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Clueless
Clueless
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5 Must See Coming of Age Movies to Watch!

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SMU chapter.

If you haven’t seen these, get to it! Here are five coming of age movies everyone should watch!

Brooklyn (2015)

This movie, starring Saoirse Ronan, tells the story of an Irish immigrant who struggles to adjust to her new life in the United States. This movie is a powerful tale of new beginnings and struggling to find where you belong, which is a pretty universal tale. It also earned Ronan her second Oscar nomination, nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in this film.

Little Women (2019)

Based on the famous novel by Louisa May Alcott, this story is centered around four sisters growing up in the 1800s and the struggles that come with that. This movie has an absolutely stacked cast, with Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Laura Dern, and Meryl Streep just being SOME of the people in this movie. It is so good!

Ladybird

I think what I’m learning from this list is that Saoirse Ronan has done a lot of coming of age movies, and you know what, I’m here for it. This coming of age story focuses on first loves and the strained relationship between a mother and a daughter. It’s one that will stay with you long after you watch it.

The Edge of seventeen (2016)

This movie, centered around Hailee Steinfeld’s character Nadine, is a story of a young girl who feels like she doesn’t fit in, especially when her best friend begins dating her brother. She also is coping with the death of there father five year prior. While it might not seem like it from the title, one thing this film also does really well is it is super funny!

Clueless (1995)

It wouldn’t be a coming of age movie list without including my absolute favorite movie ever! Very loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma, this movie has everything you could want in a teen coming of age movie and definitely stands the test of time.

Natalie Clark is a junior at Southern Methodist University, majoring in English and Political Science on the Pre-Law track. She is a firm believer in a good nap. In her spare time, she likes to read, play tennis, and hang with friends. Instagram: @natclark424