10 of the Most Generation Defining Films

But rather than fight “the man” by getting into fistfights and engaging in domestic terrorism like the characters in “Fight Club,” the fed-up Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) of “Office Space” instead just … And in doing so, he reveals how arbitrary any sense of accomplishment and advancement truly is in corporate America when he’s praised and given a promotion for doing so while his harder working colleagues are threatened with layoffs. These friends try to cling to it for as long as possible, even though they all know deep down that it’s ultimately untenable and that they are going to take completely different paths through life — and away from each other. Every young Gen Xer watching this movie just knew they could be like these characters and easily pass as adults if they were just movie guide given the opportunity.

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All they want is to eternally remain in that sweet spot of adolescence before real world responsibilities creep in. Generation X were often called “latchkey kids,” as many had parents that worked long hours, which meant kids had to let themselves in when they got home from school (per JSTOR Daily). Many Gen Xers look back on their youth as consisting of a lot of time spent alone and fending for themselves, which perhaps gave them a sense that they were ready to be adults a lot sooner than they probably actually were. This is mostly because of how it represents the disaffected attitude of Gen Xers as they entered a workforce that seemed hostile towards them. To be clear, it leans a little toward older Gen Xers like the ones who were more into Aerosmith and Metallica than Nirvana and Pearl Jam. But Gen Xers were among the last group to grow up without the prevalence of cell phones or social media.

There’s really no contest when it comes to the film that defines the non-conformist rock ‘n’ roll generation of the 1950s. The iconic 1955 drama Rebel Without a Cause stars James Dean as sensitive juvenile delinquent Jim Stark, one of three troubled teens who become friends. Not only did the youth of this particular era identify with the groundbreaking movie, but it has also resonated with teens in subsequent generations. Quirky, odd, and endlessly quotable, The Big Lebowski grew into a cult classic. Initially overlooked, it later became beloved for its eccentric characters and offbeat humor.

Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) is a heroin user, whose addiction is growing, as his job opportunities are dwindling. His close friends are all drug users as well, and as he tries to get clean, he finds that his friends and his life as he knows it may not be serving him anymore. The movie was directed by Ben Stiller, who also co-stars as the conservative Michael, one of the two very different guys that Lelaina must choose between, the other being the irresponsible Troy (Ethan Hawke). Janeane Garofalo plays the promiscuous Vickie, who fears she may have contracted HIV. Steve Zahn portrays Sammy, a gay man reluctant to come out to his parents.

Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) is a recent college grad, adrift and uncertain about his future. He has an affair with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), the wife of his father’s business partner, before falling in love with her daughter, Elaine (Katherine Ross). The Graduate is a major work of New Hollywood, and it still feels surprisingly modern more than 50 years since its release. Hoffman plays confused, young college grad Ben Braddock, who is seduced by the predatory Mrs. Robinson, brilliantly played by Anne Bancroft. However, everyone is shocked when Ben ends up running away with the Robinsons’ daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross), in the film’s iconic finale.

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“Do the Right Thing” captured an anger that many young people of Generation X felt about living in the shadow of the Civil Rights Movement, rather than in a new reality these changes were supposed to create (per Dissent Magazine). It’s a journey that many kids have had in every generation, but each one has a slightly different attitude to relationships and “Fast Times” absolutely nails how it was viewed by the first Gen Xers to hit puberty. Speaking of which, many a Gen Xer felt certain feelings for the first time during the movie’s legendary pool scene that features dream girl Phoebe Cates. According to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, the oldest Gen Xers were born as early as 1965, which would’ve put the first batch of them in the teenage workforce by the early-’80s.

It doesn’t shy away from difficult emotions like disappointment, ambivalence, and vulnerability, and it manages to tackle its material with an emotional honesty that lies just beneath its candy-coated outer shell. Part of the film’s charm might be that it legitimately doesn’t feel like anything else. It was made far outside Hollywood and shows almost no interest in more mainstream approaches to comedy, acting, or dialogue.

It’s hard to think of any other film that creates such a successful and believable dreamscape. As Daily Dead wrote, “It is that unfettered creativity, along with the mixing of the dark and light, the whimsical with the sinister, that distinguishes ‘Labyrinth’ from other films of the 1980s.” “The Matrix” is a pop culture landmark, with quotes and references that — for better and for worse — have become common parlance. Its success also marked the rising fortunes of its directors, the siblings Lana and Lilly Wachowski, who remain a great source for ambitious, genre-defying films that aren’t afraid to go big or go home. For millennial teens working out their tastes, obsessions, and passions in a judgmental environment — i.e. in any high school anywhere — it meant a lot to see Kim choosing Edward and loving him all her life. It not only promised audiences that they didn’t have to be “normal,” but it also promised them that they could grow up without becoming a kind of pod person embracing a bland, lifeless world they didn’t want.

” and “You complete me.” It explored ambition, vulnerability, and love in equal measure. “Speed Racer” was a visual spectacle that cost $120 million to make but brought in only $93 million. Fans now celebrate its bold colors, innovative special effects, and energetic storytelling.

In retrospect, anyone who passed on the movie likely regrets it now, as “Heathers” is a full-blown cult classic that exaggerates the tension between the misfits and the popular kids in a wonderfully dark way. Although this critical darling has seen something of a backlash in recent years, there’s a reason why “Garden State” still resonates with millennials. Zach Braff’s angsty yet artistic direction takes us back to an era when emo culture was materializing. Upon release, many teens and twenty-somethings couldn’t help but see themselves in Braff’s Andrew, a depressed introvert struggling with mental health and prescription drugs.

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Even when you know it’s not real, the film is still effective and wonderfully creepy. Multiply that terror by ten for the early wave of audiences who went in half-convinced this was about actual documentary filmmakers investigating real folklore. When “Dazed and Confused” came out, it grossed just $7.9 million and was mostly overlooked. Its slice-of-life depiction of teenagers on the last day of school in the 1970s felt too low-key for mainstream audiences. But over time, the movie’s authentic portrayal of youth, nostalgia, and the awkwardness of growing up turned it into a cult favorite.

The film is peppered with horror in-jokes — like the eternal folly of doing the deed in a slasher movie — and its witty meta approach delighted millennials, who’d grown up poking fun at the genre. At the same time, the movie also gave audiences real chills, a compelling and twisty mystery, and a memorable heroine, who’s not just trying to survive; she’s trying to work through her trauma too (via Screen Queens). Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan redefined war movies with raw realism. Its opening D-Day sequence remains one of cinema’s most powerful depictions of battle. The film blended intense action with emotional storytelling about sacrifice and duty. Robin Williams’ heartfelt performance in Mrs. Doubtfire blended comedy with family themes.