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Movies About Childhood Friends
Watching movies about childhood best friends is a heartwarming way to connect with and heal your inner child.
As you watch, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the carefree and imaginative nature of growing up.
Connecting with the magical stories, you’ll also be able to feel like a kid again.
List of Childhood Movies:
You’ll mostly find coming-of-age movies with characters in middle school and high school featured on this list.
Most movies will be fun and lighthearted, but others can be quite difficult to watch.
That being said, I’ve included content warnings for each movie with the help of DoesTheDogDie.com.
And now onto the movies filled with childhood friends…
27 Best Films About Children Growing Up
Speaking of childhood, have you downloaded your free inner child healing workbook yet? 👇
1. GOLD DIGGERS: THE SECRET OF BEAR MOUNTAIN
My sister and I watch Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain every June 21, which is the day a good chunk of the movie takes place on.
I’ve watched this movie so many times, and it still leaves me smiling.
Synopsis:
Beth is a city girl who just moved from Los Angeles to a small town in the Pacific Northwest, where her mom used to visit growing up.
There she befriends Jody, the town’s delinquent who’s more at home in the woods than in her hometown.
Together they trace the legend of Molly Morgan, who was said to have stashed a fortune of gold in the caves of Bear Mountain.
Genre:
Coming-of-age adventure
Content:
Domestic violence, addiction, alcoholism
Rent or buy here: Amazon
Check out these coming-of-age TV shows:
👉 28 Coming-of-Age TV Shows (Bursting with 90s and 2000s Nostalgia)
2. MOONLIGHT
Academy Award winner for Best Picture Moonlight is a timeless story of self-discovery and connection.
Synopsis:
Growing up in a rough neighborhood in Miami, a young Black man named Chiron grapples with his identity and his sexuality.
Trying to escape from bullies all his life, he finds refuge when Juan, a drug dealer, takes him under his wing.
Watch as Chiron experiences these everyday hardships of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
Genre:
Coming-of-age drama
Content:
Child abuse, drug abuse, addiction, death of a parent, hate speech, homophobia
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
You might relate to these movie about child abuse:
👉 23 Heartbreaking Movies About Childhood Trauma (That are Therapeutic)
3. VERY GOOD GIRLS
Very Good Girls is just one of those movies that nourishes my soul, and I can’t exactly explain why.
Synopsis:
It’s the summer after high school, Lilly and Gerry make a pact to have sex before they go away to college.
They unfortunately fall for the same guy.
Can their friendship withstand this divide?
Genre:
Coming-of-age romantic drama
Content:
Death of a parent
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
4. WILD AMERICA
Wild America is a story of adventure, and it’s one movie that I would always rent from the video store when I was a kid.
This movie is inspiring, hilarious, and it’ll make your heart feel all gushy.
Synopsis:
Brothers Mark, Marty, and Marshall are stuck working at their father’s auto parts business.
But they want so much more from life; They crave adventure.
So one summer, they take their pickup truck and video camera and travel all over America capturing video of endangered animals about to go extinct.
Genre:
Coming-of-age adventure
Rent or buy here: Amazon
5. THE GOONIES
The Goonies is a true 80’s classic that’s got all the makings of a feel-good movie.
Friendship. Adventure. And, of course, a happy ending.
Synopsis:
A group of misfit kids and their families are about to be evicted from their homes…unless they can raise enough money to stop the development of the new golf course scheduled to take their neighborhood’s place.
Hidden away in an attic, the Goonies stumble across an old map that points to the hidden fortune of a pirate named One-Eyed Willy.
In hopes of saving the day, the Goonies head out on one last adventure to find the treasure and save their homes before it’s too late.
Genre:
Coming-of-age adventure
Content:
Fat shaming, bullying
Rent or buy here: Amazon
6. IT
For a horror movie with a theme of childhood friendships, the movie It is a brutal choice.
Synopsis:
When children begin to disappear in the small town of Derry, Maine, a group of bullied kids is forced to face their biggest fears.
They find themselves captured by a shapeshifting clown named Pennywise.
