Alexandra Violet Lefkowitz

Major: Film Studies

Honors in Film Studies

Supervisor: Ms. Shannon Silva

PARABOLA IN THE YOUTH FILM

Youth genre films have been popular since the beginning of the movie industry; however, they have changed considerably since the days when the public was concerned with propriety and moral decency. From the 1895 to 2008, the youth film genre went from adult driven moral messages to dysfunctional teens dealing with issues of alcoholism, crime, and homosexuality. In the 1980s, teen films like The Breakfast Club became more prevalent and started paving the way for today’s youth films. The paper examines the evolution of the youth film and its conventions. This study uses Todd Salondz and his sardonic film, Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996) as the focus because the film bravely subverts conventions of the youth film. Welcome to the Dollhouse offers a revealing depiction of junior high, and of bullying specifically. For my project, I wrote, directed, and edited a 20- minute 16mm film called Parabola. Parabola follows best friends Lyle and Winston, high school freshman who are trying to survive a world of math tests, family dysfunction, and a few relentless bullies.