Booksmart

— This is a tender, funny, coming-of-age film about two over-achievers who’ve been focused on studies until the last day of high school when they decide to make up for lost time. There are plenty of other films with a similar plot, some of them good. This is one of the better ones! I was a little worried through the first half since it seemed to focus on being funny, almost as though it was trying to stifle the underlying and more serious aspects. Luckily, it fully redeemed itself in the second half, even to the point of adding enough depth to all the stereotypic jocks and cheerleaders to show they might not be any more stupid or unmotivated or mean spirited than the brainy kids and nerds, a message I tend to like. In the end, it’s another film that reminds me that the high school experience really doesn't look that much different after 50 years, or at least the affect those experiences have on individuals. What’s changed may be the activities themselves; these people certainly are more sexual, curse a lot more, and have more freedom than my generation, but they also have more eyes focused on them thanks to technology and social meda. The film is held together with spectacular acting and an easy, believable rapport between the two main characters. First time director Olivia Wilde deserves some credit too, since the film is viewed from the two girls’ perspective, not from a man’s notion of what two girls might be thinking. It's a little rough in places, but I liked it a lot.

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[2019. 106 min. Directed by Olivia Wilde. Starring Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow and Will Forte.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/booksmart-2019