Tuesday January 27, 2026
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Films that I connect with.
A big reason in why I chose coming-of-age as my genre is because it is something i really resonate with. One of my favorites is the 2012 film "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", which depicts mental health struggles in such a unique light, as it is something that i have dealt with first hand. In having my own film tackling these issues, I am adding a personal touch to it. All of these films below have very important mise-en-scene elements that further convey the hard hitting story that is unfolding before the audience. For my own film I want to take inspiration from these elements and use them in a way that will make viewers connect with the story.
I have gathered some of my favorite film opening within this genre, some of which are in my top 10 movies of all time.
1. Speak (2004), starring Kristen Stewart
Speak opening scene
The novel "speak" written by Laurie Halse Anderson in 1999 is what kick started the idea for a full feature film. The novel goes through the events following Malinda's sexual abuse, this led to her being outcasted and in return thrown her into a deep, spiraling depression. The idea was picked up by the independent film company, Showtime Independent Films, and was produced by Fred Berner Films. (Box Office Mojo by IMDbPro. (n.d.). Speak (Film webpage).)
The film "Speak" follows a young high school girl who becomes selectively mute after going through a traumatic event, using her vow of silence as a coping mechanism. It explores the true meaning of what "speak" means and the ways in which things can be communicated. A lot of this trauma that the character, Melinda, goes through is shared through her art, not so much verbally. This film follows the sheer pain and suffering that victims go through, showcasing that it can happen to anyone; even as young as 14, which is how old Melinda is when the incident occurred. She navigates high school for the first time while having the painful memory consume her.
This film speaks to me (no pun intended). It is such a unique story that deals with heavy topics; including social isolation, bullying, and sexual assault. She lets her emotions escape through art; in return this helps her come to terms with what happened through a unique and different way. This serves as a metaphor for Melinda finding her voice again after she felt like she lost it. In addition, through the opening scene Melinda is seen drawing lines on her lips, seemingly sewing her mouth shut; this shows that at the start of the film she feels like she can't fully express how she is feeling internally; not even to her own parents, as it is seen in the opening that her mother expresses no care as to why she is drawing lines over her lips. At the same time through her coping and processing the events that unfolded the summer prior, she gets teared down by not only her past trauma but from the words form her peers; dealing with such an intense event and having everyone around you throw insults your way can take a toll on your well being, but thats where the art comes into play. I find it so beautiful that it was expressed in that way, making it a symbolic as well as a heartwarming way to cope. (Brennan, T. (2023, October 27). Speak (2004) leaves viewers in awe and portrays a compelling teenage story. Brush and Palette. lbhsnews.com (pp. 1-2))
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2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), starring Logan Lerman
This film is based on the world renowned novel by Stephen Chbosky (published in 1999), who also happened to write and direct the film adaptation. In doing this, all of the pure emotion that Chbosky wrote and expressed within the novel, were poured out into the movie as well. He did an amazing job in translating all of the letter components from the novel into visuals. The entirety of the novel is written through letters that the main character, Charlie, writes to an anonymous person who he says listens and understands him. These letters are used to symbolize Charlie's coping mechanism when dealing with his life; with themes such as adolescent struggles, friendship, trauma, and loss. The book, as well as the film, are all based on Chbosky's real life experiences; adding an extra layer of vulnerability to these pieces of media. (Comingore, A., & Robbins, C. (2013, January 10). Stephen Chbosky talks The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Santa Barbara Independent. (pp. 1-2))
It opens with a tracking shot through a tunnel; the same tunnel that the iconic "we are infinite" scene takes place. It's used in a way to foreshadow the events to come, without revealing anything. From this it goes to a soft zoom-out of Charlie writing a letter to the seemingly anonymous person; with a narration from Charlie, it becomes clear that this is the first letter that he is writing to them. Through the utilization of the old timey typography visuals, it sets the story up in the way that the novel was written. Having a direct reference to the epistolary nature of the novel. He pours his doubts of high school onto the paper, and this is a scene that I personally resonated with, as throughout the film it deals with the struggles that come with going into high school. Charlie is a very introverted character, and this is seen on clear display during the scene within the opening where his teacher asked him why he didn't raise his hand. This makes the audience as a whole not only connect with him, but sympathize with him as well. In having Charlie's teacher, Mr. Anderson, say that he heard about the rough time Charlie was having, further reinforces the idea that he isn't doing well, through the means of starting high school, his best friends death, and his underlying childhood abuse.
The story that is Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of my favorites of all time. The way in which the film is executed and told is by far one of the best interpretations of dealing with big changes and feeling lost through it all at once. The emotions that I felt when I first watched this film have never been able to be recreated. The ability to evoke those strong emotions through such an impactful and meaningful story, is a huge reason why this is my favorite movie ever.
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3. Beautiful Boy (2018), starring Timothée Chalamet and Steve CarellBeautiful Boy opening scene
Like the films mentioned above, Beautiful Boy is also based off of two memoirs; written by
David and
Nic Sheff. The two books share the father and sons different experiences when dealing with drug abuse, one watching it happen and trying to stop it and the other slipping farther into addition. The son, Nic, was dealing with drug use in his teenage years, his memoir is entitled "Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines (2008)", while his father, David's book is entitled "Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction (2007)", which is where the films title came from. The film does a beautiful job in mixing both of their stories to create one of the best depictions of addiction ever seen on screen.
(Rao, T. (2019, August 27). The books behind the movie: Beautiful boy. Tejas Rao. (p. 1))
At the start of the film, the tone is immediately felt. The father, David Sheff, is seeking help in regards to his son, Nic. The utter despair and desperate state that David is in to get Nic help is felt beyond the screen. In having the film open with David asking a doctor "What is this doing to him, and what can I do to help him?" puts the audience in the shoes of David, seeing as though it highlights the fathers perspective on the whole situation. By having David, who is a journalist, seemingly investigating by seeking professional help for his son shows just how far addiction got, having it viewed as a medical crisis. This scene sheds light on the lack of knowledge that david has on the matter at hand, this knowledge gap truly shows the reality of the parent's understanding of the drug and the extremely rapid toll that it can have on someone, in this case, their son. In addition, in having the camera be almost uncomfortably close to David in such an intimate moment, expresses the sheer gravity of the situation to the audience even if they don't know the full story yet. In putting the viewer in that position, it forces them to catch up and try to grasp the situation that is unfolding, almost as if putting them in the shoes of the parents. In doing this, it sets up the films sad and numb feeling from the very beginning, showing the desperation in David's voice as he tries to come up with solutions to the damage that Nic has inflicted upon himself. With the story picking up after the addiction worsened, having the sequences going backwards symbolizes how desperate David is to go back and reverse the futile addiction that Nic slipped into.
This film is one of the most beautiful, raw, and emotional ones that I have seen. The depiction of the decline into addition is done to beautifully.
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