Booksmart Review: A+++

Well, now that was, fun, wasn’t it? I hope you took a little time out of your long holiday weekend to go see “Booksmart.” The teen comedy opened wide in an unusual move for an indie film with a largely unknown cast. And, as one might expect, it did not fare too well against the Avengers and John Wicks and Aladdins of the world. But, still, an $8.7 million opening for a movie with two female leads, no big household names, and a word-of-mouth heavy marketing campaign is not too shabby. In other words, yes, Hollywood – you can make money with a female-fronted, female-directed, female-written film. Like, duh.

One of the other things I love about “Booksmart” is not it so effortlessly shifts our pop culture paradigm. On its surface, this is your standard do-something-for-a-big-life-event teen hijinks movie. Find a date before prom. Get laid on spring break. Amy and Molly are nerdy kids who just want to go to one epic high school party before graduating. Along the way they encounter an array of seemingly standard teen movie characters: the jock, the mean girl, the wannabe, the stoner, the slut, etc. etc. etc.

Yet instead of giving us the expected victory of the "good guy" nerds over the "bad guy" popular clique, everyone gets to win in their own way with “Booksmart.” Like in life, people are always more than their labels. Notice how much more interesting, not to mention inclusive, a story gets when everyone is allowed at least some agency. It also gives more people the opportunity to be in on the joke, instead of the butt of one. So instead what could have be just another silly teen comedy is all the better for allowing us to see the humanity, in all its messy and hilarious glory, of all these characters and allow it to resonate with more people.


While we’re talking about glory, can I get a halle-freaking-lujah for an LGBTQ storyline that has nothing to do with coming out or homophobia/transphobia? The seminal coming out storyline will never go away, it’s essentially the first-love narrative of all LGBTQ people. But it is beyond refreshing to get to see the shared normality of our lives reflected as well. Gay people have crushes, like everyone else. Lesbians have awkward first times, just like everyone else. The more kinds of stories we’re allowed to tell – beyond those centered on our identity – the better.

And, finally, it would be criminal for me not to tell you that Billie Lourd’s Gigi alone is worth the price of admission. The rest of the movie justifies the large buttered popcorn, box of Junior Minits, pack of Twizzlers (don’t @-me you weirdo Red Vines people) and extra-large Icee.



p.s. Did you know Beanie Feldstein (a.k.a. Class President Molly) is dating a woman in real life? And is also Jonah Hill’s Sister??