.
Girl, Interrupted. Sony Pictures. 1999. DVD. R. $14.94
Susanna is depressed and directionless after finishing high school in the late 1960's. A suicide attempt lands her in Claymore, a mental institution. She befriends the band of troubled women in her ward but falls under the hypnotic sway of Lisa, the wildest and most hardened of the bunch. Will Susanna "drop anchor" at Claymore and perpetually act out like Lisa, or will she finally pull her mind together and leave institutional life behind?
Good Will Hunting. Miramax. 1997. DVD. R. $14.99
A young working-class genius is hauled back from the brink of self-destruction by a gifted counselor.
Gridiron Gang. Sony. 2007. PG-13. DVD. $14.97
Based on a true story, Sean Porter, a former football star and now a juvenile detention center counselor takes a group of inmates and turns them into successful football team.
Heathers. New World Ent. 1988. DVD. R.
The group at Westerbergh High are three girls named Heather and Veronica. When charismatic anarchist J. D. becomes friends with Veronica, things start happening to the Heathers.
Into the Wild. Paramount Pictures. 2007. DVD. R. $19.99
Freshly graduated from college with a promising future ahead, Christopher McCandless walked out of his privileged life and into the wild in search of adventure. What happened to him on the way transformed this young wanderer into an enduring symbol for countless people, a fearless risk-taker who wrestled with the precarious balance between man and nature. Based on a true story, written by Jon Krakauer.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Republic Pictures. 1956. DVD. NR. $14.98
Plant-like extraterrestrials have invaded Santa Mira, a small town in California, replicating the villagers in giant seed "pods" and taking possession of their souls while they sleep. In a race for his life, Dr. Bennell escapes to warn the world of the deadly invasion of the pod people.
Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in.) 2009. Magnolia Home Entertainment DVD. R. $29.99
This Swedish film is the story of a lonely 13-year-old boy who is bullied at school. When a new girl his age moves into his apartment house, they develop a deep friendship and a share a secret. While the girl is a vampire, this in no gore fest. It is a love story at its heart.
Little Miss Sunshine. Twentieth Century Fox. 2006. DVD. R. $14.98
Olive is a little girl who dreams of winning the Little Miss Sunshine contest. Her family wants her dream to come true, but they are so dysfunctional that they can barely make it through a day without some disaster befalling them.
Matrix. Paramount Pictures. 2001. DVD. R. $12.98
A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against the controllers of it.
Mean Girls. Paramount Pictures. 2004. DVD. PG-13. $14.98
When a young girl who has lived in Africa and been homeschooled moves to New York, she must enter a public high school. Survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning when she falls for the ex-boyfriend of the most popular girl in school. Based on the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman.
Milk. Universal Studios. 2009. DVD. R. $29.98
His life changed history. His courage changed lives. Harvey Milk is a middle-aged New Yorker who, after moving to San Francisco, became a Gay Rights activist and city politician, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. The following year, both he and the city's mayor, George Moscone, were shot to death by former city supervisor, Dan White, who blamed his former colleagues for denying White's attempt to rescind his resignation from the board. Based on the inspiring true story of Harvey Milk.
The Motorcycle Diaries. Universal Studios. 2004. DVD. R. $12.98
An inspirational adventure based on the true story of two young men whose thrilling and dangerous road trip across Latin America becomes a life-changing journey of self-discovery.
Napoleon Dynamite. Twentieth Century Fox. 2004. DVD. PG. $14.98
A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.
On the Waterfront. Sony Pictures. 1954. DVD. NR
An ex-fighter gets a job working on the gang-ridden waterfront under a crooked gangster boss.
The Outsiders. Warner Bros. 1983. DVD. PG. $12.98
When two poor greasers, Johnny, and Ponyboy are assaulted by a vicious gang, the socs, and Johnny kills one of the attackers, tension begins to mount between the two rival gangs, setting off a turbulent chain of events. Based on the novel by S.E. Hinton.
Peggy Sue Got Married. Sony Pictures. 1986. DVD. PG-13. $14.94
Peggy Sue, a mother of two who runs her own business & is coping with an impending divorce, attends her 25th high school reunion where a freak mishap sends her decades back in time giving her the power to create an entirely different future for herself.
Pleasantville. New Line Home Video. 1998. DVD. PG-13. $14.98
A brother and sister are magically transported through their television set and into the black-and-white world of a 1950s sitcom called Pleasantville. Soon they affect this environment with their worldly sensibilities, and people and things slowly begin to acquire color, and their complacent world is profoundly changed.
Rabbit Proof Fence. Miramax. 2002. DVD. PG. $9.99
In 1931, Molly and her younger cousins, Gracie and Daisy, were three half-caste children from Western Australia who were taken from their parents under government edict and sent to an institution, were taught to forget their families, their culture, and re-invent themselves as members of "white" Australian society. The three girls begin an epic journey back to Western Australia, traveling 1,500 miles on foot with no food or water, and navigating by following the fence that has been build across the nation to stem an over-population of rabbits.
Rebel Without a Cause. Warner Bros. 1955. DVD. NR
The teen-aged son of a well-to-do family gets involved in violence when he attempts to win the approval of a gang of high-school hoodlums.
Say Anything. Twentieth Century Fox. 1989. DVD. PG-13. $14.98
A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college.
Slumdog Millionaire. Twentieth Century Fox. 2008. DVD. R. $29.98
A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.
Some Kind of Wonderful. Paramount. 2002. DVD. PG-13. $12.98
A young tomboy finds her feelings for her best friend run deeper than just friendship when he gets a date with the most popular girl in school.
