For decades teenagers around the world of found themselves represented in so-called "teen films." From the angsty teen films made popular in the 1980s by legendary writer/director John Hughes to modern love stories that arose in popularity in the 2018s, the "teen film" genre has really exploded with content of all types.
Aside from having relatable and often times loveable characters, one of the biggest draws to teen films is their heartfelt and inspiring endings. From the guy getting the girl to characters learning that they are a work in progress, most teen film endings leave viewers feeling content and secure in their own lives.
Since this is a list looking at the best teen film endings of all time, there will be spoilers.
10 Sixteen Candles (1984)
John Hughes made his directorial debut with the release of his first teen film Sixteen Candles in 1984. The film starred Molly Ringwald as Samantha, a young girl who is not only pinning after Jake Ryan, the it boy at school, but who is also dealing with the aftermath of having her sixteenth birthday overshadowed by her sister's wedding.
While Sixteen Candles as a whole is an amazing film, it's truly the ending that elevates the entire thing. As her sister's wedding concludes, Samantha walks out of the church to find Jake Ryan waiting for her across the street next to his red Porsche. Jake takes Samantha home where he lights sixteen candles on her birthday cake and the two share a kiss on the table.
9 The Breakfast Club (1985)
Another John Hughes classic and arguably his best and most popular film The Breakfast Club also has one of the best endings of all time. The film centers on a group of teenagers from different high school cliques who all find themselves in detention on a Saturday morning for various reasons. Over the course of the Saturday, the five students realize that they have a lot more in common than they might have realized which causes them to rethink the social workings of their high school in general.
The Breakfast Club ends with Anthony Michael Hall, who played Brian in the film, reading the essay he wrote for the entire detention group which outlines the fact that Mr. Vernon will never see them as real people. This is, of course, voiced-over footage of the kids leaving the school and ends with Bender walking across the football field, thrusting his fist in the air.
8 Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
The final John Hughes film to make the list of best teen endings is the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The film follows Matthew Broderick, a slacking high school student who decides to skip school in order to go on an adventure with his best friend and his girlfriend. Along the way, Ferris and the gang go on one crazy adventure that involves "borrowing" a Ferrari and performing in a street parade.
The film concludes with Ferris making it home in time so that his parents don't find out that he wasn't really homesick. The true iconic part of the ending comes through when Ferris breaks the fourth wall and says, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
7 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You is arguably one the most popular teen films of the 90s and one of the all-time best teenage romantic comedies and couples of all time. Inspired by Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the film centers on Kat Stafford (Julia Stiles), an abrasive teenager who is unknowingly set up with Patrick (Heath Ledger) so a boy can ask her sister out.
After falling for Patrick and learning the truth about why he started pursuing her, Kat is heartbroken. She ends up reading a poem she wrote about Patrick in front of her English class where she begins crying. At the end of the school day, Patrick finds her and gifts her with her very own guitar so she can start her own band.
6 Mean Girls (2004)
Mean Girls not only featured a talented cast that included Lindsey Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler but it is also considered to be a teen cult classic. The film centers on Cady Heron (Lohan), a young girl who is attending high school for the first time after being homeschooled by her parents in Africa for her entire life. Cady winds up befriending "The Plastics," the mean girl clique on school, and decides to try to take them down from the inside.
After losing sight of the original plan to sabotage Regina George (McAdams), Cady has to right her wrongs in order to restore order to the "girl world" of high school. The film ends with the Cady being named Spring Fling Queen where she proceeds to share the crown with all the ladies around her. In addition, Cady tells us that "The Plastics" have been disbanded and that everyone has found their own clique to call home.
5 Juno (2007)
Juno is yet another example of a phenomenal cult classic teen film with a heartfelt ending that makes everyone who watches feel happy. The film stars Ellen Page as Juno, a young teenager who winds up getting pregnant by her boyfriend Paulie (Michael Cera). Not wanting to be a teenage mother, Juno decides to find a family who will adopt her baby.
While the film is messy and complicated at times, the film concludes with Juno delivering the baby who goes on to live with Vanessa (Jennifer Garner), the mother Juno has selective from the adoption applications. The final shot is Juno and Paulie playing guitar together in the summertime in a happy relationship once again.
4 Easy A (2010)
Released in 2010, Easy A stars Emma Stone in her breakout role as Olive Penderghast, a young teenager who decides to embrace the rumors being spread about her and live a modern Scarlett Letter style life. The film is narrated by Olive who is hosting a video conference where she explains why all the rumors about her are just rumors.
The film ends with Olive finally getting her happy ending reminiscent of the 80s romantic comedies she loves when Todd (Penn Badgley) stands outside her bedroom window with speakers over his head a la Say Anything before riding off on a lawnmower into the sunset.
3 The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)
Based on the Stephen Chbosky novel of the same name, Chbosky also penned the screenplay for the film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The film centers on Charlie (Logan Lerman), a young teenager who struggles with PTSD and depression but is trying his best to live an authentic and fun high school life.
While the film is a constant rollercoaster of emotions, it ends with Charlie reading a letter about his feelings towards life while traveling through the tunnel with his best friends Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller). It ends with Charlie saying, "we are infinite."
2 Love, Simon (2018)
Released in 2018, Love, Simon was adapted from the popular young adult novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda which was written by Becky Albertalli. The film centers on Simon (Nick Robinson), a junior in high school who befriends an anonymous pen pal who helps him come to terms with his sexuality.
The film's climax occurs when Simon is outed causing his penpal to stop responding to him out of fear that the high school will figure out who he is and out him too. The film ends with Simon making one final attempt at connecting with "Blue" by posting on the Creekwood Secrets website saying that he'll be waiting for "Blue" on the Ferris wheel during their school's carnival. After several antagonizing rounds on the Ferris wheel finally "Blue" shows up in the form of Bram (Keiynan Lonsdale), one of Simon's acquaintances.
1 To All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
Credited with revitalizing the teenage romantic comedy genre, the Netflix adaptation of To All The Boys I've Loved Before also finds a home on the list of best teen film endings of all time. The film centers on Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), two high school juniors who decide to pretend to be in a relationship for differing reasons.
The film ends with Lara Jean approaching Peter on the lacrosse field after they have broken up. When she gets to him, she begins to read him a new letter she wrote to him where she declares that she loves him for real. Peter in return tells Lara Jean that he's also in love with her and the two kiss before walking off the field in a shot that's reminiscent of the ending of The Breakfast Club.
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