Our Staff Picks column takes you back to a time when video stores reigned supreme and the "Staff Picks" section was the place to find out what films were worthy of one's time. Of course, our version of Staff Picks has a decidedly skintillating angle, as we suss out which films from a particular subgenre are the best to find great nudity. This week let's cover one of the absolute BEST generations of filmmaking: Millennial Movies.
What am I considering a Millennial movie? Millennials were born between 1981-1996. That means that the youngest Millennials are 28 and the oldest are 43. That's a huge gap which is why those young Millennials are called "cusp" and might relate more to Gen Z. Since Millennials are now fully grown people in their 30s (and even 40s), I think it's time for us to look back at the movies that defined this generation when they were at their most impressionable. These films either inspired them, connected them, or they spoke on Millennial feelings and issues.
Garden State
Elder Millennials felt seen by Zach Braff's 2004 indie dramedy that sort of set the tone for the rest of the decade. Lost boys, manic pixie dreamgirls, and cool music all surrounded a main character trying to find himself. No wonder Millennials are so focused on The Self. These were the movies! Natalie Portman starred, but she didn't go nude at all. Her character is called "pure" by Zach as a compliment to imply that she wouldn't go nude.
There are famously breasts in the movie. The crew is taken to a backroom where they see some babes topless! "Raise your hand if you just saw titties."
Hannah Takes the Stairs
Elder Millennials and young Gen Xers worked together to make this early Greta Gerwig acting vehicle. Greta was only 25 years old when she played the titular Hannah who lives in Chicago and dates an aspiring musician, but their relationship is getting lackluster. She tries to find herself, find love, and find passion in general. Getting naked seems to help!
Greta Gerwig met filmmaker Joe Swanberg at Barnard College and briefly lived in Chicago to star in movies like these. These films became dubbed as "mumblecore" - something that the millionaire director of Barbe hates. She defends these films as valid and is proud of her work!
The Notebook
Millennials learned love from Rachel McAdams in The Notebook. Rachel McAdams starred as the leading lady who fell in love with Ryan Gosling. They were in a heated, passionate, and long affair. Despite their different backgrounds and how much they fought, they seemed to be meant for one another. Their passion was evident when Rachel's rack and pearl necklace were seen - her REAL pearls. Mind out of the gutter!
Thirteen
This 2003 film by Catherine Hardwicke cast real teen actors. Aspiring actress Nikki Reed made her incredible debut and starred alongside Evan Rachel Wood as teen girls who go bad. They do everything, but they were actual teens so it couldn't get too crazy. The mom in the movie was played by Holly Hunter and she was able to bare her boobs. She gave a whole new definition to the word MILF!
Superbad
This raunchy teen comedy came out when the core group of Millennials were teens, so if any movie spoke to a generation it was this one. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill are high school seniors who have three weeks left of school until they graduate and they do not want to graduate before they get laid. Can the boys end their dry streaks? Well, at the very least they can watch some porn which is when we see the TA!
Tiny Furniture
When Lena Dunham said in the pilot episode of Girls that she's the "voice of her generation" she was sort of right. She first proved that in her pre-Girls film Tiny Furniture. If you haven't seen this little indie that first got the attention of Judd Apatow and led to the rest of her career, then let me assure you that young Lena does go nude - a lot.
Watch this shower scene to see Lena:
