Movie

20th Century Women

2016 · 119 min

A warm, meandering slice of life that immerses you in its characters' messy, tender growing pains.

Overview: In 1979 Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields' home and Julie, a savvy and provocative teenage neighbour – to help with Jamie's upbringing.

Stream in the UK

Netflix
BFI Player

More options Data from JustWatch

In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: warmstrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
lightstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: coming-of-age
family
identity
parenthood
friendship
Places: small town
home
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: ensemble
Content intensity: Gore none
Language strong
Violence mild
Sex strong

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	0
Humour	5
Realism	8
Romance	4
Tension	3
Darkness	3
Complexity	6
Emotional weight	7

Titles like 20th Century Women

Movie

Boyhood

2014

A quietly absorbing, deeply human experience that feels like watching memories unfold in real time, warm and bittersweet.

Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and family · ensemble

Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
family
ensemble
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 165 min

Details In your watch list

BoyhoodHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Lady Bird

2017

A warm, funny, and bittersweet ride through teenage restlessness and mother-daughter friction, full of sharp observations and tender moments.

Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and family · ensemble

Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
family
ensemble
Pacing: brisk
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 94 min

Details In your watch list

Lady BirdHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Little Women

2019

A warm, bittersweet coming-of-age story that moves between past and present, rich with sisterly love, ambition, and quiet heartbreak.

Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and family · ensemble

Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
family
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 135 min

Details In your watch list

Little WomenHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

C'mon C'mon

2021

A quiet black-and-white wander through tender conversations and small frustrations, leaving you moved and unexpectedly hopeful about people.

Same director: Mike Mills · Warm, melancholic · about family and parenthood

Also: Same director: Mike Mills
Via: warm
melancholic
family
parenthood
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 110 min

Details In your watch list

C'mon C'monHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Fabelmans

2022

A tender, bittersweet memory piece that unfolds gently, letting you watch a boy fall in love with movies while his family quietly comes apart.

Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and family

Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
family
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 151 min

Details In your watch list

The FabelmansHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

Dawson's Creek

1998–2003

A talky, heartfelt coming-of-age drama where articulate teens wrestle with love and identity in long, earnest conversations.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via: melancholic
earnest
coming-of-age
family
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Seasons: 6

Details In your watch list

Dawson's CreekHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Thumbsucker

2005

A gentle, quirky indie comedy-drama that feels like a warm, slightly melancholic hug, full of awkward charm and quiet insight.

Same director: Mike Mills · Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and family · ensemble

Also: Same director: Mike Mills
Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
family
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 96 min

Details In your watch list

ThumbsuckerHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Yi Yi

2000

A quietly absorbing, novelistic look at ordinary lives that rewards patience with deep emotional resonance.

Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and family · ensemble

Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
family
ensemble
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: demanding
Runtime: 174 min

Details In your watch list

Yi YiHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

Anne with an E

2017–2019

A tender, emotionally rich coming-of-age story with a spirited heroine, blending warmth and hardship in a nostalgic rural setting.

Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and family

Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
family
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Seasons: 3

Details In your watch list

Anne with an EHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

You're the Worst

2014–2019

Sharp, filthy banter and self-destructive romance that sneaks up on you with sudden, honest gut-punches about depression and love.

About identity and friendship · ensemble

Via: identity
friendship
ensemble
Pacing: brisk
Attention: easy-watch
Seasons: 5

Details In your watch list

You're the WorstHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2012

A tender, aching coming-of-age story that wraps you in warmth before quietly confronting buried pain and trauma.

Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and identity · ensemble

Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
identity
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 103 min

Details In your watch list

The Perks of Being a WallflowerHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Schoolgirls

2020

A quiet, observant coming-of-age story that feels like a gentle, bittersweet memory of adolescence.

Warm, melancholic · about coming-of-age and family

Via: warm
melancholic
coming-of-age
family
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 97 min

Details In your watch list

SchoolgirlsHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream

Netflix
BFI Player

Rent or buy

Apple TV Store
Rakuten TV
Amazon Video
Sky Store
YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: drama
Directed by: Mike Mills
Written by: Mike Mills
Starring: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Lucas Jade Zumann, Alison Elliott, Thea Gill, Vitaly Andrew LeBeau
Music: Roger Neill
Cinematography: Sean Porter
Runtime: 119 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English

TMDB IMDb Letterboxd Wikipedia Wikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.

20th Century Women

How it feels

More like this

Titles like 20th Century Women

Where to watch in the UK

Details