Coming of Age

I was introduced to How Green Was My Valley through Frasier (and no one was surprised). There’s an episode where Frasier goes to several different video rental stores just to find this one movie — How Green Was My Valley.…

My Own Private Idaho is weird to watch for the first time. I don’t know what I was expecting, but a group of young male prostitutes with Shakespearean vernacular was not it. All I knew about…

Who doesn’t like to feel good after a movie? Even in the face of what I venture to believe is a universal truth (feeling good, is good), it seems as if the “feel-good” movie often…

Kazaam is much like a cheese — it had the potential to age well, but someone kept it in their prewar apartment cupboard at a constant temperature of 80 degrees and now it just reeks.…

Crystal blue water, golden hour sunshine, delicious pasta, and plenty more lovely vibes. While watching Luca, you may come to forget it comes from the same company that made three Cars movies. It probably won’t…

Melanie (Stefania LaVie Owen) is a high school senior and wrestling with all the normal anxieties that come with it. Her bright future promises to lead her in her late father’s footsteps across the country…

Lyz Lopez is not your average teenager. The 15-year-old girl is a skiing prodigy who dreams of becoming a champion. To this end, she has just joined a residential program, where young athletes push themselves…

There are first experiences in life we never forget. The first kiss; the first time someone you love dies; your first best friend. Though they may seem small in retrospect, those developments can feel earth-shattering…

Every so often, a film comes to the Sundance Film Festival that transfixes both audiences and the Grand Jury, walking away with both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize in the process. Last…

A teenage girl takes a step toward adulthood in contemporary Cairo.   Nick Kush: Farida Zahran shows plenty of restraint in telling this coming-of-age story; in the wrong hands, Youth could turn into a needlessly brutal…

The most important relationships in any teenager’s life, no matter where they are in the world, are their friendships with other teenagers. It’s the crux of socialization, of discovering one’s own identity, of creating a…

I have truly not been able to stop thinking about An Easy Girl, the latest from French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski. The last time I kept thinking about a movie this much after watching it was…

Over the years, coming-of-age films have taught me one overarching idea: rebellious teens gotta rebel. It’s a timeless idea baked into coming-of-age tales from every generation in which a young adult begins to form their…

I have said it before, and I will say it again, 1989 was the year great movies were made. Romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally is such an example; wonderfully scripted and with a cast…

There’s a scene in Dead Poets Society (1989) where English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) has his students walk around a courtyard to demonstrate a lesson in conformity. If you put some people in a line…

I find Annapurna to be such a fascinating distributor and producer. They’re single-handedly responsible for some of the most interesting films of the decade (produced The Master, Her, Phantom Thread, and If Beale Street Could…

I’m currently in college, so I know basically everything that actually happens on college campuses. The movies make it seem like it’s partying, smoking weed, drinking, and sex every night, but I can tell you…

With more filmmakers feeling empowered to share their distinct voices and sensibilities, the independent film landscape is becoming more interesting by the second. In the end, we as the consumers win. More interesting voices leads…

The 70s must have been quite the time to be livin in. Yes, L-I-V-I-N. Well, I actually don’t know since I am a 90s baby, but I can get an idea of what it was…

Sierra Burgess is a Loser is Netflix’s lastest teen movie, nipping closely on the heels of The Kissing Booth and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. While the movie has a lot of charm,…

With lower budgets, most independent films are allowed serious creativity.  They can speak their mind freely, discussing themes in different — and sometimes edgy — ways.  The Orchard’s Flower falls squarely into this category, including themes…