Booksmart
By Ava Fineza
After watching Booksmart, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or cry. The movie managed to have heartfelt and serious moments without taking away from the humor of the film, and you’ll love all of the characters even after only knowing them for an hour and forty-five minutes. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein gave brilliant performances, had such great chemistry, and their dialogue felt natural, something that I’ve felt other movies struggle with(don’t sacrifice the way teenagers actually talk for a PG-13 rating!!1!1) I’m not sure if they were going for a super artsy vibe, but there were some really pretty scenes in the film, as well as some creative moments that separate Booksmart from the average high school movie. Booksmart will make you nostalgic, excited, anxious, or melancholic about the weird phase that is high school, proving its importance as a film to people of all ages…well, almost all, it is very inappropriate ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
logline: On the eve of their high school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night.
Source: IMDb
Fun Fact: Olivia Wilde, the director, wanted Kaitlyn and Beanie to spend time with each other to really build the friendship between them, and the two actresses spent 10 weeks as roommates. And I was wondering where their camaraderie came from!
My favorite characters:
Kaitlyn Dever as Amy - Amy seems to embody all of our fears surrounding friendships, relationships, teenage rebellion, y’know, high school stuff. Her character is incredibly relatable and awkward, and over the course of the movie you can really see her evolve and grow as a person and become more than the Main Character’s Best Friend.
Skyler Gisondo as Jared - Rich Boy but he has layers. Very socially awkward but also super sweet and loyal to his friends, and I screamed when I saw him cause he was awesome on Santa Clarita Diet - which you should also watch :). I don’t mean to talk about the movie again, but I really love that there are side characters that aren’t completely one-dimensional and only serve to move the plot forward.
Where to Watch: Hulu with Subscription and Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play and Vudu for purchase.
Rating: R for sexual content and strong language throughout, drug usage and drinking.
b careful! don’t watch w your parents or small children ‘round…