This Ends at Prom

"Oh! I almost forgot my machine gun!" This is another reminder that coming-of-age stories aren't always about high school romance or breaking curfew, sometimes it's about being a deadly assassin forced to take a service industry job to evade suspicion. In the first instance of a film covered on the show with a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, the Wives Colangelo encourage you to enjoy BABY ASSASSI...

"You have *everything*, and still the world holds no joy, and yet you insist on making fun of those who *would* see it for its possibilities." It took nearly three years, but The Wives Colangelo have finally found a Cinderella story where we understand what the 'Ella' sees in the prince (other than Paolo Montalban being hot in the musical, of course). It's time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of...

"Which religion should I be? Sometimes I just wish I’d been born one way or the other." It took over 40 years, but Kelly Fremon Craig's film adaptation of ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET was well worth the wait. The Wives Colangelo dive into a seminal favorite, wax poetic about how much they love Rachel McAdams, and even hear from the show's official tween correspondent, their 10-year-old nie...

“I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea!” Believe it or not, but Disney's THE PARENT TRAP remake just turned 25 years old so The Wives Colangelo are celebrating a quarter of a century of Lindsay Lohan by discussing her debut feature. Joining the Wives this week is Jamie Jirak, an entertainment journalist, and critic who doubles as a die-hard fan of this film. We're talking twin dreams, the queer...

"Hit me. I'm serious, I can't feel anything, hit me! Again, do it harder! I can't feel anything, this is so awesome!" The Wives Colangelo are ripping open wounds they didn't even know they had in order to talk about one of the most requested titles in honor of its 20th anniversary. What happens when your coming-of-age experience is, well, a little more than rough around the edges? We're talking ab...

"I wish my mother had given me lube when I was your age." Things have been a little bit too sugar, spice, and everything nice around these parts, so this week The Wives Colangelo are getting sexy! Listen in as the duo discusses women-led sex comedies, the concept of 'body counts,' talk about early "self-love" adventures, and fawn over the comedic hilarity of a star-studded cast. ------ Become a Pa...

"Everyone is born, but not everyone is born the same. Some will grow to be butchers, or bakers, or candlestick makers. Some will only be really good at making Jell-O salad. One way or another, though, every human being is unique, for better or for worse." This week the Wives Colangelo are talking about falling in love with reading, the attachments children develop with their teachers, this movie s...

"You have the power to make anything you want happen." TEEN WITCH might not be winning an Oscar anytime soon, but it's certainly a movie that so many of us hold near and dear. The Wives Colangelo are talking about the fashion, the nonsensical plot, the hilarious set pieces, the questionable behavior of everyone in this damn movie, and of course, the "Top That" rap. Is it a musical? Sometimes! Is i...

“I wish I could live through something.” Y'all have been asking The Wives Colangelo to cover LADY BIRD for almost three years, and the time has finally arrived. Writer and filmmaker Drew Burnett Gregory joins the show to talk about Greta Gerwig's coming-of-age masterpiece and continue to scream about Laurie Metcalfe's Oscar snub. Don't forget to cue up some Dave Matthews Band and crush on the scho...

"I took a photo of us, mid-embrace. When I am old and alone I will remember that I once held something truly beautiful." It's Harmony's birthday week which means whatever baby wants, baby gets. This year's birthday episode is Richard Ayoade's unconventional coming-of-age black comedy, SUBMARINE. The Wives Colangelo discuss seeing yourself in films that don't exactly showcase your lived experience,...

"My story doesn't begin with a boy. It begins with me." The Wives Colangelo are joined this week by the brilliant Mallory O'Meara to talk about the underseen should-be coming-of-age classic, HOW TO BUILD A GIRL. Together they agonize about what it's like to work in male-dominated industries, praise the always fantastic Beanie Feldstein, and preach the gospel of author Caitlin Moran. This movie is...

"There's a place for us ... somewhere a place for us" As May-usical month comes to a close, the Wives Colangelo are talking about a musical that folks forget is also a coming-of-age story, WEST SIDE STORY. Let's talk about the changes Steven Spielberg made, praise Ariana DeBose's brilliant performance, and examine whether or not WEST SIDE STORY is a show better left in the past. ------ Morning Ann...

"Creeping like a communist, it's knocking at our doors / Turning all our children into hooligans and whores!" BJ's birthday is just around the corner so The Wives Colangelo are tackling one of her all-time favorite films, the movie musical adaptation of REEFER MADNESS. They're talking propaganda! They're talking dark comedy! They're talking Kristen Bell in fetish gear! They're talking THE RETURN O...

