Romantic Teen Films:

An Overview

The Roles

• Hero/Heroine (often female)• Geeky sidekick• Popular clique• Dumb jocks• Nerds• Authority figure (often absent or

rarely seen)

Setting

• High school• School related events: dance,

game, etc.• Home• Summer/after school jobs• Party

Language Discourses

• Teen speak• Unique vocabulary (Slang & Abrv.)• Closed language (only the select)• Mean – cruel, blunt, & clever• Direct opposition to “parent speak”• Defines social status

Typical Story Lines

• Romance• Coming-of-age• Fulfilling your dreams• Finding yourself• Achieving social status

Problems & Issues

• Social status conflict• Parental control• Finding a boy or girlfriend• Friends – finding and keeping• Age – too young• Lack of skill – athletics, etc.

Problems Solved

• A “savior” lifts you to popularity• Someone outside story gives advice• An event makes hero/ine reassess their

values/situation• Society or group changes to fit the

character• Hero/ine reaches self-actualization

Themes

• Social acceptance is paramount to happiness

• One person can elevate you to popularity/happiness

• Being yourself is good, but only after you achieve social status

Themes (cont.)

• Popularity is competitive; Nerdiness is cooperative

• A heterosexual relationship completes you

• The world of the teen is all-consuming for teens and adults alike