The Edge of Seventeen, an American coming-of-age comedy released in 2016, has a great trailer and a decent premise: you are a high school girl trying to navigate the ever-changing world of relationships, expectations, and responsibilities. You are played by Hailee Steinfeld.
In the most favourable reviews, the film has been compared to Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), John Hughes's works in general, Clueless (1995), Mean Girls (2004), and Juno (2007). Critics are thus providing a line-up of high school dramas with female protagonists, sharp dialogue, and a cult status. Importantly, many of those pictures were either written or directed by women: think Amy Heckerling, Tina Fey, and Diablo Cody. The Edge of Seventeen, in its turn, is a directorial debut by Kelly Fremon Craig, who also provided the film's script, conceived as early as 2011.
The comparison with the aforementioned teen classics is not entirely unwarranted. The Edge of Seventeen introduces Nadine Franklin (Steinfield), an opinionated high school junior equipped with a crush on an older student, a tumultuous relationship with her family, and a penchant for colourful skirts. Steinfield shines in her role, delivering a full spectrum of emotions and reminding us whose performance in True Grit (2010) made it into an outstanding film. Similar praise cannot be given to the supporting cast, although not through any fault of their own:
With the exception of the protagonist, her history teacher (Woody Harrelson) and, possibly, her father (Eric Keenleyside) - I am saying 'possibly' because Mr Franklin enters the film for half a minute - no one gets to have much of a personality. If John Hughes's classrooms were fully populated by memorable characters ('Bueller?.. Bueller?..'), while Clueless and Mean Girls were exceedingly aware of the social dynamics between different groups, The Edge of Seventeen shies away from making even surface-level observations about its background characters. As a result, everyone is defined by their haircut. That guy Nadine likes? Her feelings must be caused by his floppy fringe.
Another aspect where the film presents a want of balance and credibility is in the lack of consequences experienced by the protagonist. We are aware of the reasons behind her actions, and we trust that she feels bad about some of them - that she sometimes feels bad about existing altogether - but the absence of meaningful reaction from those around her robs the story of resolution.
The Edge of Seventeen could be a very good movie. As it stands, it is only an okay one, a mixture of spot-on delivery and unremarkable plotlines, of clever dialogue and missed potential.
In the most favourable reviews, the film has been compared to Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), John Hughes's works in general, Clueless (1995), Mean Girls (2004), and Juno (2007). Critics are thus providing a line-up of high school dramas with female protagonists, sharp dialogue, and a cult status. Importantly, many of those pictures were either written or directed by women: think Amy Heckerling, Tina Fey, and Diablo Cody. The Edge of Seventeen, in its turn, is a directorial debut by Kelly Fremon Craig, who also provided the film's script, conceived as early as 2011.
The comparison with the aforementioned teen classics is not entirely unwarranted. The Edge of Seventeen introduces Nadine Franklin (Steinfield), an opinionated high school junior equipped with a crush on an older student, a tumultuous relationship with her family, and a penchant for colourful skirts. Steinfield shines in her role, delivering a full spectrum of emotions and reminding us whose performance in True Grit (2010) made it into an outstanding film. Similar praise cannot be given to the supporting cast, although not through any fault of their own:
With the exception of the protagonist, her history teacher (Woody Harrelson) and, possibly, her father (Eric Keenleyside) - I am saying 'possibly' because Mr Franklin enters the film for half a minute - no one gets to have much of a personality. If John Hughes's classrooms were fully populated by memorable characters ('Bueller?.. Bueller?..'), while Clueless and Mean Girls were exceedingly aware of the social dynamics between different groups, The Edge of Seventeen shies away from making even surface-level observations about its background characters. As a result, everyone is defined by their haircut. That guy Nadine likes? Her feelings must be caused by his floppy fringe.
Another aspect where the film presents a want of balance and credibility is in the lack of consequences experienced by the protagonist. We are aware of the reasons behind her actions, and we trust that she feels bad about some of them - that she sometimes feels bad about existing altogether - but the absence of meaningful reaction from those around her robs the story of resolution.
The Edge of Seventeen could be a very good movie. As it stands, it is only an okay one, a mixture of spot-on delivery and unremarkable plotlines, of clever dialogue and missed potential.