For many children, teenagers, and young adults, viewing films in theatres or homes is a primary method of entertainment and socialization. In a sense, many of us “come of age” at the movies, and our memories are fused with touching, funny, or enlightening cinematic scenes, as well as real-life rites of passage. Not surprisingly, numerous consequential films depict this poignant transition. As a group, these films form a category, or genre, commonly known as “coming-of-age.” This course will analyze fifteen coming-of-age films from the 1930s to the present. We will explore how cinematic definitions of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood have changed over time and across cultures. In conducting this survey, we will learn the basic principles of film criticism, consider how films are adapted from novels, and appreciate the work of some of the greatest directors in the world, including Fleming, Kazan, Renoir, Fellini, Truffaut, Bogdanovich, Hallström, Malle, Singleton, and Miyazaki, among others. Please note: We will have one required, in-class film screening per week.