Genre:
Horror
Content:
Abuse, sexual abuse, alcoholism, kidnapping, death, bullying
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
7. NOW AND THEN
You’ll see me recommend Now and Then in almost every movie list here on Okay Now Breathe.
Filled with nostalgia and mystery, this movie about childhood friends is one of my go-to comfort movies whenever I’m having a hard time.
Synopsis:
During the summer of 1970, four childhood friends make a pact to return to Shelby, Indiana whenever they need each other.
A promise is a promise, and now the four of them reunite to reminisce on the summer of a lifetime.
Genre:
Coming-of-age adventure
Content:
Fat shaming, bullying, death
Rent or buy here: Amazon
8. STAND BY ME
Stand By Me is another coming-of-age adventure set around mystery and self-discovery.
Synopsis:
In a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of four friends decide to search for the body of a missing boy.
Wanting to be heroes, they set out on an unforgettable two-day trek that turns into a journey of introspection.
Genre:
Coming-of-age adventure
Content:
Domestic violence, child abuse, alcoholism, death, PTSD, hate speech, homophobia
Rent or buy here: Amazon
9. THE KINGS OF SUMMER
I have a true soft spot for coming-of-age stories, and The Kings of Summer is one filled with a need for independence.
Synopsis:
The Kings of Summer is a comedy where three teenage friends decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods and living off the land.
In search of independence, they learn that they can’t escape their families.
Genre:
Coming-of-age comedy
Content:
Animal death, emotional neglect, addiction
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
If you experienced abuse, these songs might help:
👉 40 Child Abuse Songs (When You Had a Bad Childhood)
10. MY GIRL
I watch My Girl every summer, and my heart breaks with each rewatch.
Synopsis:
Vada has been obsessed with death since her mother died after childbirth…and the fact that she lives in a funeral home.
With the help of her neighborhood best friend, she learns how to live, how to love, and how to grieve.
Genre:
Coming-of-age drama
Content:
Death
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
11. THE SECRET GARDEN
The Secret Garden is a childhood favorite of mine, and it always reminds me of finding beauty, hope, and magic in unexpected times.
Synopsis:
After living in India all of her life, Mary is a young girl who is sent to England to live with her uncle after her parents pass away.
Once there, she discovers her disabled cousin and a garden in desperate need of repair.
Genre:
Coming-of-age drama
Content:
Neglect, ableism, death
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
Use these to heal from your childhood:
👉 11 Ways to Heal Childhood Trauma Spiritually (and Awaken Your Inner Child)
12. THE LITTLE RASCALS
The Little Rascals is another childhood favorite of mine that I’ve continued to watch regularly to this day.
Synopsis:
After Alfalfa’s “He-Man-Woman-Hating” friends discover he’s been wooing Darla behind their backs, they attempt to sabotage the relationship.
A fire breaks out and their clubhouse is burned to the ground.
In the days that follow, they must find a way to get the funds to build themselves a new one.
Genre:
Coming-of-age comedy
Content:
Bullying
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
13. SUPER 8
If you’re looking for a movie captured with mystery and wonder, Super 8 is perfect to put on for a movie night.
Synopsis:
While making a Super 8 movie, six friends witness a train wreck.
They soon discover that something unimaginable escaped during the crash.
Genre:
Coming-of-age sci-fi
Content:
Verbal abuse, alcoholism, fatphobia, death of a parent
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
14. THE LITTLE GIANTS
The Little Giants is a coming-of-age sports flick filled with inspiration and laugh-out-loud comedy.
Synopsis:
Urbania, Ohio is home to the O’Shea brothers: nerdy Danny and ex-football star (and current pee-wee coach) Kevin.
When Coach Kevin cuts Danny’s daughter, Becky aka “Icebox,” from his pee-wee football team, Danny isn’t taking it anymore.
Becky then organizes her misfit friends into a rival team and recruits her dad to coach them to beat those jerks!
Genre:
Coming-of-age sports
Content:
Bullying
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
15. BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
If you want to watch a movie about fantasy and wonder, put on Bridge to Terabithia.
