Coming of Age Genre

Childhood is a time where children learn about the world around them.   They see and experience many factors that influence their everyday lives, which help them grow stronger when they become adults. Coming-of-age film is a film genre which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the central character from youth to adulthood. Personal growth and change is an important characteristic of this genre, which relies on dialogue and emotional responses, rather than action packed scenes. The main character is typically female, around mid-teen and the story is often told in the form of a flash-back.  Coming of age movie  is a movie where the central plot revolves around a person suddenly facing a life changing experience, trial or tribulation. That person once was a naive or childish person, and now they are suddenly older and wiser because of the experience. They see life and their place in the universe for the first time, the story features at least one adolescent main character and follows his/her life experiences up to and sometimes through adulthood. It often emphasizes the lessons the character learned that contributed to his/her personal growth that is exhibited in the story.

All Coming of Age films share certain thematic similarities the most basic of which is their strong focus on stories of young people on the edge of maturity. There are other important themes that define coming of age including the death of a loved one, falling in love for the first time, and high school graduation. Good coming of age films frequently deal with controversial topics such as sexuality, loss of virginity, or leaving home for the first time but they are rarely exploitative. Rite of passage films are often sentimental and they usually appeal to the emotions, but the good ones never play on the prurient. Generally the adolescent characters are forced to make a decision, the outcome of which will have a significant and life shaping impact on their futures. 

The term coming of age is also used in reference to different media such as stories, songs, movies, etc. that have a young character or characters who, by the end of the story, have developed in some way, through the undertaking of responsibility, or by learning a lesson.
Here are some examples of "Coming of Age" films:

Bibliography:
http://www.theskykid.com/movies/coming-of-age-films-defenition/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coming_of_age