Booksmart stands out from any other high-school/teen dramedy in that it takes the traditional formula we’ve seen countless times since the era of John Hughes and throws it completely out the window. In her directorial debut, renowned actress Olivia Wilde makes her grand entrance with an energetic, smart, sharp, and resoundingly hilarious coming-of-age tale built for the modern millennial generation. We abandon the traditional setting of these kinds of high school shenanigans and instead experience a genuine and endearing portrayal of various characters and relationships. With Wilde’s masterful direction, a wickedly sharp script, and outstanding performances from both the leads and supporting cast, Booksmart is fated to one day become an all-time modern classic.
Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) are high school BFFs who stand out among the rest of their classmates as they prepare for graduation. Having studied 24/7 throughout all of high school, they are now prepared to enter their dream schools and leave behind all the other drunken, party-hard students who never bothered to study, or at least, that’s how they saw them. All that changes, however, when Molly learns that a few such students have also been accepted to Ivy League schools like herself. Realizing that most of the school successfully studied hard and partied hard simultaneously, Molly decides to make sure her and Amy’s final hours in high school will be remembered forever as they attempt to enter one the biggest party of the night. Along the way, wild antics and shenanigans ensue as their strong friendship is put to the ultimate test.
Everything aspect and cog in the film work in tandem with one another to create a warm, endearing, and downright uproarious experience. Olivia Wilde makes her debut one to remember. She intricately lays out all the highs and lows, the hilltops and pitfalls of high school. Whether it revolves around a crush that’s out of your league, or the friends and enemies you make, or even your “first time,” it’s all presented genuinely and earnestly. You can also see hints of a successful storyteller behind the camera in that while the screenplay is exceptionally strong in its own right, you see some clever tricks of the camera that Wilde utilizes. There’s one scene that features the primary “conflict” of the story and acts as the climax of that conflict. It is entirely a single take and focuses on the characters and nothing else around them. That alone gives credibility to Wilde as a potentially exceptional director in the future.
But more so than anything, it’s a union of that relatability and storytelling with the ludicrous scenarios our lead heroines get themselves into where we get some of the most hysterical comedy. No joke ever feels flat, forced, rushed, or out of place. Much of the humor can stem from the raunchy personalities of our lead duo, moments of shock and awe, or everywhere in between. Most importantly, however, wherever the humor comes from, it always fits the characters and the situations they’re in.
But that comedy would never be as strong as it was if not for the outstanding performances given by our leading ladies. I’m practically unfamiliar with the resumes of Feldstein and Dever, but now I make an oath to never forget them nor their incredible talent. Feldstein and Dever work beautifully together. We’re not told they’re friends or that they’ve been friends for X amount of years or anything like that. From their first interaction together, you instantly feel that connection. Their habits, their history, their similarities, their differences. You can feel it all within the first few minutes of the movie (which is fortunately now available online). Their chemistry defines a lot of the movie and it never gets stale.
What was surprising, however, is how Wilde introduces us to a plethora of supporting characters and none of them feel cliched, boring, or unnecessary. Every supporting cast member has their own personas, their own desires, their own sexualities, and all of it amalgamates into a rich diversity of students and faculty that interact with our two main protagonists. We have a homosexual man who’s very interested in theatre and acting, a rich white boy trying to buy other people’s happiness, the “cool” teacher everyone loves, an incredibly goofy and odd Billie Lourd acting out some of the best comedy in the movie, and so many more.
But the best part about it is that a lot of them flip the traditional stereotypes of these caricatures. The stupid and arrogant jock? He’s really a nice guy who also likes Harry Potter. The pretty girl who thinks she’s all that but is kind of a dunce? Well, as she states in the trailers, “I’m incredible at hand jobs, but I also got a 1560 on my SATs.” In a really refreshing way, there are no villains, “popular girls,” geeky nerds, bullies, or anything of the sort. These are all real people, with real desires and real personal detriments, all of which add honesty and authenticity to the story at hand.
Overall, Booksmart is a hysterically sharp and smartly written coming-of-age tale that is bred for the modern generation. Olivia Wilde has written a high-spirited story about friendship and stereotyping that puts aside the days of old that had the stupid jock and the popular pretty girl. Beanie Feldstein and Amy Dever bravely and successfully lead the charge in a story designed for the new millennium, filled with heart, depth, and characters we can all relate to. Everything about it feels fresh, new, and endearing, and it is destined to one day enter the pantheon of teen/high school dramedy classics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX2MvB0kyA0&t=1s&w=585