The Sandlot (1993)
In many previous kids on bikes movies, the overactive imaginations of bicycle-driven kids bump up against a real threat. In The Sandlot, the biggest perceived threats (“The Beast” and its owner) turn out to be the products of such imaginations. Yet when presented through the perspective of this movie’s wonderful characters, those threat feels as real as the monsters and aliens in previous subgenre works, as well as those terrors you and your friends likely crafted when you were kids.
Ultimately, The Sandlot follows a bit closer in the footsteps of Stand by Me by presenting a timeless coming-of-age story in a particularly notable era of latchkey childhood: the early 1960s. Few films have ever romanticized the joys of that particular kind of childhood quite like this one does. It also ends on a surprisingly optimistic note whereas other movies in this genre typically present adulthood as the killer of the bonds formed during this point of our lives.
Now and Then (1995)
One of the most fascinating things about the kids on bikes subgenre is that it largely focuses on male characters (specifically, young white boys). In some ways, that approach feels like a potentially unintentional commentary on the nature of the “boys will be boys” culture that many such movies ultimately captured. In other ways, it feels like yet another example of Hollywood’s historic hesitation to produce movies that focus on female friendships that don’t end in tragedy and betrayal.
That’s what makes Now and Then so special. Led by a stacked cast (Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Rita Wilson, and more), this movie follows four adult women who meet up in their hometown and reminisce about their youth. Writer I. Marlene King of Pretty Little Liars fame has this magical way of showcasing the unique qualities of a young girl’s life in that era while capturing the essential elements of childhood that many of us were hopefully fortunate enough to experience. There is turmoil, lessons learned, memories forged, frightening moments that seem to stop the world, and, naturally, bicycles.
Super 8 (2011)
The early 2000s saw a rapid decline in latchkey kid culture and, with it, a decline in the kids on bikes genre that culture helped inspire. Events like 9/11 and the Columbine shootings, a series of long-gestating moral panics, and natural social changes led to different philosophies regarding such previously unchecked childhood independence. At the very least, there was more hesitation about presenting movies aimed at kids that showcased kids in mortal peril. When the genre did prominently return, it would do so as a tribute to the era that came before.
Super 8 is one of the earliest and most noteworthy examples of such tributes. J.J. Abrams’ 2011 movie was an unashamed love letter to the genre Abrams’ idol Steven Spielberg essentially pioneered. Truth be told, this story of an aspiring young filmmaker who gets him and his friends caught up in a dangerous sci-fi scenario isn’t nearly as fun, creative, or well-crafted as the movies that inspired it. But the infectious joy of this concept is evident throughout the movie. Its bicycles practically function as supporting characters. This movie would also kick off a renaissance of kids on bikes tributes that include Summer of ‘84, Turbo Kid, and, most notably, Stranger Things.
