What Teenager Scenes Do You Love?

Have you seen the short film about teenage heartbreak by CoJ alum Stella Blackmon? It’s beautiful and inspired me to ask: what are your favorite teenager movie/TV scenes? Here are 10 that make me laugh and cry…

First up is the ultimate mother-daughter fight scene from Lady Bird. The “Do you think I like driving this car around?” rant! The dad sitting awkwardly on the sidelines! The empty threat of never speaking to your parents again!

Having a best friendship turn weird feels like a teenage rite of passage. In The Summer I Turned Pretty, the moment is perfectly captured by an eye roll and hair fuss when Taylor learns that Belly is growing close to a new group of girls.

I cringe every time I see Lara Jean almost run over Peter Kavinsky in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. There’s nothing more nerve-wracking than getting the hang of driving, especially in front of your crush.

In Never Have I Ever, when Dr. Ryan tells Devi that deep feelings lead to an emotionally rich life. *sob* Every teen deserves an adult who validates them like that.

In Dope, Malcolm is a straight-A student who dreams of going to Harvard, despite living in an L.A. neighborhood notorious for gangs and drug trafficking. After his advisor questions whether he has the work ethic to get into an Ivy League, he responds with the most badass and nuanced college essay.

Who else remembers the pure exhilaration of creating your first AIM username? This episode in PEN15 makes me laugh every time.

My heart swelled while watching this conversation in Atypical, when Casey comes out to the most important person in her life: her dad.

Nothing’s as heartwarming as a surprise prom date, and this scene from Derry Girls gets it just right.

Literally any moment from Clueless, a teen classic. Oh my God, I’m totally buggin!

And finally, the awkwardness of the pool party in Eighth Grade is off the charts. “We believe that this girl and her story deserve to be projected 20 feet tall,” writes director Bo Burnham. “Her story is not small to her. Why can’t an epic story about the human condition be about a 13 year-old girl walking into a pool party and not just about some dude with a sword — no offense to dudes or swords?”

Which coming-of-age scenes can you rewatch over and over? Please share below!

P.S. Six amazing romantic scenes and our five favorite comedy scenes.