5 Summer Coming-of-Age Movies To Stream After Now and Then
In 1995, an ode to the tween summer coming-of-age film called Now and Then hit theaters. The movie featured performances from up-and-comers Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffmann, Christina Ricci, and Ashleigh Aston Moore. Their older counterparts were played by Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, and Rita Wilson. The supporting cast—Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, Cloris Leachman, and Devon Sawa—was nothing to sneeze at either, and even a young Rumer Willis had a small role. Flashing between 1970 and 1991, the movie follows the four best friends as children and adults as they reminisce on a formative summer from their youth.
For years, Now and Then has been difficult to find on streaming platforms, and was unavailable on DVD or Blu Ray. But now, Netflix has finally announced that as of August 1, the ’90s classic will be available to stream. Once you jump on the nostalgia wave, you’re going to want to watch more movies of this ilk, so here are five other coming-of-age gems that you can stream once you’re done with Now and Then.
The Baby-Sitters Club
Based on the Ann M. Martin book series, The Baby-Sitters Club also premiered in 1995. In the movie, Schuyler Fisk, Rachael Leigh Cook, Larisa Oleynnik, Tricia Joe, Bre Blair, Stacy Linn Ramsower, and Zelda Harris embodied the classic characters Kristy, Mary Anne, Dawn, Caludia, Stacey, Mallory and Jessi. It’s got everything you’d want in a summer coming-of-age story: a group of teens trying to run a business, first kisses, summer school…
Where to watch: Amazon Prime (but The Baby-Sitters Club is also coming back to Netflix as a ten-part series based on the original, so maybe Netflix will snatch up the movie soon, too.)
All I Wanna Do (also known as Strike!)
All I Wanna Do is a 1998 teen comedy you’ve probably never heard of, but it is an underrated component of the boarding school dramedy canon, and features a bevy of budding stars. Kirsten Dunst, Gaby Hoffmann, Rachael Leigh Cook, Merritt Wever, and Heather Matarazzo play a group of boarding school girls in 1963 who devise a plan to sabotage their all girls high school’s plan to merge with a neighboring boys school.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
You probably already know how the story goes: four best friends since before birth prepare for their first-ever summer apart, only to discover that one pair of thrift store jeans magically fits all of them perfectly, so they decide to put the pants in rotation and mail them to one another every couple weeks to keep their connection going.
Where to watch: Netflix
Aquamarine
Emma Roberts, Sara Paxton, and JoJo all together in the same movie? Say no more. But in case you don’t know what Aquamarine is about: a pair of 13-year-old best friends discover a mermaid in their swimming pool, and go to great lengths to protect her.
Where to watch: HBO Go
Bend It Like Beckham
Bend It Like Beckham was a breakout moment for Keira Knightley back in 2002, just before she leaned hard into the period piece genre. Parminder Nagra stars as an exceptionally talented soccer star, and Knightley’s character brings her to train for a local women’s team coached by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. In other words: goals all around. Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Related: Where Has Thora Birch Been? Allow Thora Birch to Explain.
