AARP Hearing Center
Gen X learned who we were while sitting in front of the VCR, rewinding the same moments until they stuck.
Neil Jamieson (Alamy 9, Everett Collection 3)
As much as movies defined Gen X, Gen X defined movies. No one went to the movies or lived them more, or better, than we did. Our repeat viewings fueled the first modern blockbusters, from Jaws onward. We had VHS and cable if we were lucky, which means any flops that later became cult classics did so courtesy of us, watching and rewatching until we’d memorized every line. These films either formed us as people or depicted us exactly as we are, were, or both.
Need further proof? We bet you’ve seen every film on this list more than once.
Our childhood on film
They were kids just like us. They felt feelings we all felt and, just like us, had to gut it out without adult supervision.
Stand by Me (1986)
(Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman) Every childhood adventure had its metaphorical dead body, the one crazy, impossible thing that seemed possible but never really happened. Still, it could have. Oh, and your life will end one day, probably sooner than you think. Is it any wonder we’re so messed up?
The Bad News Bears (1976)
(Walter Matthau, Tatum O’Neal) Each kid’s personality existed inside us at the same time. Meanwhile, cruel and boozing coaches were the norm. A film for every Little Leaguer who remembers the taste of Schlitz.
The Goonies (1985)
(Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Martha Plimpton) “This is our time.” Our generation really did leave the house after breakfast and get into adventures. Sad fact: No future generation will ever have that privilege.
The Outsiders (1983)
(C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise) Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay doomed, everyone else. A teen movie that understood sadness isn’t a phase; it’s woven into the fabric of growing up. Made us all romanticize being misunderstood.
The Monster Squad (1987)
(Andre Gower, Duncan Regehr) Kids swore, monsters were scary and parents were useless. Exactly how childhood felt. Also, Wolfman absolutely had nards.
We don’t need no education
Has any generation’s high school and college education been more entertainingly and exhaustively chronicled than ours?
Sixteen Candles (1984) / The Breakfast Club (1985) / Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
(Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Matthew Broderick) The Gen X film trinity. As Bowie sang, we were quite aware of what we were going through.
Where to watch: The Breakfast Club / Sixteen Candles / Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Three O’Clock High (1987)
(Casey Siemaszko, Richard Tyson) For every undersized, terrified kid who finally had to ball up a fist and make a statement.
Risky Business (1983)
(Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay) Gen X’s neo-noir, complete with the femme fatale and morals in free fall. As teens, we all sensed what was lurking beneath the shiny surface of suburbia, and this film confirmed all of it.
Spicoli (Sean Penn) ordering a pizza during history class in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” perfectly explained Gen X’s relationship with authority.
Alamy
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
(Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold) It had everything: sexual awakening, economic anxiety and the quiet knowledge that adults had no idea what our lives were actually like. Cameron Crowe may be a boomer, but he understood us better than most of our parents did.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
(Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin) Bill and Ted stood in for anyone who didn’t fit the standard definition of “promising” but somehow kept moving forward anyway. Their curiosity mattered more than their grades, and their kindness counted as intelligence. They probably could’ve learned more about America just by spending 90 minutes with George Carlin.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
(Parker Posey, Jason London, Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey) Remember being a high school freshman, watching the upperclassmen reveal themselves as drunk, confused people on the verge of mediocre lives? And still wanting to be just like them? We all remember.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
(Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins) A film about education? Yes, in two ways. It’s the story of a gifted student finally finding a teacher worthy of her potential. It’s also a reminder that being smarter and braver than everyone around you doesn’t make the journey any easier.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
(Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke) “What will your verse be?” When you’re young, freedom of thought and spirit really can be like handling a loaded gun.
Real Genius (1985)
(Val Kilmer) Smart kids realizing that intelligence doesn’t protect them from being used. Plus: popcorn physics and the eternal question of whether being brilliant means you’re obligated to weaponize it.
Dating documentaries
We sucked at relationships, and maybe we still do. That’s why these flicks still land.
Every Gen Xer knows the real tragedy of “Pretty in Pink” is that Andie chose Blane instead of Duckie.
Alamy
Pretty in Pink (1986)
(Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer) Class warfare in pastel colors. The real lesson wasn’t about getting the guy, it was about navigating a world where money determined your worth before you even opened your mouth.
Before Sunrise (1995) / Before Sunset (2004) / Before Midnight (2013)
(Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy) Possibly the only relationship story our generation needs. It’s that comprehensive, wise and authentic, especially as we get older.
Where to watch: Before Sunrise / Before Sunset / Before Midnight
Say Anything (1989)
(John Cusack, Ione Skye) The film that taught us sincerity wasn’t weakness. Lloyd Dobler proved you could be earnest and still be cool, a revolutionary concept for a generation drowning in irony.
Swingers (1996)
(Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn) As much as we prided ourselves on self-awareness, we could still descend into complete self-parody within seconds. This film is all of us at our most ridiculous.
Growing up — under protest
Adulthood loomed for all of us, and even today a lot of us avoid as much of it as we can. Boomers did the exact same thing, of course, but they had that whole make-love-not-war thing to give their immaturity legitimacy.
“Heathers” took high school hierarchy seriously enough to treat it like a horror movie.
Alamy
Heathers (1989)
(Winona Ryder, Christian Slater) Foundational Winona. Dunno about you, but as dark as this is, I wish it had gone darker. Heathers may not be what adolescence was like, but it’s what it felt like.
Reality Bites (1994)
(Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Ben Stiller) Winona again, naturally. The film that defined our generation’s struggle between artistic integrity and paying rent. Concocting schemes with gas cards instead of getting actual jobs was peak ’94 thinking. Also: one of the best soundtracks of the decade.
This Is 40 (2012)
(Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann) Hits so many notes it might as well be a generational symphony. No matter how much we accumulate or accomplish, we’re all still awkward teenagers in our heads. And yes, sometimes it’s OK to eat cupcakes out of the garbage when life gets overwhelming.
You Might Also Like
The 75 Essential Books for Gen Xers
Remembering the reads that entertained us, taught us and shaped us into who we’ve become
The 50 Essential Songs for Gen Xers
These are the anthems that raised us, scarred us and still live rent-free in our heads
AARP's Six Favorite Podcasts for Gen Xers
These online audio shows cater to listeners in their 50s