Booksmart (2019) is the directorial debut of actress Olivia Wilde, and stars Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein as two straight-A students who decide to have one wild night of partying before graduation. It comes after a long lineage of similar comedy movies, from Superbad to Bridesmaids to Lady Bird and more. How does this film distinguish itself from the pack?
In my last post I talked about Long Shot and the recent trend of gender-bent reboots of old classics. And apparently enough time has passed since Superbad for it to be considered a classic, because that’s basically what we have here. Two best friends on the cusp of leaving their hometown on the hunt for one wild night (and first hookup). Hell, it even continues Jonah Hill‘s legacy in the form of his younger sister Beanie! While there is some flavor added in to distinguish this film from its predecessor, it follows many of the same story beats and emotional arcs.
However, it is precisely those added flavors that justify this film’s existence. Much like Long Shot, this film has a lot to say about modern-day youth that Superbad never had the ambition to provide commentary on. Once again the gender swap is well-earned, using the dichotomy of these strong, powerful women coming to terms with their sexuality and freedom. The film even throws in an additional twist with one of the main characters being gay, adding an extra dimension of insecurity in whether her crush not only likes her but swings her way. The girls use their bond over female empowerment for selfish reasons sometimes, using their Malala safeword to try to manipulate one another into kowtowing to one another’s wishes. It’s a fascinating commentary on the modern-day state of feminism and how it can sometimes be twisted for selfish gain.
As a former straight-A student myself, I connected a lot with the central characters’ feelings of arrogance, jealousy and emptiness upon realizing how useless all their hard work was. Persisting with the promise of a better life if you just resist the allure of fun and games with your peers. Not only is that less of a guarantee in today’s world of saturated college degrees, but such academic pursuits are ultimately empty if you don’t also enjoy the ride. As Molly laments upon learning of her peers’ success, “But you don’t care about school!”, only to be corrected: “We don’t only care about school.” The film explores the necessity of a well-rounded life, of both pursuing your long-term goals and enjoying short-term pleasures to keep a healthy balance. Molly and Amy have repressed their fun-seeking sides in pursuit of something more meaningful, and their wild night is in pursuit not only of fun, but the dormant side of themselves that they’ve kept at bay for so long.
As much as the film’s plot draws from Superbad, its tone and minutia reminds me more of 21 Jump Street, which similarly finds two fish-out-of-water characters trying to understand the intricacies of social dynamics in a 21st-century high school. This is the “woke” generation, beyond the old trope of jocks vs. nerds, where lines between cliques are blurred and students are more open and accepting of one another. There are no bullies at this school, and even those that might appear to be are later shown to be just as insecure as those they project meanness onto. I appreciate when a movie doesn’t just devolve into nice underdogs vs. cruel popular kids, and it helped the movie feel very true to life and immersive.
The film is surprisingly tender when it comes to the background characters of the plot. Every classmate is set up with a key trait or archetype that we recognize: the jock, the preppy mean girl, the alternative free spirit, the flamboyant theater kid, the rich snob, and more. But rather than use these characters as mere pawns for comic relief, each gets their own opportunity to demonstrate who they really are throughout the runtime. Whether it’s the pretty boy professing his love for Harry Potter, or the mean pretty girl revealing her own bicuriosity, everyone has an identity outside of the niche they fill in the school ecosystem. It’s a strong, accurate snapshot of high school in the year 2019: everyone has their own secret desires that don’t perfectly conform to the boxes other people put them in. Even in today’s LGBT-friendly, open atmosphere, teenagers still feel pressured to hide their true selves for fear of being ridiculed.
For a first-time director, I was wowed by Olivia Wilde’s sure hand behind the camera. First of all, she did a FANTASTIC job with the actors, trusting them to hold their own in long take after long take designed to showcase their immersion in the roles. The chemistry between the leads is incredible and enough to carry most scenes alone, but Wilde also supplements them with fantastic set pieces and cinematography to keep things moving along briskly. There are several eye-popping sequences, from a fantastical dance number to a loopy drug trip to a dazzling underwater long take. Wilde knows how to craft appealing visual imagery, and while she borrows from other filmmakers a tad (who doesn’t?), she doesn’t hold anything back in giving the audience a good time. The pacing is also impeccable; I never felt like the movie sagged, and almost like a good mystery film, there are numerous setups and payoffs well-integrated into the story to both draw laughs and enhance emotional moments.
The only real flaw I can point to is the same one that dragged down Long Shot for me: the over-reliance on improv and going off-script to draw laughs. The film boasts some impressive names, like SNL alums Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis, who all infuse their own sense of humor into the roles. Remember that era a few years ago when Rob Riggle was in every comedy movie and just played Rob Riggle every time? A similar phenomenon here happens with the cameo appearances, though not to an excessive degree thankfully. Not all of the jokes landed, but for the most part these moments were mercifully brief. And yeah, the plot is predictable and follows the formula established by similar films of old. But it’s the minutia that makes or breaks this film, and Booksmart nails the landing at every turn.
Conclusion
I was blown away by how strong this film was. Yes, it falls into the same comedic patterns that we’ve grown used to over the last decade and a half, but it has strong writing, acting and direction to boot. It seems that the last few years have all had at least one or two strong coming-of-age films, from Moonlight to Call Me By Your Name to Eighth Grade. And while I’m not quite ready to place Booksmart on that level, and it may not stick in my mind in the years to come like the aforementioned films, it’s still a slick, intelligent film that left me feeling satisfied, and that’s about all anyone can ask for.
VERDICT: A-
All image rights belong to United Artists and Annapurna Pictures.
Tomorrow I’ll be checking in on the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and seeing which films performed well there as it closes its doors for the season. There is a lot of hype this year around the Palme d’Or race, which could indicate a fantastic year of cinema ahead. I can’t wait!
-Austin Daniel
Scriptophile 