Saagar Kote
‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ centers on Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler), a 16-year-old theater student whose life changes after she unexpectedly lands the lead role in her high school production of “Waitress.” While Sophie enjoys rehearsals, adjusts to her newfound attention, and develops a crush on Jack (Jack Champion), her family faces a much more serious situation. Her mother, Elizabeth Birenbaum (Melanie Lynskey), learns that her cancer has returned and is spreading quickly. As Elizabeth tries to protect and prepare her family for what may lie ahead, Sophie struggles to balance her teenage life with the growing responsibilities at home.
Her excitement about the musical and her feelings for Jack clash with her need to be there for her mother, forcing Sophie to confront difficult emotions and an emotional crisis she is unprepared for. Helmed by Julia Hart, the Netflix musical drama film is a heartfelt story of love, family, and the tribulations of growing up. The spirit of the themes, plot elements, character dynamics, and emotional nature of the narrative are captured by these movies, similar to ‘Don’t Say Good Luck,’ while also being engaging.
12. Everything, Everything (2017)
‘Everything, Everything’ follows 17-year-old Madeline Whittier (Amandla Stenberg), whose medical condition has kept her confined to her home for virtually her entire life. Her world consists largely of books, her mother, Pauline, and her nurse Carla, until a new family moves in next door and Madeline notices their son, Olly Bright (Nick Robinson). Their connection begins through emails and gradually develops into a deep romantic bond, giving Madeline a glimpse of the life she has always wanted beyond her home. As Olly encourages her to experience more of the world, Madeline begins questioning the limitations that have defined her existence.
Directed by Stella Meghie, the romantic drama film is based on Nicola Yoon’s eponymous novel. ‘Everything, Everything’ and ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ focus on girls whose ordinary teenage experiences are complicated by serious personal circumstances. Romance and self-discovery become important parts of their lives, but they find it difficult to escape the realities affecting their families and themselves.
11. The Spectacular Now (2013)
Based on Tim Tharp’s novel of the same name, ‘The Spectacular Now’ from director James Ponsoldt revolves around high school senior Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), a charismatic partygoer who prefers enjoying the present to thinking about what comes next. After a breakup leaves him drinking heavily, Sutter is unexpectedly found by his quiet classmate Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a bookish girl with plans for her future. Their unlikely connection gradually develops into a romance, bringing two teenagers with very different outlooks closer together. While Aimee looks ahead with ambition and hope, Sutter remains committed to his carefree lifestyle.
Their relationship begins to challenge his way of thinking as he struggles with the gap between the person he appears to be and the uncertainty he keeps hidden. The romantic drama film, akin to ‘Don’t Say Good Luck,’ portrays young people being pushed toward adulthood while still trying to hold onto adolescence. Both stories place teenage ambitions, relationships, and emotional uncertainty alongside circumstances that force the characters to reconsider what they want from the future.
10. The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Crafted and penned by Kelly Fremon Craig, ‘The Edge of Seventeen’ is the tale of Nadine Franklin (Hailee Steinfeld), a high school junior whose already difficult adolescence becomes even more complicated when her best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson), begins dating her older brother, Darian Franklin (Blake Jenner). Feeling increasingly isolated, Nadine struggles with her tense relationship with her mother, Mona, and the lingering impact of losing her father. Her loneliness eventually leads her to confide in her teacher, Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson), while an unexpected friendship with Erwin Kim (Hayden Szeto) gives her a different perspective on her situation.
In the comedy-drama film, while Nadine tries to make sense of her relationships and emotions, she gradually begins confronting how difficult growing up can be. ‘The Edge of Seventeen’ and ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ capture the awkward collision between youthful experiences and realities that demand greater emotional maturity. Nadine struggles with friendship, family tensions, and loss, while Sophie tries to embrace theater and romance as her mother’s situation changes. In both cases, adolescence becomes inseparable from circumstances beyond the characters’ control.
