Fabulous Films for Young Adults
2009 Nominations
Updated Nov. 1, 2008
Coming of Age around the World
10 Things I Hate About You. 1999. Touchstone Home Video. 97 minutes. ISBN: 078881446X. $14.99.
A retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, it tells the story of tomboy Kat and her younger, beautiful sister Bianca. Dad tells Bianca she can date when Kat dates. So when Bianca's tutor, Cameron asks Bianca out, he find—and bribes—loner Patrick into taking out Kat.
Arctic Son. Arts Engine Inc. 2008. 75 min. ISBN: 9781422908204. $19.99. Educational Cost: $250.00.
The clash of tradition and modernity puts a Native father and son at odds in the remote village of Old Crow, 80 miles above the Arctic Circle. Stanley Jr., raised in Seattle, is drifting deeper into drinking and partying. Stanley Sr., a distant, philosophical figure to his son, keeps the ways of his Gwitchin ancestors alive by hunting, fishing and living by his wits in the harsh Arctic environment.
Bend it Like Beckham. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2003. 112 min. UPC: 024543084266. $14.99.
The daughter of orthodox Sikh parents rebels and tries to make a name for herself in soccer.
Boys of Baraka. Loki Films. 2006. 84 min. ISBN: 821575548052. $29.99
The Baraka School is an experimental institution in Kenya where children live by strict guidelines, yet are given the freedom to grow. Follow 12 out-of-control boys from the streets of Baltimore as they move into their temporary home, the Baraka School.
Bullets in the Hood. Downtown Community Television Center. 2004. 22 min. $12.95
The story of a teenager who lost eight friends to gun violence and picked up a camera to tell the story of blood on the streets of Brooklyn.
Devil’s Playground. Wellspring Media.77 min. ISBN: 9786311874387. $24.98.
This film looks at the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of Rumspringa, which is a period in a teenager's life during which they are set free to explore the world outside the Amish life, so that they can make an informed decision before they make a commitment to join the church at adulthood.
Dogtown and Z-boys. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. 2002. 91 min. ISBN: 9781404977655. $19.94.
This film includes the history of skateboarding in Southern California and details the rise some of the first pro-skaters.
Invisible Children. http://www.invisiblechildren.com. 2007. 112 min.$20.00
In Uganda's long-lasting civil war, many children have been abducted to be trained as child soldiers. This film documents the children's life and general social conditions in Uganda in 2003.
Juno. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2008. 96 min. ISBN: 9786311874387. $28.98
After having sex with her friend, Juno MacGuff finds herself 16 and pregnant. She decides to carry the baby to term, and chooses parents for the baby out of the local Penny Saver want ads.
Lost Boys of Sudan. New Video Group. 2004. 87 min. ISBN: 767685966235. $24.95.
This video follows two Sudanese refugees as they immigrate to the United States, leaving one life behind and coping with a new and complex culture.
Love*Com. Viz Pictures. 100 min. 2008. ISBN: 978-1-934244-09-8. $24.98.
This is the manga series The Lovely Complex come to life. Tall Risa meets short Otani in their sophomore year of high school and from the very first they hit it off. Neither is dating as they are having trouble finding the right person because of their respective heights.
Off the Map. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2005.96 min. ISBN: 9786311874387. $24.96.
Bo, an 11-year-old girl, lives in a remote desert area of New Mexico, with her mother, a free spirit, and her father, who is losing a battle with depression. One day an IRS agent visits the family, to perform an audit, and decides that he would rather stay than return to his job. He becomes a catalyst for major changes and discoveries affecting every member of the family.
Orange County. Paramount Pictures. 2002. 82 minutes. ISBN: 079217514X. $9.99.
Shaun Brumder, who wants to be a writer after finding an inspiring book on the beach, applies to Stanford but is rejected due to a mix up with his application. Shaun, his girlfriend and his brother do everything and anything they can think of to get him accepted. Along the way, Shaun experiences change what he believes is his right path, and even finds some unexpected guidance
Radiant City. Koch Lorber Films. 2008. 85 minutes. UPC: 741952315599. $24.98.
Surrealist filmmaker Gary Burns joins journalist Jim Brown on an outing to the ‘burbs. Amidst the fresh foundations of monster homes, the two explore the dark side of suburbia and create a provocative reflection on why we live the way we do.
The Secret of Roan Inish. Columbia Tristar Home Video. 2000. 103 min. ISBN: 9780767821582 $14.99
Following the death of her mother, young Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents on the Irish coast town of Donegal, across from Roan Inish, the island where her family once lived. Fiona hears stories about her family history and uncovers secrets of their past.
Shadya. National Film Board of Canada. 2005. 52 minutes. ID NO. 153C0105392. $248.00.
Shadya is the story of a Israeli, muslim teen who is the country's karate champion. Right at the height of her karate career, she is set up in an arranged marriage that takes its toll on her and her family.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Warner Home Video. 2005. 119 minutes. ASIN: B000AM4PEK. $12.98.
A story about a special summer in the lives of four lifelong friends who are separated for the first time. The young women find a pair of jeans that fits each of them perfectly and they decide to use the pants as a way of keeping in touch.
Spirited Away. Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 125 min. 2003. ISBN: 9780788844614. $29.99
Chihiro is horrified when a trip off the beaten path results in her parents being transformed into pigs and her own servitude at a magical bathhouse for natural spirits of all kinds. At first she sinks into despair, but with the help of Haku and other allies, she begins to see how to save her parents and herself.
Superbad. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2007. ISBN: 9781424897513. $28.95.
Seth and Evan want nothing more than to lose their virginity before they head off to college. With the help of their friend Fogell, a.k.a. McLovin, and his fake I.D. the three of them go on a hilarious chase for the ever elusive booze dodging incompetent cops, angry neighbors, and jealous boyfriends.
Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela. California Newsreel. 2005. 73 minutes. $49.95
Director Thomas Allen Harris shares the story man who raised him, Pule Benjamin Leinaeng “Lee”—an ANC foot soldier who sacrificed his life for the freedom of his country. Lee and his comrades left their homeland in 1960 to broadcast to the world the brutality of apartheid and to raise support for the African National Congress (ANC) and its leaders, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo.
Whale Rider. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. 2003. 101 Minutes. ISBN: 978-1-4049-4372-8. $14.94.
Whale Rider gives viewers a look into a little understood culture, the Maori of New Zealand, and centers around a young teen girl struggling against traditions to prove herself. She starts off unsure but driven, and throughout the film becomes more and more confident, growing as a person internally and among her peers.
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