Synopsis:
Exhausted from being bullied at school and neglected at home, Jess and Leslie escape into the woods.
Leslie opens Jess’s heart to the magical kingdom of Terabithia — a secret land where they reign over the giants, ogres, and other imaginative creatures they conjure.
As their imaginations soar (and their friendship deepens), they discover how to rule their own kingdom, fight the forces of darkness, and change their lives forever.
Genre:
Coming-of-age fantasy
Content:
Child abuse, domestic violence, bullying, death
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
More ways to connect with your younger self:
👉 13 Nostalgic Activities to Reconnect with Your Inner Child
16. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not for the faint of heart, as it is an incredibly emotion-heavy movie.
Synopsis:
Charlie is a shy teenager who just entered his first year of high school.
Struggling with the aftermath of losing his best friend to suicide, he’s not sure where he belongs.
But when free-spirited seniors Sam and Patrick take him under their wings, he learns to cope with loss and come to terms with his tumultuous past.
Genre:
Coming-of-age drama
Content:
Child abuse, domestic violence, bullying, addiction, drug abuse, sexual assault, self-harm, suicide, death, hate speech, homophobia
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
17. RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS
Fun fact: Riding in Cars with Boys is my absolute favorite movie.
And as someone who loves a lot of movies, that’s truly saying a lot.
Synopsis:
Beverly, an aspiring writer, becomes pregnant at the young age of 15.
Shortly after, her best friend becomes pregnant as well.
Watch how Bev lives, struggles, and overcomes her relationship with her kid, her kid’s drug-addicted father, and the relationship she has with herself.
Content:
Drug abuse, teen parents, absentee father, poverty
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
18. THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is the epitome of a chick flick in the best way possible.
Synopsis:
For the first time since their friendship began, four best friends will be separated for the summer.
They create a plan to stay connected with one another as their lives trail off in different directions.
Throughout their separate adventures, they pass around a pair of secondhand jeans that magically fits each of their bodies perfectly….despite being of various shapes and sizes.
Genre:
Coming-of-age drama
Content:
Death, cancer
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
19. WITHOUT A PADDLE
Okay, this one might technicallyyyy be cheating since the majority of Without a Paddle takes place when these childhood best friends are entering their 30s.
But to me, it so counts 😉
Synopsis:
Tom, Dan, and Jerry are childhood best friends who come back to their hometown to attend the funeral of Billy, their other childhood best friend who recently passed.
In honor of Billy, they go on a treasure-hunting adventure to find D.B. Cooper’s bounty.
What they don’t expect is to become lost in the middle of the woods and to be hunted down by two illegal marijuana farmers.
Genre:
Comedy adventure
Content:
Hate speech
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
20. THE FLORIDA PROJECT
Indie film The Florida Project tugs at the heartstrings of anyone who watches.
Synopsis:
Precocious six-year-old Moonee lives with her rebellious mother in a motel room nearby Walt Disney World.
Over one summer, she bonds with her friends Scooty and Jacey as they are left to fend for themselves as their struggling parents try to profit off the tourist trade.
Genre:
Coming-of-age drama
Content:
Poverty, pedophilia, drug use, hate speech
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
21. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
A true 80s classic, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an unforgettable story of the most unexpecting friendship.
Synopsis:
Ten-year-old Elliot is lonely until he befriends a lost, yet friendly alien.
Together, they summon the courage to find E.T.’s way back to his home planet.
Genre:
Coming-of-age sci-fi
Content:
Drug use
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
22. SANDLOT
Despite depictions of bullying, Sandlot remains one of the greatest comedy classics.
Synopsis:
It’s the summer of 1962, and Smalls (the new kid in town) is looking for a place to belong.
He is quickly taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his rowdy team, resulting in many hilarious misadventures.
Genre:
Coming-of-age comedy
Content:
Sexual assault, bullying, fatphobia
Rent or buy here: Amazon
More movies about bullying:
👉 28 Best Movies About Bullying (for Teens, Kids, and Adults!)