9. My Girl (1991)
In ‘My Girl,’ 11-year-old Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) is a bright and energetic girl whose unusual childhood is shaped by the loss of her mother, while her father, Harry Sultenfuss (Dan Aykroyd), runs a funeral business from their home. Often isolated from other children, Vada finds companionship in Thomas J. Sennett (Macaulay Culkin), her unpopular best friend, while developing a crush on her English teacher, Mr. Bixler (Griffin Dunne). Her life changes when Harry hires Shelly DeVoto (Jamie Lee Curtis), whose cheerful presence gradually gives Vada the maternal connection she has always needed.
As she joins a poetry class and grows closer to Thomas, Vada begins to navigate the confusing emotions of childhood and adolescence in the 1970s. Brought to life by Howard Zieff, the romantic comedy-drama film reflects the essence of ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ by focusing on a young girl confronting complex emotions in her family life while trying to experience the ordinary joys of adolescence. Vada longs for the maternal presence she never had, whereas Sophie and her mother face an uncertain future.
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ chronicles the experiences of Charlie (Logan Lerman), a shy freshman entering high school while still struggling with the suicide of his best friend. Finding it difficult to connect with his classmates, Charlie initially turns to literature and his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), for comfort. His life begins to change when seniors Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepsibling Patrick (Ezra Miller) welcome him into their circle. Through his new friendships and growing feelings for Sam, Charlie slowly becomes more comfortable with himself and the world around him.
Yet painful memories, blackouts, and the unresolved impact of his past continue to affect him. The romantic drama film is writer-director Stephen Chbosky’s adaptation of his novel of the same title, and intricately explores friendship, first love, belonging, emotional moments, hidden feelings, and the difficult transition into adolescence, much like ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ does through its layered characters.
7. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
‘The Fault in Our Stars’ tells the story of 17-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), whose life is shaped by lung cancer and the oxygen tank she must carry with her. At a cancer support group, she meets Augustus Waters, AKA Gus (Ansel Elgort), an 18-year-old who has lost part of his leg to cancer but appears to be in remission. Their shared humor and outlook gradually develop into love, giving Hazel a new emotional connection. When Hazel tells Gus about her favorite novel and her wish to speak with its author, Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe), Gus helps arrange the meeting. Their journey eventually takes them to Amsterdam with Hazel’s mother, Frannie (Laura Dern), where Hazel discovers that Van Houten is more complex than she had assumed.
With Josh Boone in the director’s chair, the romantic drama film is based on John Green’s eponymous novel. ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ explore young characters experiencing love and the complicated realities surrounding teenage life. Romance becomes an important part of both stories, but the youngsters are unable to separate those feelings from the circumstances reshaping their lives.
6. The Last Song (2010)
Julie Anne Robinson steers ‘The Last Song,’ a romantic drama film based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same title. It deals with Veronica Miller, AKA Ronnie (Miley Cyrus), who is sent with her younger brother Jonah Miller (Bobby Coleman) to spend the summer with their estranged father, Steve Miller (Greg Kinnear), at his beachside home in Georgia. Still angry about her parents’ divorce, Ronnie wants little to do with her father. Her outlook begins to shift after she meets Will Blakelee (Liam Hemsworth) and rediscovers her connection to music, something she shares with Steve.
When Ronnie’s relationship with Will develops, her bond with her father slowly begins to heal as well. What starts as a reluctant summer away from home becomes an important period of reconciliation, love, and emotional change. ‘The Last Song’ is strongly connected to ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ through its focus on a teenage daughter and a parent whose relationship carries emotional weight. Ronnie reconnects with music and her father, while Sophie finds purpose and excitement through theater even as her family faces uncertainty.
5. Terms of Endearment (1983)
‘Terms of Endearment’ spans three decades in the complicated relationship between Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter Emma Greenway-Horton (Debra Winger). Widowed and deeply protective of Emma, Aurora often struggles to accept her daughter’s choices, particularly after Emma marries the unambitious Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels). While the daughter builds a family of her own, the distance creates new challenges. Meanwhile, Aurora begins opening herself to a relationship with her longtime neighbor, Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson), an aging astronaut whose personality is very different from her own. Through changing relationships, family pressures, and the passage of time, Aurora and Emma’s bond continues to evolve.
