Most of us grew up sitting in front of the TV to cheer on the classic teen movie rebels and bad boys who showed us the (cringey) ways of teen romance, the (embarrassing) triumphs of the nerd turned popular, and the (highly illegal) shenanigans of the neighborhood rebel.
Ever go back and watch the coming of age classics as a thirty-something adult? Well tread lightly, because the combination of nostalgia and comfort may fade as you start to realize the characters we grew up loving are actually little jerks who need to straighten up and listen to their parents.
We hate to admit we’re getting older and nothing will make you feel like you’re turning into your parents more than starting to side with the adults in the teen movie you used to love.
Redditor u/roix_ducat asked the internet: “What teen movie is the epitome of “the older I get, the more I agree with the adult”?
The answers will bring have you planning a marathon of oldies but goodies for you and your friends to watch and feel like the old sacks your young selves are promised yourselves you’d never become.
Here are 20 movies and shows Redditors point out not to re-watch if we don’t want to feel old.
1.
“In Dirty Dancing, Jerry Orbach just wanted a family summer vacation and instead learned entirely too much about his daughters’ sex lives.” –dolorousbread
“Dirty Dancing. The dad was completely justified in not wanting his teenaged daughter to fraternize with a creepy adult male camp dance teacher.” –accomplicated
2.
“Gene Wilder in original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory “stop, don’t… come back”” –isaacmorton
3.
“Winnie the Pooh.
Rabbit was never against playtime….but can you just not do it in his house or garden you little helions?!?!?” –sepharih
4.
“Mr. Wilson in Dennis the Menace. Seriously, f–k that little miscreant and his parents that turn a blind eye to his shenanigans.” –HotTub_MKE
5.
“Rugrats. The parents were so young and just doing their best. I like it was a group of neighbors that were best friends too. I get really stressed out on their behalf now. Especially the one where Didi just wants to make it home before her banana tree she bought died in the car but no one could get their shit together.” –cunexttuesday12
6.
“The mom in Ice Princess. So you have a daughter who has a talent for and seems to like physics and has a shot of getting into harvard. This girl throws it away for ice skating where she has only been competing for less than a year, where if she gets injured she’s done and when she reaches 30 she’s pretty much done. There is no way she is at an olympic level at that point she would need years of training! Hell yes I would advise against it to!” –testmonkey254
7.
The Little Mermaid:
“But I love him daddy.
No! You’re 16. You’re not completely changing yourself for a boy you just met.” –Combat-kid
8.
“I’m gonna say Daria. I used to be a disaffected teen too. All my problems were SO HUGE! And Daria’s parents just DIDN’T UNDERSTAND!
I watch it now, and Jake Morgendorffer is who I identify best with. He’s supposed to seem silly and crazy and out of touch, but now I just see a guy who worries so much about providing for his family, dealing with insecurity about his masculinity, and trying to relate to his daughters any way he can in spite of being completely baffled by them, because his hyper-masculine upbringing left him ill-equipped to relate to girls.” –corran450
9.
“10 Things I Hate About You. When the dad says “you’re 18, you don’t know what you want. And you won’t know what you want ’til you’re 45, and even if you get it, you’ll be too old to use it.” –pagemarketer
10.
Lilo and Stitch. My opinion of Nani changed entirely. –EmpireofAzad
I think it helps when you realize that she’s literally a teenager(18) trying to prevent CPS taking away the only family she has left while working and trying to be a mother to a little sister who is a social outcast. –Sittinginchairs