The ever-changing world of a teenage girl fuels thoughts of isolation during “The Edge of Seventeen”. Within this film is a new coming-of-age movie in the vein of “Sixteen Candles” and “The Breakfast Club”, an honest, candid, often hilarious look at what it’s like to grow up as a young woman in today’s modern world. Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy (Hayden Szeto) gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all. “The Edge of Seventeen” is written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, and is rated R for sexual content, adult language and some drinking, all involving minors.
For a first time film director, Kelly Fremon Craig transports us to the times that we now claim were so much simpler, and gives us an almost therapeutic reflection on teenage awkwardness. “The Edge of Seventeen” is a film that has been getting a lot of critical acclaim for its material that feels like it picks up the pages of a script where John Hughes left off in the 80’s, and while the comparison is certainly there for this dramedy that tackles so much, I look at Craig’s film as something so much more. During an era when teenage films feel more focused on the trends and the social media frenzy, “The Edge of Seventeen” offers a candid opportunity for all ages of the moviegoer spectrum to strap down for study hall once more and take us back to the basics of adolescent storytelling. This is a movie with outstanding crossover appeal, and that is because we all relate to the same things that we all go through for those four awkward years that feel like they never go fast enough. This one is never time-stamped for a certain day and age. It is a movie that is made in 2016, but never limits itself to just that, as it focuses on a grander scale on such issues as loneliness, depression, lust, alcohol and jealousy to name a few. These are authentic teenage problems that rely upon authentic teenage conversations, and something as simple as that can sometimes get lost in translation with these movies, but thankfully Craig has had her high school moment a time or two.
Going into this movie, Hailee Steinfeld was probably the last person who I saw in this role, and while my stance hasn’t changed much because of her physical attributes, Steinfeld does prove that she belongs with her most emotionally distributed performance to date. As Nadine, Steinfeld offers a personality that is equally as immature as she is crass, and there’s never a moment when she doesn’t take a second to lash out at the society that has shunned her. This may sound unpleasant, but I found her to be quite refreshing because there are some truths to the observations she cast in her life. All any story ever needs is that little bit of truth, and we as an audience see that through Nadine’s daily lessons. Because of a smart screenplay and performance, all of Nadine’s problems feel like the end of her world that is crumbling down, only to suppress those negatives for the next thing that pops up. Teenagers can be borderline A.D.D, and this script’s decision to flow at that level is one of precise brilliance in execution. Blake Jenner is also delightful as Nadine’s blessed older brother. It feels like Jenner will be a one trick pony until a finale that builds a side to the nagging older brother that we aren’t used to seeing. The radiance of Steinfeld and Jenner echoing off of each other feels believable, but more importantly it feels like a release of building tensions, and it makes for the best series of dialogue for both actors in their young careers. Far and away however, Woody Harrelson once again steals the show in a supporting role. Harrelson’s career has been seen in a different light lately, with positive supporting roles that have shone another delightful layer to the charismatic actor. The relationship between he and Steinfeld is something we have seen in other movies, but what gives it that zest of irresistibility is Harrelson’s transformation from student to friend. A very blurred line in student/teacher policies in 2016, but one of comfort for this particular offering for the delightful back-and-forth between them. Woody feels like the reality check for Nadine’s shallow one-track mind, and there simply wasn’t enough time in this movie to see them share the stage together.
The pacing is sound, omitting 97 minutes of sheer delight that never feels rushed or struggling to feel captivating. There’s plenty here to always keep the transitions smooth, and that feels dependent upon well written characters, as well as timely strategies for where Nadine’s story takes us now that the distance between her and Krista feels imminent. I am happy to say that I never once checked my watch during this movie, and there are probably five other films in 2016 where I have achieved a similar feat, a rare testament to entertaining cinema that always keeps moving.
As I mentioned before, the screenplay is never really focused on just one aspect to the teenage experience, educating and reminding audiences on the complexity to teenage thought process that bridges the age gap in the audience watching. This movie offered a lot of laughs for me, but they weren’t just laughs in the concept of something funny transpiring on-screen, they were a yearbook full of hilariously embarrassing moments that I myself have memories of. If there is one problem to this concept, I was never once surprised at anything the movie unloaded on. Part of that is because I lived through it, but the other part is because everything is unnecessarily choreographed so you see something coming miles before our protagonist does. I did feel great empathy during the third act when so many ideals and dreams change for Nadine. That first taste of adulthood is laid upon our young leading lady, and it hurls an unsettling cloud of clarity in her face that will open her eyes forever to the things that are really important. That is perhaps the most satisfying aspect of this script; the fact that Nadine can become a better person. Something I’m sadly not so confident in with a majority of the youth today. The movie proves that we must find our own crowds to blend with, and sometimes it pops up in the least likely of fantasy scenarios. Something that Craig never sugarcoats or glamorizes with her audience. This is a teenage story written by a female perspective. Something that Hollywood still doesn’t have enough of in 2016.
Overall, “The Edge of Seventeen” is a reunion of what made teenage dramedies a mainstay during the 80’s; likeable characters and a lack of protective cloud to ever humiliate them. Through a journey of self-appreciation for our main character that emphasizes her isolation, Craig’s snapshot of modern youth feels like it has such a loud voice for such simple ideals in execution for a poignant coming-of-age story. This is “Sixteen Candles” with one to grow on for that final year of youth before everything changes.
9/10