Written and directed by James L. Brooks, the comedy-drama film is an adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s novel of the same title. The narrative captures the spirit of ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ by making the mother-daughter relationship the emotional foundation. The stories explore love complicated by changing circumstances, while showing how deeply a mother and daughter can remain connected despite emotional issues creating roadblocks.
4. A Walk to Remember (2002)
In ‘A Walk to Remember,’ Landon Carter (Shane West) is a popular teenager whose life takes an unexpected turn after a prank lands him in trouble and forces him to participate in community-service activities, including a school play. There, he turns to Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), the quiet daughter of a reverend, for help with his role. Although the two seem to have little in common, spending time together gradually changes Landon’s feelings, and their relationship develops despite opposition from his friends and Jamie’s father. When their bond deepens, a painful secret places their relationship under enormous strain and forces both teenagers to confront love, loss, and the future they imagined together.
Guided by Adam Shankman’s directorial vision, the romantic drama film is based on Nicholas Sparks’ eponymous novel. ‘A Walk to Remember’ and ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ focus on the contrast between the excitement of teenage life and circumstances that suddenly make growing up much more complicated. In both films, teenagers experience romance and personal milestones while serious realities force them and those around them to confront complicated emotions.
3. Lady Bird (2017)
‘Lady Bird’ is the engrossing story of Christine McPherson, AKA Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan), a high school senior determined to leave Sacramento and build a life far from the place she feels has limited her. While she prepares for college, develops romantic relationships, and takes part in her school play, she clashes repeatedly with her strong-willed mother, Marion McPherson (Laurie Metcalf), who works tirelessly to support the family after her husband loses his job. Financial difficulties make Lady Bird’s dream of attending college in NYC increasingly uncertain, forcing her to confront the gap between what she wants and what her family can afford.
Amid the excitement and frustrations of her final year, she begins to understand the complicated ties between ambition, family, and home. Penned and crafted by Greta Gerwig, the comedy-drama film, along the lines of ‘Don’t Say Good Luck,’ centers on a teenage daughter whose relationship with her mother is shaped by love, worry, and difficult circumstances. Both films examine what happens when a young person’s personal ambitions collide with circumstances at home.
2. Babyteeth (2019)
Helmed by Shannon Murphy, ‘Babyteeth’ explores the trials and tribulations of Milla Finlay (Eliza Scanlen), a 16-year-old girl whose life changes after she is diagnosed with cancer and falls in love with Moses (Toby Wallace), a small-time drug dealer whose presence alarms her parents, Anna Finlay (Essie Davis) and Henry Finlay (Ben Mendelsohn). Despite their concerns, Milla’s relationship with Moses gives her a renewed sense of excitement and a desire to embrace life. As she grows closer to him, the people around her, who are from different walks of life, are also affected by her outlook.
What initially threatens to tear the Finlay family apart instead brings them toward acceptance and a different understanding of love. Based on Rita Kalnejais’ stage play of the same name, the Australian comedy-drama film focuses on holding onto life and happiness even when circumstances are painful, similar to ‘Don’t Say Good Luck.’ Elizabeth tries to prepare Sophie for what lies ahead, while Milla’s parents struggle with her choices as she seeks love and independence.
1. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
With Alfonso Gomez-Rejon in the director’s chair, ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ follows Greg (Thomas Mann), a socially withdrawn high school senior who prefers making quirky movie parodies with his friend Earl (RJ Cyler) to forming close relationships at school. His carefully maintained distance from others changes when his mother pushes him to reconnect with Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a classmate battling leukemia. What begins as an obligation gradually develops into a meaningful friendship, with Rachel even becoming involved in Greg and Earl’s creative projects.
When Rachel’s condition worsens, Greg finds himself confronting emotions and realities he has spent much of his life avoiding. Based on Jesse Andrews’ eponymous novel, the comedy-drama film, akin to ‘Don’t Say Good Luck,’ explores friendship, adolescence, creativity, and the impact of serious illness on young lives. Other than the themes, the visual aesthetics and character dynamics connect the films on a deeper level.
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