Booksmart

Since The Graduate released back in 1967, it seems that every decade has "that" movie, that completely captures the feeling of youth and all the highs and lows that accompany it. These kinds of movies are my favorite kinds of movies, and I love seeing the different interpretations of youth over the years. From the existentialist fueled culture clash of The Graduate, to the carpe diem mentality of Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), to the hidden sentimentality of Superbad (2007), these kinds of movies differ in executions, but always leave me with the same sense of invigoration and longing each time. For a while now, I've been wondering what this decade's film was going to be. At first I thought, "Lady Bird," but it's periodness sort of made it feel all its own. Then I thought "The Edge of Seventeen" and was sort of disappointed that, while the film was good, it wasn't the same caliber as the films I previously mentioned. Then I saw Booksmart.

Yep, "Booksmart" is that movie.

I'll admit going into it, I was worried. All I got from the marketing was Superbad with girls, and while I have no issue with gender swapped films, I do feel if the novelty of the gender swap is all your film has going for it, it's not really worth making. But within the first five minutes, I knew this was something all its own. The Superbad comparisons are apt; two graduating seniors make the most out of the last night of high school. Where this film differs, however, is in execution, character, and focus.

One of the things that struck me most about this, is that this is FAR from your typical high school setting. Schools have changed since the days of Back to the Future. Jocks, nerds, goths, etc don't exist anymore. The school exists as a giant homogenized clique, where everyone knows everyone and personality archetypes are established, but don't prohibit interactions with each other. Theater kids hang with skater kids who hang with jock kids who hang with weirdos. And this environment is not only accurate to schools today, but allows a mingling that gives all the side characters a much needed depth to them, all while not sacrificing their own individual quirks. This was refreshing to see in a genre so obsessed with this non-existent cultural divide in schools. It is the first high school film in a long time that actively subverts these tropes and expectations, and is a huge contributing factor to how "fresh" the film feels.

Another highlight here is the direction. I've acquired a biological reaction that instinctively rolls my eyes back into my head at the thought of actors trying to direct, but my eyes will be rolling ever so slower after watching this. Olivia Wylde is a god damn director. She understands the ebb and flow of emotions in a film like this, letting the comedy breathe and the tragedy sink. The film often takes these dips into the surreal, and Wylde takes these turns without sacrificing the comedy that makes this all work. Scenes like the Barbie scene, the pool scene, and the impromptu dance number are all so strange but work so well in the context of the story, that it's actually insane to me that she is a first time director. There are some actual cinematic sequences in this that achieve levels of visual gravitas RARELY seen in high school movies. Some of the standouts to me are the long take after the pool reveal, and the ensuing argument after. The camerawork captures the unraveling of these two characters so well that you actually feel the emotional sting of their exchange in a way that, if it were filmed any other way, you wouldn't.

But at the heart of all of this are the leads. Kaitlyn Denver and Beanie Feldstein have such great onscreen chemistry from the moment that they appear, that you know within minutes that you want to follow these people wherever they go. Their repertoire is refreshingly wholesome, best demonstrated in the scenes where they are rapid fire complimenting each other, a much needed subversion of the "I can't believe we are wearing the same thing" trope. These two are a match made in heaven, and their exchanges are often the comedic core of the film. Beanie has the comedic timing of her brother, Jonah Hill, but plays it in a way that feels more confident and witty. Kaitlyn's mixture of awkward vulnerability when alone and confidence when with Beanie highlight the strength of their friendship while also providing some great cringe comedy moments. There are a lot of aspects of this film that work aside from these two, but these two act as the glue that holds it all together.

If I had any issues with the film, it's the writing. The writing is great when it's on point; dialogue is hilarious, characters are quirky and charming, and the the overall progression of the story allows for some great set pieces. My problems come with some of the plot development in the third act, where I feel the ratio of set up to pay off skews a little too hard in the "undeserved payoff" category. The re-emergence of new romantic interests, and the introduction to a local criminal could've been fleshed out a bit better, but it's nothing that is too much of a burden.

Booksmart, I'm happy to say, is the next entry in the long standing genre of "fleeting youth" films before it. It enters the ranks of Superbad, The Graduate, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, finally giving the 2010's the high school movie it deserves.