Booksmart
Starring: Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourd, Jason Sudeikis
Directed by: Olivia Wilde
Rated: R
The end of high school is a wild time in life. You’re getting ready to embark on the next chapter and leave the last four years behind. For overachievers Amy and Molly, high school meant working on getting the best grades possible to ensure getting into a great college. That also meant excluding themselves from parties on the weekends because school was the only focus. On the last day of school, Molly realizes all of the other students got into their dream college and were still able to party in high school. On the night before graduation, Amy and Molly attempt to have as much fun as possible. What follows is one crazy night.
Booksmart is actress Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut. She has stated that she was inspired by many popular 80’s teen comedies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s easy to see those influences in Booksmart as well as a little Superbad and Lady Bird. Wilde does well with her directorial debut. The film moves at a quick pace with great cinematography and a fantastic soundtrack.
The screenplay has some weak spots that don’t always fit together, though. Booksmart doesn’t exactly feel like it has a strong plot, but more of several vignettes pieced together. Ultimately it’s a story of 2 girls going out one night and getting sidetracked on the way to a big party. It also feels like this entire movie takes place in a fantasy version of America. In the first act, it’s revealed that basically, every member of Amy and Molly’s graduating class is going to an Ivy League University. It’s an odd twist for a film to take without even explaining the admission process or financial situation of these students. Anyone living in America right now knows how insanely competitive colleges are in general, much less Ivy League Universities. I understand the central point of the film is to state that you can have fun and study too! However, to insinuate that all of these students would get into Harvard, Yale and Columbia is just insulting to the target audience.
It doesn’t help that Amy and Molly, the two girls who are supposed to be academic geniuses, make idiotic decisions once the 3rd act begins. It makes sense that they wouldn’t understand the world of partying, but at a certain point in the film, their decisions defy common sense.
The comedic elements of Booksmart have highs and lows. Some moments are laugh out loud, hilarious, and quotable. There is a sense of offbeat, quirky humor, and high energy driving much of the comedy. However, several scenes take things way too far and rely on raunchy, crass humor to gain laughs. It’s not even necessary because the other humor in the film works so well.
Two people who know how to make the audience laugh are Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Denver. The two stars of this film prove they can lead a movie, without any problem. Beanie Feldstein previously played Christine’s best friend in Lady Bird, and Kaitlyn Dever has had recurring roles in Last Man Standing and Justified.
The two shine as best friends looking for one good night out before high school ends, and college comes calling. Molly is the perfectionist who must have every detail planned. Amy is a bit shy and isn’t as concerned with planning out every moment of her life. The two attempt to show all of their classmates that they can have fun beyond their academic nature. Maybe they can even find a date along the way. Ever since she came out of the closet two years prior, Amy has dreamed of going out with her skater girl crush. Molly has also had her eyes set on someone, a handsome jock who seems to be her opposite, or maybe he isn’t?
It’s nice to see a film where two best friends are so supportive of each other. Molly and Amy want the best for each other and lift one another up in every situation (until a bizarre third act moment that doesn’t quite fit their characters). I give the film props for developing such a refreshing female friendship.
The two standout scene stealers of Booksmart are Billie Lourd and Skyler Gisondo as Gigi and Jared, the ultra rich kids who seem to make their way to every party. Yet, we learn there’s a lot more to them than what we see on the surface. Lourd and Gisondo introduce so much energy into every second of their scenes. If you’ve ever seen Scream Queens, it’s no surprise that Billie Lourd (daughter of Carrie Fisher) is a standout here. Her comedic timing has always been spot on. I’d never seen Skyler Gisondo in anything before and he was the highlight of the movie for me. Anytime he wasn’t in the film, I hoped his character would make his way on screen soon. I’d love to see a spin off movie starring these two characters.
I have to give the movie props for its soundtrack choices. There’s a great mixture of indie, alternative, hip hop, and folk that all blends together to tell this story of one wild night. The soundtrack helps keep the story moving along nicely as well as ...score. Never doubt the power of a great soundtrack!
We’re seeing a major rise in female coming of age films each year. From The Edge of Seventeen to Lady Bird to Eighth Grade. Booksmart joins in as the latest offering in the genre. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut does offer some fresh ideas, but it can’t quite live up to it’s predecessors.
Booksmart is an entertaining and funny coming-of-age film, but it’s convoluted screenplay and occasionally jarring racy jokes keep it from acing the test.
My Rating: 7/10
*All images belong to Annapurna Pictures