Erin Adler

CI5472

6 October 2003

 

Module 6—My own sub-genre “Boy-coming-of-age- drama”

*corresponding film trailer for “The Emperor’s Club” at http;//www.apple.com/trailers/universal/the_emperors_club/small.html

 

            I “invented” this genre of movie based on several movies I liked when I was younger.  It is a sub-genre of the drama, often the period drama, set in the past.  Basically, it involves a young man between the ages of 16-24 (high school or college-aged) that will make an important discovery about life, almost always with the help of an unlikely male mentor, within an academic setting. There is usually some glaring social issue or problem the film is addressing as well.  The television equivalent that I can think of is “The Wonder Years”, and though many books fit this description,  I keep thinking of A Separate Peace. The sub-genre seemed most popular during the ‘80s and ‘90s.

 

            These films are not the most original in content, and they are always a little sentimental, preachy, and/or nostalgic.  The “message” of the films is not hidden too deeply—it seems to be somewhere in the realm of “reach for your dreams”, “be yourself”, or “challenge what people tell you”.  All the same, I enjoy this type of movie because of its “feel good” nature, and a little predictability is not bad now and then.

 

            The films I have identified as being a part of this sub-genre are “School Ties”, “Dead Poets Society”, “The Cider House Rules,”  “Goodwill Hunting” (with some reservations) and The “Emperors Club” (also known as “Dead Poets Society II).

 

Prototypical Roles—“Boy-coming-of-age-drama”-

•Main character is a 16-24 year old male who is facing a challenge or new situation in life

•He has a group of male friends/other boys to hang around with.  They may or may not be truly his friends.

•There is usually an eccentric but supportive male mentor in the movie that challenges the male to examine his life

•Often there is an attractive, intelligent female in the plot, but not a main character.  She is one of the forces that pushes the young man to face a given situation. She may be slightly out of reach socially.

•Notably absent from these tales are consistently-present parents—the boys/young men always live away from home

 

•Setting—The setting is almost always set on the East Coast of the United States, at a prestigious preparatory school or college (though “The Cider House Rules” is set at an orphanage that functions as a place of education).  The characters are surrounded by archaic-looking buildings that are a reminder of those who lived there before them.  The outdoor scenes feature manicured lawns and changing leaves.

 

•They are often period dramas, set in the past. Many of the above titles are set in the 1940s-1950s (all but “Good Will Hunting”)

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•Language/discourse-- Often, there is reference to famous writers or academics, Greek scholars, etc., and quotes from them, but the students/young men speak using phrases and references specific to the time period, like “normal kids” but maybe a bit more formal.  Discussions take place in the films related to the direction of one’s life, the mystery of girls/women, and the trivialities of everyday life and academic coursework.  Discourse is framed within the expected norms of speech and behavior for white, straight, Protestant adolescents.  “Good Will Hunting” is the exception, in that the young men speak with a South Bostonian, working-class accent and use a lot of expletives.  Matt Damon’s character experiments with expected language and behavior when he proves his intelligence to the Harvard student at the bar, and again as  he considers entering a prestigious firm by challenging superiors, raising his voice, and using the “street language”.

 

•Typical storylines—The young man is entering a new phase of his life that forces him to face new situations.  Often in these films, it has to do with starting at an exclusive prep school, but not always.  Something makes the boy look at his life, where it is going, and the discrepancies between what it is and what he wants it to be.  They are films about self-discovery, facing fears, and figuring out how one’s talents and goals fit into life.  This may involve eschewing roles and ideas put upon them by society and their parents.  The mentor-male is one of the forces behind the boy’s entrance into adulthood.  The other force that might challenge the boy to “grow up” is the unattainable but beautiful girl.  She may be the source of conflict between the boy and friends. Finally, there are often larger social issues present in the movie.  In “The Cider House Rules”(1999) for example, there are issues of race and abortion brought in to the plot, forcing Homer’s character to examine new issues.  “School Ties”(1992) deals with Brendan Frasier’s character and the anti-Semitic feelings present at his school.  “Dead Poet’s Society” is about the pressures of living up to parents’ expectations and teen suicide.

 

Value assumptions present—These films tell viewers to “follow your dreams/your heart”, “be yourself” and “challenge the status quo”.  They are about experiences that make a young person who they are as an adult.  Conformity is discouraged to a point (the choices the boys do make are not terribly radical or counter-culture, but may be considered unique or bold given the context of their lives).