An alt and his dog
May 17, 2011 12:55 PM Subscribe
Highly Specific Guilty Pleasurefilter: What are your favorite coming-of-age movies about (broadly-defined) "alt" people in their 20s? Preferably not rom-coms. Bonus for being set in a New Englandy-type place in autumn. (Artiness, seriousness, etc. totally optional.)
Best answer: Lars and the Real Girl. Wisconsiny-type place in Winter.
posted by phunniemee at 1:07 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by phunniemee at 1:07 PM on May 17, 2011
Oh yes Sterile Cuckoo=is she the first manic pixie dream girl in film?
Summer of 42, but they're not really alt.
posted by Ideefixe at 1:24 PM on May 17, 2011
Summer of 42, but they're not really alt.
posted by Ideefixe at 1:24 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: Winter Passing, although not one of my favorites, the only one I could think of at the moment.
posted by firei at 1:27 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by firei at 1:27 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: The first one that sprang to mind for me was Harold and Maude.
posted by Johnny Assay at 1:31 PM on May 17, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Johnny Assay at 1:31 PM on May 17, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Not an exact fit, but The Ice Storm is a possibility.
posted by royboy at 1:35 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by royboy at 1:35 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: sort of - "Outside Providence". although "alt = stoner"-types for this one. but it's hilarious!
posted by foxhat10 at 1:37 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by foxhat10 at 1:37 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: St Elmo's Fire if you want New England + guilty pleasure
Before Sunrise if you want Europe + alt
Before Sunset if you want something to make you sad when you are 35.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:39 PM on May 17, 2011
Before Sunrise if you want Europe + alt
Before Sunset if you want something to make you sad when you are 35.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:39 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: Kicking and Screaming (the Noah Baumbach one, not the Will Ferrell one)
posted by wsquared at 1:46 PM on May 17, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by wsquared at 1:46 PM on May 17, 2011 [6 favorites]
Best answer: Wonder Boys captures college creative writing programs well, even if the 20 somthing isn't the main character.
posted by bendybendy at 1:57 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by bendybendy at 1:57 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: The Young Poisoner's Handbook could be seen as a darkly funny subversion of these kinds of movies.
posted by Sticherbeast at 2:14 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by Sticherbeast at 2:14 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: Not New England, and very much mid-nineties, but...
Reality Bites
Singles
posted by bobafet at 2:16 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Reality Bites
Singles
posted by bobafet at 2:16 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm hesitant to label all the characters in Beautiful Girls as "alt," but it many ways Timothy Hutton's character (the main one) is. And it's set in New England in early winter. It does have some rom-com qualities (though the object of his affection IN A TOTALLY NOT CREEPY WAY is an adolescent Natalie Portman).
Caveat: I happen to like this movie more than most people.
posted by cowboy_sally at 2:33 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
Caveat: I happen to like this movie more than most people.
posted by cowboy_sally at 2:33 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
I think Kicking and Screaming fits your description pretty well, although I'm not sure why it's a "guilty pleasure" genre -- Kicking and Screaming is a great flick.
posted by sweetkid at 2:34 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by sweetkid at 2:34 PM on May 17, 2011
I'm hesitant to label all the characters in Beautiful Girls as "alt," but it many ways Timothy Hutton's character (the main one) is. And it's set in New England in early winter. It does have some rom-com qualities (though the object of his affection IN A TOTALLY NOT CREEPY WAY is an adolescent Natalie Portman).
and it has "Sweet Caroline" in it which is very New England.
posted by sweetkid at 2:35 PM on May 17, 2011
and it has "Sweet Caroline" in it which is very New England.
posted by sweetkid at 2:35 PM on May 17, 2011
Metropolitan
Sorry, but the characters in this movie are in their teens, not their 20s, and I don't see how they're "alt."
posted by John Cohen at 2:35 PM on May 17, 2011
Sorry, but the characters in this movie are in their teens, not their 20s, and I don't see how they're "alt."
posted by John Cohen at 2:35 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: Slacker. (previously) The movie might not have enough of a plot to be "coming of age," but it's definitely not a romantic comedy.
posted by John Cohen at 2:39 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by John Cohen at 2:39 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Another one, though this one's set in FL: Ruby in Paradise. (And although it's stretching the age bracket, I would suggest Old Joy, because it stars Will Oldham, and it doesn't get much more alt than that. And coming of age in your mid-30s isn't anathema in Portland, right?)
posted by cowboy_sally at 2:46 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by cowboy_sally at 2:46 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: My favorite movie of all time: Grosse Pointe Blank.
