Page 18 - ADU Voice Volume 4 Issue 2

17 Voice | Spring 2025

A
UT

Y OF COMING-OF-A
GE FILMS
THE BE
THE BEAUTY OF COMING-OF-AGE FILMS
sons in Ch
s
ange
Lessons in Change
Le
By Waad Elamin Mukhtar

tories have the unique ability to impact us and change us in ways we don’t always expect. Coming-
of-age stories in particular capture both the big and subtle changes we go through as we transition
Sfrom childhood to adulthood.

These stories are important because not only do they show us that we are not alone in our struggles,
but that change is an inevitable and essential force of life that we must fully embrace in order to allow
growth. Coming-of-age films such as Lady Bird (2017), Stand By Me (1986), and How Deep is the
Ocean (2023) teach us not to reject change no matter how daunting it may be because ultimately, it’s the
key to our self-discovery and growth. Lady Bird and Stand by Me both explore the internal and external
changes we go through as we grow up, highlighting how our childhood innocence gradually starts to
fade as we face the harsh realities of life.

Lady Bird, set in the small town of Sacramento, California, follows Christine as she transitions from
adolescence to adulthood. The film captures both the beauty and the tension of growing up. Christine
goes from a girl dreaming of leaving her hometown and struggling to accept her mother’s love, to
experiencing the reality of independence, such as the financial and social issues that come with studying
away from home. These changes force her to accept her roots and finally appreciate all her mother’s
sacrifices. Lady Bird teaches us that growth can emerge from the ability to understand and accept the
complexities of ourselves and others.