Shat the Movies

The Best 80s & 90s Movie Podcast

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coming of age

1980s Best Movies / View All

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a pretty, but inexperienced, teen interested in dating. Given advice by her uninhibited friend, Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates), Stacy gets trapped in a love triangle with nice guy Mark Ratner (Brian Backer) and his more assured buddy Mike Damone (Robert Romanus). Meanwhile, Stacy’s classmate Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), who lives for surfing and being stoned, faces off against Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), a strict teacher who has no time for the slacker’s antics.

1980s Best Movies / View All

Vision Quest (1985)

High school wrestler Louden Swain (Matthew Modine) feels he must do something significant in his life shortly after turning 18. Despite vehement advice against it from his father (Ronny Cox) and coach (Charles Hallahan), Swain decides to try to lose over 20 pounds in a very short time in an attempt to take on the defending state champion of a lower weight class. Meanwhile, he falls for the edgy, older Carla (Linda Fiorentino), who provides further distraction for the young wrestler.

Les Anderson (Corey Haim) is about to take his driving test. He has a few things planned, based on the presumption that he will pass. Not least is a date with the girl of his dreams, Mercedes Lane (Heather Graham). Then he fails, and his plans are shattered. He doesn't tell anyone that he has failed though and goes ahead with the date with Mercedes. Key to his night out is taking his grandfather's prized 16-year old low-mileage Cadillac, left in the care of his father. The car, and his attempts to keep it unharmed, are the source of many adventures that night. However, his friend, Dean (Corey Feldman), is the number 1 source, egging him on.

1980s Best Movies / View All

License to Drive (1988)

Les Anderson (Corey Haim) is about to take his driving test. He has a few things planned, based on the presumption that he will pass. Not least is a date with the girl of his dreams, Mercedes Lane (Heather Graham). Then he fails, and his plans are shattered. He doesn’t tell anyone that he has failed though and goes ahead with the date with Mercedes. Key to his night out is taking his grandfather’s prized 16-year old low-mileage Cadillac, left in the care of his father. The car, and his attempts to keep it unharmed, are the source of many adventures that night. However, his friend, Dean (Corey Feldman), is the number 1 source, egging him on.

After a wish turns 12-year-old Josh Baskin (David Moscow) into a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks), he heads to New York City and gets a low-level job at MacMillen Toy Company. A chance encounter with the owner (Robert Loggia) of the company leads to a promotion testing new toys. Soon a fellow employee, Susan Lawrence (Elizabeth Perkins), takes a romantic interest in Josh. However, the pressure of living as an adult begins to overwhelm him, and he longs to return to his simple, former life as a boy.

1980s Best Movies / View All

Big (1988)

When 12-year-old Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) makes a wish to be “big” at a mysterious carnival machine, he wakes up the next morning in the body of an adult. Navigating the confusing world of grown-ups, Josh lands a job at a toy company, where his childlike imagination helps him thrive—but he soon realizes that adulthood isn’t as easy as it seems. Big is a heartwarming and whimsical comedy about the joys of childhood and the challenges of growing up, driven by Tom Hanks’ unforgettable performance.