Step Up 2. Touchstone. 2008. DVD. PG-13. $19.99
Andie is on the verge of being being sent to Texas to stay with another relative due to her behavior. As a last resort to stay in town a friend arranges an audition at arts school. Much to her surprise she gets in but all the rehearsal interferes with her time with her neighborhood dance "crew." As Andie tries to fit in at her new school, she finds fitting in with her old friends difficult.
Twilight. Summit Ent., 2008. DVD. PG-13. $27.99
High school romance is difficult enough to navigate when both people are human. But for 17-year-old Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, Edward's life as a vampire complicates things even more.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. Paramount Pictures. 2001. DVD. PG-13. $14.98
Gilbert Grape is devoted to taking care of his family, which includes an obese mother and a mentally impaired brother. He feels the hopelessness of his life in a rural community when a young woman breezes into town and changes everything.
Documentaries
America the Beautiful. Sensory Overload Ent. 2007. DVD. R
A documentary about teens in the modeling industry in a society where "celebutantes" like Paris Hilton dominate newsstands and models who weigh less than 90 pounds die from malnutrition, female body image is one of the more dire problems facing today's society. "America the Beautiful" illuminates the issue by covering every base. Child models, plastic surgery, celebrity worship, airbrushed advertising, dangerous cosmetics - no rock is left unturned. www.americathebeautifuldoc.com/
American Teen. Paramount Vantage. 2008. DVD. PG-13
A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques. www.americanteenthemovie.com
Beautiful Loser. Sidekick Films. 2008. DVD.
In the early 1990's a loose-knit group of likeminded outsiders found common ground at a little NYC storefront gallery. Rooted in the DIY (do-it-yourself) subcultures of skateboarding, surf, punk, hip hop& graffiti, they made art that reflected the lifestyles they led. Developing their craft with almost no influence from the "establishment" art world, this group, and the subcultures they sprang from, have now become a movement that has been transforming pop culture. www.beautifullosers.com
Dreams Deferred:The Sakia Gunn Film Project. Third World Newsreel. 2008. DVD. NR. $150
This documentary tells the little known story of Sakia Gunn, a 15 year old high school student who was fatally stabbed in a gay hate crime in Newark, NJ. The story depicts the homophobia behind this brutal murder, while examining her short life.
Frontrunner. Cinema Guild. 2008. DVD. NR. $350.00
This documentary follows four sets of running mates as they run for President and Vice-President of the student union at New York City’s exclusive Stuyvesant High School.
Gimme Green. Jellyfish Smack Prod. 2006. DVD. NR. $15.00
Lawns are undeniably an American symbol. 
But what do they really symbolize? Pride and prosperity? Or waste and conformity? Gimme Green is a humorous look at the American obsession with the residential lawn and the effects it has on our environment, our wallets and our outlook on life. From the limitless subdivisions of Florida to sod farms in the arid southwest, Gimme Green peers behind the curtain of the $40-billion industry that fuels our nation's largest irrigated crop—the lawn. www.gimmegreen.com/home.htm
Odd One Out. Cinema Guild. 2008. DVD. NR. $295.00
This film follows three transgendered teens over four years as they contemplate what to do with their lives.
Planet B-Boy. Arts Alliance America. 2007. DVD. NR. $19.95
Jumping continents and crossing cultures, "Planet B-Boy" looks at the history of breakdancing and its vibrant resurgence in urban cultures around the world. Planet B-Boy follows five crews—from Las Vegas, Osaka, Seoul and rural France—into the emotionally charged high-voltage "Battle of the Year" in Braunschweig, Germany.We get to know the boys as young artists, sons trying to please demanding parents, athletes pushing their bodies to the limits, teens struggling to find their place in a difficult world. Planet B-Boy shows how these artists—no less dedicated and skilled than Olympic gymnasts—are confront mainstream cultures that pressure them to conform: one Korean lad struggles to live up to his traditionally-minded father's expectations, a twelve-year-old boy in the French crew faces his family's not-too-subtle racism, the Las Vegas lads are trying to achieve the American dream through self-expression. www.planetbboy.com
Quantum Hoops. Green Forest Films. 2007. DVD. NR. $26.95
California Institute of Technology is ranked among the world's five top academic institutions, and its faculty and alumni hold an astonishing number of Nobel Prizes. So, it should come as no surprise that the school's emphasis is on academic—not athletic—achievements. Caltech offers no athletic scholarships and its basketball team ranks lowest in its league. But the team's story is the quirky subject of Rick Greenwald's captivating Quantum Hoops, a film that's as smart as its subjects—the team of players who continue to push their game although they consistently lose. www.quantumhoops.com
Rising Son. Image Ent. 2006. DVD. NR. $19.99
The rise, fall, and rebirth of Christian Hosoi, the young man who helped skateboarding re-emerge as a major cultural influence in the 1980s. The inventive skater and businessman was incarcerated in 2000 for trafficking controlled substances across state lines, and since his parole in 2004, the Born-Again Christian has dedicated his life to being a good father and positive influence on the sport.
Straightlaced. Ground Spark. 2009. DVD. NR. $100.00
The film provides a way into a dialogue about gender roles and homophobia among teenagers. With refreshing honesty, the diverse youth in the film open up about the pressure to conform to rigid gender role expectations. Boys who have to act tough even though they may feel vulnerable, or girls who have to dress provocatively just to fit in, reveal the toll it takes on them to live up to gender role expectations and how that limits who they really want to be. www.groundspark.com
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