50 Most Troubled Teens

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By published

Agitated adolescents with growing pains

Weird Science (1985)

How Is It Resolved? Lisa uses her supernatural powers to build the boys' self-esteem and help them to get real girlfriends.

Sample Quote: "Maybe it was a dream, you know, a very weird, bizarre, vivid, erotic, wet, detailed dream. Maybe we have malaria."

Submarine (2010)

The Teen: Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts).

The Trouble: Oliver is convinced that his mum is two-timing his morose dad by having an affair with New Age guru Graham.

How Is It Resolved? Oliver breaks into Graham's house and goes on a destructive rampage… which proves to be enough to force a reconciliation between his parents.

Sample Quote: "My mum gave a handjob to a mystic."

WarGames (1983)

The Teen: David Lightman (Matthew Broderick).

The Trouble: Early computer hacker who is so ahead of the curve he accidentally initiates a Global Thermonuclear War.

How Is It Resolved? David convinces computer Joshua that there can be no winner in a nuclear war by forcing it to play endless games of noughts and crosses.

Sample Quote: "Hey, I don't believe that any system is totally secure."

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

The Teen: Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn).

The Trouble: Stoner and surfer whose couldn't-give-a-fuck attitude make him a hero to classmates but a source of endless irritation to teacher Mr Hand.

How Is It Resolved? Mr Hand gets payback on the night of the prom, forcing Jeff into an eight-hour tuition session to make up for the time he's wasted during the year.

Sample Quote: "Surfing's not a sport, it's a way of life, it's no hobby. It's a way of looking at that wave and saying, 'Hey bud, let's party!'"

Clueless (1995)

The Teen: Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone).

The Trouble: Queen Bee who turns into a benign busybody when she decides to play matchmaker and mentor to teachers and fellow students.

How Is It Resolved? With shopping, after which Cher realises she needs to sort her own life out and begins dating ex-stepbrother Josh.

Sample Quote: "That's Ren and Stimpy. They're way existential."

Dazed And Confused (1993)

The Teen: Mike Newhouse (Adam Goldberg).

The Trouble: Geek who decides he's had enough of being a social outcast on the last day of school, and becomes determined to gatecrash the evening's entertainment at a hilltop keg party.

How Is It Resolved? Mike starts a fight with the thuggish Clint, wrongly assuming that partygoers will break it up. They don't, and he gets his ass kicked.

Sample Quote: "What everybody in this car needs is some good ol' worthwhile visceral experience."

The Sure Thing (1985)

The Teen: Walter Gibson (John Cusack).

The Trouble: Gib' has a sure thing in California. Now he just needs to get there, except his travelling companion is uptight Alison Bradbury.

How Is It Resolved? Inevitably, Gib realises that Alison is a much surer thing than the superficial hottie he had his eye on.

Sample Quote: "How would you like to have a sexual encounter so intense it could conceivably change your political views?"

Grease (1978)

The Teen: Danny Zuko (John Travolta).

The Trouble: What's a T-bird to do when he's spent the summer falling in love with Sandy? Obviously, he's got to behave like a jerk and pretend that it was just summer lovin'.

How Is It Resolved? Sandy toughens up, dons leather and drives off with Danny in a flying car.

Sample Quote: "Why, this car is Auto-matic. Its System-matic. Its Hyyyyydro-matic. Why, its Greased Lightning!"

Election (1999)

The Teen: Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon).

The Trouble: Uber-ambitious high school politician obsessed with becoming student president. Is she trouble.. or does bitter teacher Jim McAllister just think she is?

How Is It Resolved? Jim's attempts to rig the election backfire and Tracy takes her first steps into what will presumably become a high-powered political career.

Sample Quote: "You can't interfere with destiny, that's why it's destiny."

American Pie (1999)

The Teen: Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott).

The Trouble: All Jim, Kevin, Oz and Finch want to do is get laid. Not easy when Stifler is busy heckling them from the sidelines.

How Is It Resolved? The joke's on Stifler, after his drink is spiked with semen and then Finch shags Stifler's MILF-tastic mom.

Sample Quote: "I say, why don't you guys locate your dicks, remove the shrink wrap, and fucking use them!"