Some of the best movies out there are one that speak to us on a personal level. They are a great way of teaching us valuable life lessons and giving us a moral message. Films about young friendships capture our imaginations and played a big role in our lives as children. These movies have helped shape our lives, whether we know it or not, and taught us a thing or two about the friendships of our youth.
Movies about young friendships often feature outsiders trying to find their place in the world, and learning the meaning of real friendship. These flicks are also known as a bildungsroman, or coming-of-age story, where the main characters undergo a journey of self-discovery. These are some of the best movies about young friendship we can recommend:
Clueless (1995)
Before Mean Girls, Clueless was the go-to movie about high school friendship, and the changes teenagers face. It made a star of Alicia Silverstone and featured the late Brittany Murphy in her feature film debut. Loosely based on the novel Emma by Jane Austen, Clueless was a smash-hit and became the benchmark coming-of-age high school comedy. Often imitated, rarely equaled, this is one of the best films about your friendship we’ve ever seen, and you need to check it out as soon as you can.
Stand By Me (1986)
There was a lot of discussion and debate about this, but we came to the conclusion that Stand By Me is our favorite movie about young friendship. Four young friends set out to find the body of a dead kid from their school, and wind up finding themselves along the way. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll share the journey with them. The movie is best summed up by its last line, where Richard Dreyfuss’ character laments the lack of close friendships he had later in life, versus those as a child. It’s something that speaks to us all in some way.
Mean Girls (2004)
Back in her heyday, Lindsay Lohan starred in Mean Girls, the perfect high school comedy-drama about the new girl trying to fit in, and realizing that popularity and friendship aren’t the same things. Lohan’s character Cady quickly comes to realize the real meaning of friendship, as well as how high school cliques work. It’s well acted, funny, quotable, and has an important moral message at the core. We love this movie mainly because it’s so fetch!
The Goonies (1985)
We’ll be honest, it was neck and neck between this and Stand By Me for our favorite film about friendship. And while we had The Goonies in 2nd place, it could easily have come first and is still a genre classic. The movie following a group of kids as they go on a search for pirate treasure was a staple of our childhoods. The camaraderie and chemistry between the main characters is inescapable, and the themes of friendship and triumph over adversity will book this film a special place in your heart. Goonies never say die!
The Breakfast Club (1985)
There aren’t many high school movies as awesome, or quotable, as The Breakfast Club. Arguably John Hughes’ finest work, the movie centers on a bunch of high school misfits gathered for Saturday detention. The kids start out disliking each other, but a friendship blooms over the course of the movie – oh, and Judd Nelson is awesome too! The Breakfast Club is one of those movies you can pop on time and again, and the message never gets old. And how about that soundtrack, eh?!
There are plenty of movies out there that deal with different things, and the theme of friendship is so important. From a young age we are all trying to find our way in the world, and make friends, and it’s important for movies to explore these themes. These are some of the best movies that explore the themes of young friendship and belonging – enjoy them now!
