Pro-Youth Film Critiques

In this section, we analyze individual films to explore the treatment of youth in all film. We also hope to help people discover movies worth seeing. If you've watched The Breakfast Club so many times that the words "neo-maxie zoom dweebie" have lost all meaning for you, the Pro-Youth Pages is here to help.

Warning: we will not hesitate to spoil endings, surprises, and jokes in pursuit of thorough analysis. You may want to watch the films first, then read these insightful reviews.

Films Worth Watching

Films Worth Skipping

Films Worth Watching

	Halloween H20 Finally, a film that really is fun for the whole family (assuming everyone in your family enjoys slice-and-dice horror films). 1998. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

	Sugar & Spice A caper film for teenagers. It comes perilously close to stereotyping youth, but deftly avoids it. Funny and fun to watch. 2001. Starring Marley Shelton, Marla Sokoloff, Mena Suvari, and James Marsden.

	Bless the Child Finally, a supernatural thriller in which the powerful child is not evil. 2000. Starring Kim Basinger, Jimmy Smits, and Christina Ricci.

	RoboCop 2 If you're going to make a film with a young villain, this is the way to do it. 1990. Starring Peter Weller and Nancy Allen. Co-written by comic book legend Frank Miller.

	Foxfire Many movies promise a "rebellious teenager." This film delivers. 1996. Starring Angelina Jolie, Hedy Burress, and Jenny Shimizu. From the Joyce Carol Oates novel.

	Young Guns Finally, an action film for adolescents. 1988. Starring Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Terence Stamp, and Jack Palance.

	I Know What You Did Last Summer There have been many thrillers where young people are the main characters. This is one of the few where young people are heroes. 1997. Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Anne Heche. Written by Kevin Williamson.

	Ender's Game Katniss is not a strong character, but Ender is. 2013. Starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley. From the novel by Orson Scott Card

	Disturbing Behavior Horror film heroes get more heroic. 1998. Starring James Marsden and Katie Holmes.

	Midnight Movie This slasher film with young heroes goes a step further. 2008. Starring Rebekah Brandes and Brea Grant.

	Ferris Bueller's Day Off Is Ferris a youth rights hero or anti-hero? Is he even real? 1986. Starring Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Grey, and Mia Sara. Written and directed by John Hughes.

	Veronica Mars — Season One OK, it's a TV show, but it's on DVD and this detective show is a great breakthrough for youth, surpassing even "21 Jump Street." Starring Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Amanda Seyfried, and Paris Hilton.

	Veronica Mars — Seasons Two and Three The show declined as it went along, but even in the end it surpassed most TV. Starring Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, and Charisma Carpenter.

	Let Me In A vampire movie gives us one of the most serious and sophisticated looks at the life of pre-teenagers. 2010. Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Elias Koteas.

	Starship Troopers One of the greatest war movies ever made, and the warriors are teenagers — like in real life. 1997. Starring Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, and Neil Patrick Harris. Directed by Paul Verhoeven

	Hackers A highly enjoyable comedy-thriller with young protagonists. 1995. Starring Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, and Matthew Lillard.

	The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane The most pro-youth film ever made! 1976. Starring Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen.

	Finding Nemo A youth-friendly children's movie. Honestly. 2003. Starring voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, and Willem Dafoe.

	Agent Cody Banks James Bond — the early years. 2003. Starring Frankie Muniz, Hilary Duff, and Angie Harmon.

	Brick This detective movie is no "Veronica Mars," but worth checking out for a strong, smart teenaged hero. 2005. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nora Zehetner, and Richard Roundtree.

	Sixteen Candles The film that launched the John Hughes Revolution still holds up. 1984. Starring Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Paul Dooley. Written and directed by John Hughes.

	Dutch John Hughes continued to break new ground in the 90s. A "family film" that's not just for parents. 1991. Starring Ed O'Neill, Ethan Embry (billed as Ethan Randall), JoBeth Williams, and Christopher McDonald. Written by John Hughes.

	Carrie Kimberly Peirce takes the classic anti-youth horror film and yanks out the ageism. 2013. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore. Directed by Kimberly Peirce.

	The People Under the Stairs Not totally youth-friendly, but offers an impressive young hero. 1991. Starring Brandon Adams, A. J. Langer, Ving Rhames. Written and directed by Wes Craven.

	Elektra Action movie with a surprise. Earns a mixed review from us. 2005. Starring Jennifer Garner, Terence Stamp, and Kirsten Prout.

	Kick-Ass Cliché-ridden superhero film, but with a young hero. 2010. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicolas Cage, and Aaron Johnson.

	Iron Jawed Angels An inspiring true story of disenfranchised people agitating for change. A youth rights allegory? 2004. Starring Hilary Swank, Frances O'Connor, and Anjelica Huston.

Films Worth Skipping

	10 Things I Hate About You Why are fictional teenagers always such wimps? This problem is especially pronounced when the teenagers are supposed to be "rebellious." Rebels who don't rebel. Starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger.

	The Incredibles A "family film" by people who hate children and hate women. Too often in Hollywood, "family" is just code for "patriarchy," as The Incredibles illustrates.

	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone There are so few films made for children. Why do they all have to suck? Here's a perfect example of Hollywood promising to entertain children and then attacking them instead.

	Pay It Forward Seems to have more insults per second than any other film. Starring Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment, and Jon Bon Jovi.

	The Amazing Spider-Man The insulting Spider-Man. Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Denis Leary.

	Freddy Vs. Jason Horror movies hit a new low.

	The Perfect Score Confused heist movie. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Darius Miles, and brief appearance by Matthew Lillard.

	Gracie Pandering to soccer moms ruins teenager movie.