I think the directors and authors got part of the teenage experience right. The points they made are accurate, but they don't represent everything. The same goes for the characters: while they do seem to be normal teens, they don't embody all the traits. I think part of being a teen is trying on different personas and deciding what you want to be. Not all teens are the same and not every teenage experience is the same. In this way, it's hard for any one character to represent the entire teenage experience, it might even be impossible to do.
As far as a character that gets it right, I'm not sure I've ever seen one. I don’t think it’s possible for any one person to show the wide spectrum of traits that any given teen can have. Thus, it’s really difficult to pick a character because so many portray so many different aspects. One person that comes to mind is Tracy Turnblad from “Hairspray.” She has to deal with things a lot of teens do, like trying to be comfortable with her body type, getting the guy she likes to like her, and trying to make a difference in the world. She ends up doing all three, which is not something most teens do, but it’s something they all want to do. Not every teen has the guts or inclination to put their wants aside and try for something much bigger than ourselves, but we all wish we did.
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