Justin: "Hey, you're the girl from the beach." Kelly: "My friends call me Kelly for short." May-usical Month continues along with quite possibly the least favorable film ever covered on the show and one that has been loudly disavowed by the star. That's right, it's time for FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY. Harmony breaks down how this film came to be and The Wives Colangelo try their hardest not to shor...

“Do, do, do, do, do, do. Why isn’t the issue here who I am?!”” May-usical month is back with a vengeance ... and The Beatles! We're kicking off the month by celebrating Julie Taymor's psychedelic, underappreciated jukebox musical. We're talking about the adorable (and insufferable) coming-of-age experience of discovering The Beatles for the first time, why this film resonated so heavily with...

“I want to take you out to dinner. Every time we go out we got to watch other people eat. Hell, I wanna eat too.” If you haven't seen Halle Berry and Natalie Desselle Reid's B.A.P.S., you haven't lived. This week The Wives Colangelo are joined by Lyvie Scott to talk about the criminally underseen satirical comedy about two Georgia homegirls thrust into the polite white society of a wealthy man in...

"Why didn't you fight back?" Coming of age isn't always about prom dresses and virginity pacts, sometimes it's a lot more... raw. This week The Wives Colangelo are joined by the brilliant Vanessa Guerrero to discuss Julia Ducournau's coming-of-rage masterpiece, RAW. Together they discuss why cannibalism stories are so prominent in teen horror, what it feels like to put on femininity as a costume,...

"High school's better than junior high. They'll call you names, but not as much to your face." We're diving into the grandmother of cringe coming-of-age films by tackling Todd Solondz's magnificent WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE. Join the Wives Colangelo as they discuss laughing in the face of trauma, why Heather Matarazzo is a natural treasure, and why only '90s kids remember what a screwed-up time it...

We mustn't dwell, No, not today. We can't. Not on Rex Manning Day." You asked for it and we delivered. With Rex Manning Day right around the corner, it's time we finally tackled the cult phenomenon, EMPIRE RECORDS. The Wives Colangelo talk about the bangin' soundtrack, our celebrity crushes, wax poetic about films that are "just vibes," and Harmony shares a wild story about dealing with a shoplift...

"It's a perfect example of life imitating art imitating life." We're closing up sequel month with arguably the greatest teen slasher series in history and talking about SCREAM 2. Friend of the show and FREAKY screenwriter Michael Kennedy drops in from the set of his new horror film to give some extra love to his all-time favorite movie, and Harmony once again laments how the SCARY MOVIE franchise...

"Remember who the real enemy is." As sequel month continues on, we're tackling a sequel that surpasses the original and represents the best installment of a franchise. That's right, we're reentering THE HUNGER GAMES! The Wives are talking about the increased political messaging, what was lost by maintaining a PG-13 rating, and why the film has only gotten more relevant with time. ------- Become a...

"Just because I didn't get my fairytale ending doesn't mean you shouldn't." Justice for Lilly Moscovitz!! Sometimes a movie gets a sequel ... and really shouldn't have gotten a sequel. This week The Wives Colangelo are returning to Genovia, and aren't exactly thrilled with the results. How dare Disney make us disappointed by a movie starring so many of our favorites AND written by Shonda Rhimes? L...

"I always liked the idea of being in charge of my future ... until it actually started happening." Sequel month continues as The Wives Colangelo go on summer vacation with the cast of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2. This week they're joined by writer and funnyman Zach Heltzel, who used to host the incredible Zetus Lepodcast: The Oral History of Disney Channel Original Movies. Together they talk about why t...

"Wow, maybe I shouldn't be dating such an old man. It's gross. I should be thoroughly repulsed." We're kicking off a month of sequels with the second installment of the TWILIGHT saga, NEW MOON. We're into uncharted territory for Harmony, who had as good of a time watching this film as you can imagine ... which is to say she had a very bad time. Let's talk about Bella's adrenaline junkie phase, the...

“I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go.” It's been 25 years since James Cameron dazzled the world with his gripping, historical disaster romance drama, but it's perpetually annoying that people forget TITANIC is a teen girl story. We're revisiting the film by focusing on the one aspect of the film that hasn't been analyzed to death yet -- the teenage power of Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukat...