Laura Lascarso's Top 5 Teen Movies

For those of you who've read my work, you know that I tend to write Young and New Adult stories. With that in mind, I thought I'd give you my Top 5 movies centered around teens. I tried to spread the love across a few decades, so as not to favor one generation more so than the other. (Really my list could go on for quite a while.) Comment in the Facebook group for your chance to win an e-book copy of my newest novel, When Everything Is Blue.

1. Stand By Me (1986) When I first saw this movie as child of the eighties, I nearly vomited along with the characters during the pie-eating contest. Also, the scene with the leeches, scarred me for life. This movie is about friendship and overcoming obstacles and having each others' backs no matter what. This movie touched me in a profound way. RIP River Phoenix.

2. Edward Scissorhands (1990) Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder at their finest. This is one of those movies I keep watching throughout my life to see if its effect on me is at all lessened, and it never is. The stark yet beautiful cinematography combined with the message of nonconformity still resonates with me today.

3. Donnie Darko (2001) I keep watching this movie to see if I can close the existential/time-continuum loop, but I have yet to completely figure this one out. I love the Gyllenhaals in this--their sibling banter is so authentic. The slow burn of tension and rising stakes is hair-raising. Plus, the whacked out eighties soundtrack really brings home that anti-establishment vibe. 

4. Mean Girls (2004) One could argue that Heathers did it better, but this movie is just laugh-out-loud funny. My daughter has practically memorized the script we watch it so often, and we make references, on average, once a week. And just in case you're wondering, "I'm not a regular mom. I'm a cool mom."

5. Hunger Games (2012) Say what you will about books-to-movies, but I thought the trilogy was actually improved with the movies because we got to see what was happening in the other districts as the stories progressed. J-Law killed it as far as translating Katniss' brooding survival instinct. Also, Liam Hemsworth as Gale...yes, please! 

What are your favorite teen movies? And for the sake of generating comments, I'm going to throw this out there: Are John Hughes' movies overrated?