23. THE NEVERENDING STORY
If you’re looking to fully immerse yourself in a movie, you need The Neverending Story in your life.
Synopsis:
Bastian is a bookworm who can’t devour books fast enough.
He uses books to escape all the bullying he endures at the hands of his classmates.
One book he was warned not to read, The Neverending Story, takes him deep into the wonderous fantasy world of Fantasia
Genre:
Coming-of-age fantasy
Content:
Bullying, animal death, death of a parent
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
24. EXPLORERS
Explorers is all about adventure, imagination, and all things weird.
Synopsis:
Three thrill-seeking boys put their brains and skills together to build themselves a spaceship.
After they’re done, the boys blast off into the galaxy and embark on a life-changing adventure of whimsical and weird.
Genre:
Coming-of-age sci-fi
Content:
Bullying
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
25. THE MIGHTY DUCKS
At least once a year, I have an The Mighty Ducks movie marathon, because they’re filled with so much joy and laughter.
Synopsis:
Ex-hockey star Gordon Bombay is assigned to coach pee-wee hockey for his community service.
These kids can’t skate, can’t score, and can’t win!
Can Coach Bombay morph these outcasts into winners?
Genre:
Coming-of-age sports
Content:
Bullying, DUI
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
26. THE OUTSIDERS
The Outsiders is a dark teenage drama full of crime and violence.
Synopsis:
There is a rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs.
Their rivalry heats up even further when one gang member kills a member of the other.
Genre:
Coming-of-age drama
Content:
Child abuse, domestic violence, drug abuse, sexual assault, death, self-harm, suicide
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
27. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE
No list of movies about childhood friends would be complete without Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Synopsis:
Harry Potter was forced to live with his abusive aunt and uncle when his parents were murdered when he was a baby.
On his eleventh birthday, he receives a hand-delivered invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
There, he learns the truth about himself, his parents, and the horrific evil that encompasses the magical world.
Genre:
Coming-of-age fantasy
Content:
Child abuse, bullying, fatphobia
Rent or buy it here: Amazon
Childhood friendships movies list:
Sometimes when you’re a kid, you can’t wait to grow up.
But when you’ve experienced the struggles of adulthood, watching coming-of-age movies filled with friendship and adventure, you can forget your worries for just a little while.
Movies with best friends recap:
🎬 Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain
🎬 Moonlight
🎬 Very Good Girls
🎬 Wild America
🎬 The Goonies
🎬 It
🎬 Now and Then
🎬 Stand By Me
🎬 The Kings of Summer
🎬 My Girl
🎬 The Secret Garden
🎬 The Little Rascals
🎬 Super 8
🎬 The Little Giants
🎬 Bridge to Terabithia
🎬 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
🎬 Riding in Cars with Boys
🎬 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
🎬 Without a Paddle
🎬 The Florida Project
🎬 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
🎬 Sandlot
🎬 The Neverending Story
🎬 Explorers
🎬 The Mighty Ducks
🎬 The Outsiders
🎬 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
💾 Bookmark this page for when you need a movie recommendation about childhood friendships to watch!
More inner child healing posts:
- 23 Heartbreaking Movies About Childhood Trauma (That are Therapeutic)
- 17 Magical Crystals for Healing Childhood Trauma (and Emotional Pain)
- 101 Healing Inner Child Affirmations (to Reparent Yourself)
- 70 Healing Inner Child Quotes (to Help Overcome Childhood Trauma)
- 40 Child Abuse Songs (When You Had a Bad Childhood)
- 13 Nostalgic Activities to Reconnect with Your Inner Child
- 107 Toxic Parents Quotes (When Mother and Father Are Abusive AF)
- 21 Powerful Inner Child Healing Meditations (Guided and Unguided)
- 13 Inner Child Healing Exercises (for Your Wounded Younger Self)
- 17 Must-Have Healing Gifts for Your Inner Child
- 11 Ways to Heal Childhood Trauma Spiritually (and Awaken Your Inner Child)
- 23 Inner Child Oracle Cards (for Deep Shadow Work)
- 23 Tarot Decks (for Intense Inner Child Work)
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