Top 10 Best Performances in Teen Movies

Before she was Elle Woods, Reese Witherspoon was Tracy Flick, the overachieving high school schooler running for student body president in Alexander Payne’s brilliant satire. This driven student is ruthless in her quest to win. But Tracy’s also shrewd enough to not face punishment for her wrongdoings. It should come as no surprise that more than one politician has been compared to her. Although the writing is phenomenal on its own, the movie definitely needed Witherspoon in the role. The future Oscar winner gives every one of Tracy’s facial expressions and smiles a maximum dose of intensity. If you knew a Tracy Flick in high school, Witherspoon’s performance will bring you right back there.

While there are many great performances in this coming-of-age Stephen King adaptation, the standout star is River Phoenix. He plays Chris Chambers, one of four friends who go on a life-changing hike. Coming from an unstable home, he not only has to deal with his family but also the pain of being misunderstood. Chris does his best to hide his unhappiness. But eventually, he has to let his emotions out. Phoenix’s ability to show vulnerability even under a mask of toughness is remarkable. Tragically, River Phoenix passed away at a young age after this fim. His performance here demonstrated how natural of a talent he was.

Few movies have captured the trauma of social anxiety as well as Bo Burnham’s “Eighth Grade.” And Elsie Fisher’s revelatory lead performance earned every accolade it received. She plays Kayla Day, a middle-schooler trying to overcome her shyness and figure out who she is. Fisher is both heartwarming and heartbreaking throughout the film. We feel for her every step of the way as she reminds us of our own middle school memories, as awkward as some of them are. Though Kayla encounters both internal and external challenges, she gradually learns to love and stand up for herself. Fisher created a truly authentic and relatable character with this performance.

How do you overcome the difficulties being a teenager in a world that marginalizes you at every turn? That’s the question at the heart of “The Hate U Give,” an adaptation of Angie Thomas’s acclaimed YA novel. Amandla Stenberg plays a 16-year-old named Starr who must deal with the complications of living in a Black neighborhood while attending a mainly white private school. After witnessing a friend’s death, Starr is left both mourning his loss and stressing over whether or not to take a stand. Stenberg earned numerous awards and raves for making Starr into a multidimensional character who knows the right thing to do is never the easiest. We can’t give any hate to this performance.

Teen pregnancy is a difficult subject on numerous levels, especially as the subject of a movie. But “Juno” is as sincere and lovable as its protagonist. Juno MacGuff is a 16-year-old with a quick tongue but also a massive heart who has to grow up much sooner than anticipated. Page is a natural at delivering all the slang-heavy dialogue with humor and honesty. Thanks to the dedication of this performance, the movie is able to become so much more than a source for quotes. Also, raise your hand if you got a hamburger phone to be like Juno. Yeah, so did we.

Leave Alicia Silverstone off this list? As if! As Cher Horowitz, the Beverly Hills high-schooler at the center of classic teen comedy “Clueless,” Silverstone faces an incredible challenge. She has to be both shallow and likable. Fortunately, Silverstone nails this tricky balance perfectly. Although Cher might come off like she’s more concerned with matters of the mall than of the museum, that doesn’t keep her from being a fundamentally good person. She has hidden depths of empathy for others. And when she makes mistakes, she acknowledges her missteps and grows as a person. Cher’s far from perfect. But Silverstone’s performance can be described with one word: flawless.

When you think of a teenage boy in the 50s, you probably picture how James Dean looked in this movie. As troubled youth Jim Stark, he gave both an incredible performance and set a new standard for portrayals of teenagers in movies. Stressed by his parents' marriage difficulties as well as conflicts with his peers and himself, Jim is pushed to his limit. But he also learns to be stronger through these challenges. Dean’s brooding intensity made him an icon based on image alone. But beyond the red jacket lies a rawness that few teenage characters had been afforded at that point. Although Dean tragically died a month before the film’s release, this performance made him an immortal icon to generations of fans.

High school can feel like a horror movie, especially when you’re as vulnerable as Carrie White. The shy protagonist of this harrowing Stephen King adaptation is constantly harassed by both her peers and her brutal mother. Eventually, Carrie finds strength through developing her telekinetic skills. And the consequences of this discovery are life-changing for everyone involved. Sissy Spacek shows the hurt Carrie is forced to endure as well as her fury when she’s finally pushed too far. “Carrie” is still as scary now as it was more than 40 years ago. After all this time, Spacek’s performance is still in a league of its own.

Although Saoirse Ronan hails from Ireland, she plays a disillusioned California teen so well that we were convinced she spent her whole life there. This coming-of-age story about a Sacramento high schooler desperate to get out of her hometown is one of the best teen films in recent memory. And Ronan’s performance is a big reason why. Lady Bird has many difficulties in her relationships with her mother, her friends, and with herself. But despite her flaws and shortcomings, Ronan makes sure the character is sympathetic. We fully believe that Lady Bird wants to be a better person…even if she doesn’t always know how.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Matthew Broderick, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986)
A Righteous Performance as a Righteous Dude

Nick Robinson, “Love, Simon” (2018)
Robinson Gave Us a Great Performance and One of the First Mainstream Gay Teen Protagonists

Hailee Steinfeld, “The Edge of Seventeen” (2016)
Steinfeld Shines as a Teenager Going Through a Personal Criss

Winona Ryder, “Heathers” (1989)
Ryder Gives an Iconic Performance in This Dark Comedy

Bel Powley, “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” (2015)
Powley is Amazing in This Difficult Period Piece

Long before memes were made about Leonardo DiCaprio’s lack of an Oscar, he got his first Academy nomination for this drama. The actor isn’t the main character in a story about a man in small-town Iowa trying to keep his family together. But DiCaprio definitely left the biggest impression. As Arnie, he plays a boy with special needs who has difficulty overcoming his phobias and trauma within a tough family situation. The young DiCaprio makes sure to award the character the complexity and sensitivity the role deserved. Even actors twice DiCaprio’s age would have difficulty with this kind of role. But his tremendous performance here proved he was destined to become a superstar.