When you pull up a comfort teen watch, what comes to mind? Probably some mix of shopping montages, iconic one liners and the power of female friendship. I doubt you’re thinking of Jane Austen, Shakespeare or George Bernard Shaw. But maybe you should. It turns out that tons of the most iconic teen films of the past 30 years have been influenced, inspired, or possessed by classic literature.
Even through the modern lens, a multitude of young adult and teen films from the 1990s through the mid 2000s put forth a new take on a classic novel, even if only to use the basic storyline or characters from the source material. Let’s take a walk down memory lane, both with our VCR’s and our bookshelves, shall we?
What Teen Movies Are Inspired By Classic Literature?
One could argue the year that these modern adaptations began until we’re blue in the face, but when digging into the niche the first major player is one of the most famous teen flicks out there: Clueless. That’s right, Cher Horowitz was fashioned after Jane Austen’s protagonist Emma, and based on the novel of the same name. Forged in the same matchmaking vein as Emma Woodhouse, Cher prides herself in being able to get her friends made over and coupled off.
Heading in the direction of the thriller/drama genre, Cruel Intentions takes 90’s teen royalty Ryan Philippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese Witherspoon, planting them into the twisty turns plot of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1782).
Another classic example of the makeover trope comes in the form of 1999’s wildly popular She’s All That. In the film, quarterback Zack enters into a bet with his friends to turn the “ugliest girl in school” into the prom queen. This idea is of course inspired by George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, in which Henry Higgins believes that he can turn simple flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a member of high society through some new dresses and speech lessons.
Shakespeare has had a much bigger impact on teen films than one would expect. Even taking a cursory glance at the 90’s and early 2000’s, The Bard would be proud. From comedies like Twelfth Night (She’s The Man, 2006) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Get Over It, 2001) to the ultimate tragedy of Othello (O, 2001), William Shakespeare continues to inspire filmmakers everywhere. Romeo & Juliet, arguably his most famous work, has influenced its own separate category, with films like Valley Girl & Warm Bodies taking the base romantic tragedy and putting their own modern-slightly less depressing-spin on it.
This trend has even made an appearance in slightly more recent years, with Emma Stone tackling the Nathaniel Hawthorne puritan tale of The Scarlet Letter with 2010’s Easy A, and completely pulling off the meta, self-aware nature of the story. Another surprise in this subgenre of subgenres is the 2006 comedy John Tucker Must Die, which tackled Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, an lesser known but equally entertaining ensemble story.
Classic Inspiration in Modern Filmmaking
So what causes filmmakers to be so inspired by the classics? And in turn what causes audiences to flock to them in droves? There could be a multitude of reasons for this: great writing, casting, a love of all things nostalgic. But I think that there is another underlying cause; theme. These classics have stood the test of time, by and large because of their themes and lessons that are still relevant to this day.
Revenge, jealousy, societal commentary, unrequited love. These are timeless; they are and will continue to remain relevant for many years to come. So much of our young adult lives revolve around self discovery and coming into our own, and classic literature is the perfect jumping off point for teens and their various troubles.
Classic Literature With A Twist
I love putting a movie on and spotting the Easter eggs of some of my favourite classic novels. The characters may have different names, and the plot points may vary, but when it comes to classics you can’t go wrong. They’re here to stay, and luckily for us so are these films.
