Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 23 May 2019
In the winning 'Booksmart,' a teen comedy revolution

By JAKE COYLE self, which "Booksmart" has
Associated Press blown wide open.
The insanely winning You can tell a lot by a
"Booksmart" boasts too movie's first minutes. In
many breakthroughs to "Booksmart," you know that
count. There are the two the smile on your face isn't
leads, Kaitlyn Dever and likely to leave from the first
Beanie Feldstein, both of moment that Molly (Feld-
whom we've seen before stein) is picked up by Amy
but not like this. There is (Dever) for their last day
the director, Olivia Wilde, of high school. Without a
whose debut behind the beat but out of pure enthu-
camera is remarkably as- siasm for each other, they
sured. And then there is awkwardly but confidently
the teen comedy genre, it- pop and lock their way into

This image released by Annapurna Pictures shows Beanie Feldstein, left, and Kaitlyn Dever in a
scene from the film "Booksmart," directed by Olivia Wilde.
Associated Press

the street. The party that Google. "You guys don't earned her the nickname
is "Booksmart" has already even care about school," Triple A, as in "roadside as-
begun. Molly protests. "No, we sistance."
From "Porky's" to "American just don't only care about It could be argued that by
Pie," the high-school com- school," one replies. With divesting itself of the kind
edy has traditionally been one last night to reverse of "Breakfast Club" ste-
ruled by ups and downs of course, the two friends em- reotypes, "Booksmart" has
male conquest. Yet that's bark on last/first hurrah, try- sapped itself of the kind of
been changing at least ing to cram a year's worth conflict that exists in every
since "Clueless." Recently, of partying into one night high-school hallway. No
Kelly Fremon Craig's "The rather than go through one turns out to be so bad.
Edge of Seventeen," Mari- with their original plans for It's full of that graduation
elle Heller's "The Diary of a the evening: watching Ken feeling where old grudges
Teenage Girl" and Greta Burns' "The Dust Bowl." slip away. Rivals become
Gerwig's "Lady Bird" have Not being pros at it, though, friends, or even lovers.
pushed movies about they spend much of the But from that rude awaken-
teens in enthralling new movie — penned by Su- ing scene onward, Wilde's
directions, delving deeper sanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, movie is about how none
into parenthood, friendship Sarah Haskins and Katie Sil- of the people around us
and the pains of coming- berman — on an eventful are necessarily who we
of-age with indelible fe- odyssey just trying to find think they are. One after
male protagonists who exist the popular-kids party and, another, the movie disarms
well outside of the genre's hopefully, running into their superficial assumptions. Cli-
prescribed archetypes. long-concealed crushes: chés get comically stripped
"Booksmart" feels like a vic- the popular vice-president away and real people step
tory lap in that evolution. Nick (Mason Gooding) for forward. It's a blast.
Having spent their high- Molly; a smiley skater girl Along the way, Wilde rides
school years studying and name Ryan (Victoria Rues- the night's ebbs and flows
preparing to launch their ga) for Amy. to the thumping score of
ambitious lives, Molly, the The plot line won't startle Dan the Automator, some-
class president, is headed anyone for its originality, times widening the view to
to Yale and Amy to Colum- but its vitality will. Wilde is the larger ensemble (also
bia. With RBG and Michelle especially good at sketch- here are Jessica Williams
Obama photos on her wall, ing out the girls' classmates. and Jason Sudeikis), but
Molly plans to be on the It's a diverse and colorful always returning to the re-
Supreme Court. But when spectrum of characters, the lationship between Molly
they approach who they sort of fashionable and hip and Amy. It's a sweetly sin-
assume to be the dead- kids you might see at LA's cere bond they have, com-
beats of their Crockett Hollywood High. Among plete with their own code
High School in Los Angeles the many standouts: Sky- word. In a time of need, ei-
ready to flaunt their sterling ler Gisondo, as a rich kid ther can invoke their hero,
futures, it's a rude awaken- without friends; Nico Hi- the young Pakistani activist
ing. They, too, are headed raga as another skater kid; Malala Yousafzai, to de-
for Ivy league schools or, and Molly Gordon, whose mand the other's absolute
at worst, a primo job at character's reputation has faithfulness.q