The tender topic of childhood love touches on the universal experience of first crushes, innocent romances, and the purest forms of companionship that often occur in the early chapters of life. Films exploring this theme tend to capture the sweetness, awkwardness, and sometimes heartbreak associated with young love, framed with a backdrop of coming-of-age stories. They resonate because they remind viewers of their own experiences with love during a time when everything felt new and emotions ran high. The films listed below delve into these narratives, each presenting its own unique perspective on love during the formative years.
“Moonrise Kingdom”, 2012
Director: Wes Anderson
Directed by Wes Anderson, this film tells the story of two young lovers, Sam and Suzy, who run away together into the wilderness, sparking a large search party to find them. The film captures the innocence and seriousness with which children approach love and commitments.
Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bob Balaban, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keitel;
Production year: 2012;
Genre: family, comedy, drama, melodrama;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 90 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,8;
“My Girl”, 1991
Director: Howard Zieff
A poignant tale of friendship and young love, this film centers on Vada, a young girl coming of age in the early 1970s. Her experiences with her best friend, Thomas J., explore themes of love, loss, and the pains of growing up.
Starring: Anna Chlumsky, Dan Aykroyd, Macaulay Culkin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Masur, Griffin Dunne, Ann Nelson, Peter Michael Goetz, Jane Hallaren, Anthony R. Jones;
Production year: 1991;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy, family;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 102 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,9;
More information about the film “My Girl” on the website imdb.com
“The Kissing Booth”, 2018
Director: Vince Marcello
While more of a teenage love story, this film dips into the realm of childhood love by exploring the lifelong friendship and budding romance between Elle and Lee, and how it becomes complicated when Elle develops a crush on Lee's older brother.
Starring: Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi, Molly Ringwald, Meganne Young, Stephen Jennings, Carson White, Morné Visser, Megan du Plessis, Lincoln Pearson;
Production year: 2018;
Genre: melodrama, comedy;
Age: 18+;
Duration: 105 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 5,9;
More information about the film “The Kissing Booth” on the website imdb.com
“Flipped”, 2010
Director: Rob Reiner
A unique take on childhood love, this film follows Juli and Bryce, two elementary students who end up becoming each other's first loves. The story uniquely presents the evolving perspectives of both characters from grade school to junior high.
Starring: Madeline Carroll, Callan McAuliffe, Aidan Quinn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Mahoney, Rebecca De Mornay, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Weisman, Michael Bolten, Cody Horn;
Production year: 2010;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 90 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,7;
More information about the film “Flipped” on the website imdb.com
“Bridge to Terabithia”, 2006
Director: Gabor Csupo
Though not a conventional love story, this film presents a deep bond and affection between two young friends, Jesse and Leslie, as they create and explore a magical kingdom to escape the difficulties of their own realities.
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick, Bailee Madison, Kate Butler, Devon Wood, Emma Fenton, Grace Brannigan, Latham Gaines;
Production year: 2006;
Genre: fantasy, drama, adventure, family;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 93 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,2;
More information about the film “Bridge to Terabithia” on the website imdb.com
“A Little Romance”, 1979
Director: George Roy Hill
This film tells the story of a young American girl and a French boy who meet in Paris and, with the help of an eccentric old man, run away together to Venice to seal their love with a kiss under the Bridge of Sighs.
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Diane Lane, Thelonious Bernard, Arthur Hill, Sally Kellerman, Broderick Crawford, David Dukes, Andrew Duncan, Claudette Sutherland, Graham Fletcher-Cook;
Production year: 1979;
Genre: melodrama, comedy, adventure;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 110 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,4;
More information about the film “A Little Romance” on the website imdb.com
“Let the Right One In”, 2022
Director: Seith Mann, Viet Nguyen, Eva Sørhaug, Sarah Boyd
A Swedish film that mixes romance with horror, following the complex relationship between Oskar, a bullied boy, and Eli, a vampire girl. Despite its dark themes, at its core, it's a story about young love and acceptance.
Starring: Demián Bichir, Anika Noni Rose, Grace Gummer, Madison Taylor Baez, Ian Foreman, Jacob Buster, Kevin Carroll, Jimmie Saito, Nick Stahl, Fernanda Andrade;
Production year: 2022;
Genre: horror, drama;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
More information about the film “Let the Right One In” on the website imdb.com
“Love, Simon”, 2018
Director: Greg Berlanti
Although focusing on a high school setting, this film explores the theme of a first love that has deep roots in childhood friendship. It involves Simon, a closeted teen, who navigates coming out and discovering who his anonymous classmate, with whom he has fallen in love online, could be.
Starring: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Logan Miller, Keiynan Lonsdale, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Talitha Eliana Bateman, Tony Hale;
Production year: 2018;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 110 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
More information about the film “Love, Simon” on the website imdb.com
These films, with their diverse settings and narratives, capture the essence of childhood love in all its complexity, purity, and transformative power, offering viewers a chance to reminisce about their own experiences of love during their formative years.
In conclusion, films about childhood love enchant and move audiences by evoking the innocence, wonder, and intensity of first loves. These narratives, in their varied forms, manage to capture the universal and timeless nature of young affection against the backdrop of growing pains and self-discovery. Through their rich storytelling, they remind viewers of the profound impact of their earliest emotional connections, leaving an indelible mark on their hearts. Whether it unfolds in a sun-drenched field, a crowded school corridor, or a quaint neighborhood, childhood love as depicted in film transcends the screen to resonate deeply with our own memories and experiences. It teaches us about the purity of love, the sting of its loss, and the strength it gives us to move forward, making these films cherished and essential explorations of the human condition.
