by Miette Deschenes
A little over a year ago, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut “Booksmart” was released to critical acclaim. It received a score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and critics from Vulture, The New Yorker, The Times and The Washington Post described it as one of the funniest teen comedies of all time.
I saw it on opening weekend. As a fan of coming-of-age comedies, I was excited to see what looked like a classic teen movie with a feminist spin. What I got was an absolutely hilarious movie with heartfelt, realistic portrayals of teenage girls. I had to go see it again a week later. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I’ve rarely seen such accurate representations of the friendships between teenage girls. I’ve seen it many times since then, and because it’s been a year since its theatrical release, I think it’s worth taking a look at why this film feels so impactful, and why it will likely be considered a classic teen movie for a very long time.
“Booksmart” is the story of two high school seniors, Molly and Amy, who have spent their time in high school focused only on getting good grades and getting into college. On the day before graduation, they find out all of the other kids who they considered slackers and partiers also got into good colleges, and they set out to attend their first-ever party in order to say they partied in high school and to prove to everyone that there’s more to them than just their straight-A reputations.
Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever star as Molly and Amy, and both actors give pitch-perfect performances that get a laugh out of every line. The supporting cast, which includes Jessica Williams, Billie Lourd, Diana Silvers and Skyler Gisondo, among others, all shine in their roles. In my opinion, there isn’t a single bad performance in this film. The screenplay, written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel and Katie Silberman, is clever and original. Olivia Wilde proves herself to be a talented director with a great understanding of comedic timing. She never makes fun of the characters on screen or “punches down” — instead, she directs with the utmost sincerity, giving the film a warm-hearted tone rather than the mean-spirited tone some teen comedies fall into.
Much of the film’s strength lies in its respect for the nuanced emotions of teenage girls. Wilde understands teenage girls’ tendency to tie their interests into their identity — whether those interests are horses, British television shows, Ancient Greek mythology or getting straight A’s in AP classes. It’s a natural part of a teenager’s growth as they try to figure out their identity. Molly and Amy have made their dedication to school, and disinterest in partying or goofing off, a significant part of their identity. Wilde never shames them for this, instead gently guiding them through a night of antics as they come to realize that they didn’t have to latch on so tight to one aspect of their lives in order to be successful. Their peers, who in their eyes partied too much or didn’t take school as seriously, were still able to find success and happiness in their own way. Unlike in many other high school movies, none of the characters in “Booksmart” are irredeemably bad or unrealistically cruel. They’re just different from each other, with different goals and interests, and when they clash with each other it doesn’t come from a place of malice or evil, just a place of different perspectives.
Molly and Amy’s friendship is a refreshingly authentic portrayal of young female friendship. They are bursting with adoration for each other and unendingly supportive. When they first see each other at the start of the movie, and throughout when they try on new outfits, they shower each other in compliments, each more ridiculous than the last. These moments are funny, but they are also relatable. Teen girl friends really talk to each other like this. Look at any girl’s Instagram post, and you will see that her best friend has likely commented something not so different from Molly and Amy’s lines. This relatability adds a deeper layer to the film. It’s hilarious, and likely anyone of any age would find something to enjoy in it, but for teen girls and young women, it provides such an authentic representation of their life experiences. In a way, this makes the jokes hit harder. Seeing yourself represented onscreen is an amazing, empowering feeling, especially when an authentic representation is so rare.
“Booksmart” is special because it manages to blend sincerity with humor. It’s a blissfully upbeat comedy that never mocks its protagonists. Instead, it invites you in, welcoming you to a world where girls are allowed to be raunchy, silly and unashamed of who they are. This, to me, is what makes it an all-time classic film.