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 3:00 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 3:00 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
Harold and Maude is a fabulous coming of age film and Harold isn't exactly... mainstream. Also, to a lesser extent, The Cider House Rules.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:16 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by DarlingBri at 3:16 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Make that three for Harold and Maude.
posted by Room 641-A at 3:21 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by Room 641-A at 3:21 PM on May 17, 2011
and I don't see how they're "alt."
I don't, either. About as square as they come, actually.
posted by Rash at 3:49 PM on May 17, 2011
I don't, either. About as square as they come, actually.
posted by Rash at 3:49 PM on May 17, 2011
The World Famous: "But it's a 1971 romantic comedy set in San Francisco about a teenager and a 79-year-old."
Harold is "about 20" according to the screenplay.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:12 PM on May 17, 2011
Harold is "about 20" according to the screenplay.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:12 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: OK, one more and I'll stop haunting the thread: The Hanging Garden.
posted by cowboy_sally at 4:20 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by cowboy_sally at 4:20 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: Good point. With that in mind, how about The Graduate?
The Graduate's set in SoCal.
Wouldn't The Paper Chase, though dated, sort of count?
posted by thisjax at 4:21 PM on May 17, 2011
The Graduate's set in SoCal.
Wouldn't The Paper Chase, though dated, sort of count?
posted by thisjax at 4:21 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: Tiny Furniture. I can't say that it's really a favorite but it fits the category.
posted by octothorpe at 4:31 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by octothorpe at 4:31 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: Diner is set in Baltimore. That counts doesn't it? (Look at that 1982 cast!)
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:14 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:14 PM on May 17, 2011
He Died With a Felafel in his Hand is an excellent Australian take.
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 5:33 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 5:33 PM on May 17, 2011
SLC Punk. Not New England. Occasionally wintery. A good flick.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:55 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by oneirodynia at 5:55 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Recently saw & enjoyed Heartbeats, a.k.a. Les Amours Imaginaires. Hipsters in autumn in Montreal and environs. Dialogue is in French.
posted by clair-de-lune at 6:30 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by clair-de-lune at 6:30 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: Wendy and Lucy. There's a dog, but the end makes me cry.
posted by ChuraChura at 7:59 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ChuraChura at 7:59 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'll second The Hanging Garden.
Montreal bohemians of the 50s and 60s, as written and directed by Montreal bohemians of the 50s and 60s: Le chat dans le sac and À tout prendre.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 8:14 PM on May 17, 2011
Montreal bohemians of the 50s and 60s, as written and directed by Montreal bohemians of the 50s and 60s: Le chat dans le sac and À tout prendre.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 8:14 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: A propos of Tiny Furniture: you might check out other Mumblecore films, especially Joe Swanberg out of Chicago.
Smart, low budget features, shot exclusively with actors in their twenties. I'm a fan of Nights and Weekends. They're available through Netflix.
posted by vecchio at 8:22 PM on May 17, 2011
Smart, low budget features, shot exclusively with actors in their twenties. I'm a fan of Nights and Weekends. They're available through Netflix.
posted by vecchio at 8:22 PM on May 17, 2011
God bless Gus Van Sant. My Own Private Idaho.
posted by forkisbetter at 10:55 AM on May 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by forkisbetter at 10:55 AM on May 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Igby Goes Down
posted by ifjuly at 11:31 AM on May 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ifjuly at 11:31 AM on May 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Would you count Stealing Beauty? Beautiful Italy, and fantastic movie.
posted by frecklefaerie at 1:03 PM on May 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by frecklefaerie at 1:03 PM on May 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Mutual Appreciation was good and so was Gabby on the Roof in July
posted by Jagz-Mario at 4:54 PM on May 22, 2011
posted by Jagz-Mario at 4:54 PM on May 22, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by General Malaise at 1:04 PM on May 17, 2011