The most refreshing thing about new coming-of-age comedy Booksmart is its self-awareness. High school stereotypes — the jock, the nerd, the rich girl — all exist here, but just enough to prove their ultimate irrelevance. Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are best friends and academic overachievers. Like many young girlfriends, they goof off together, but they’re a studious united front while on campus. They’re actually going places, unlike the kids who party, have sex and do drugs.
But when overachiever Molly discovers “Triple A” — a misunderstood “party girl” classmate — has been accepted to Yale, her world is thrown upside-down. How could hard-partying dimwits possibly have impressive plans after high school? Molly can’t stomach it. If Booksmart were a lesser movie, what comes next would be boring: Molly and Amy's inevitable freak-out and partying bender to make up for lost time. And, sure, while the resolution is a bit obvious, first-time director Olivia Wilde gets us there in magical fashion, with a shitload of unexpected fun.
Booksmart gives its young female characters space to live, make mistakes and thrive, and it doesn’t reduce its standout emotional moments to sound bites. In one scene, Amy and Molly sit at a picnic table talking about Amy’s crush, a skater practicing tricks nearby. As the camera pans over, we see a closeup of ratty shoes on a board. Even though we know Amy’s gay and her crush must therefore be a girl, we forget in the moment — gender norms dictate that the crushable kid on a skateboard be a dreamy dude. But not here. When the camera pans up to reveal a curly-haired skater chick, we are as excited as Amy.
The chemistry between Dever and Feldstein is so refreshing you want to slug it down like a margarita on a hot summer day. As the duo’s journey to make up for lost partying begins, we are treated to a classic getting-ready montage that pays homage to breakout Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness: “Who gave you permission? Who gave you permission?” The meme-friendly moments are plentiful here, but the film doesn’t veer into try-hard territory. Dever and Feldstein’s performances are so delicious and authentic that it feels like we’re really peering through their bedroom window.
The pair’s night escalates to a mess of Superbad proportions, featuring a down-for-whatever teacher (Jessica Williams), Amy’s adorable-but-overinvested parents (Lisa Kudrow and Will Forte) and a principal-meets-novelist-meets-Lyft-driver perfectly played by Jason Sudeikis. The ups and downs of their adventure are thrilling, but not as thrilling as seeing two young female characters living with agency, doubt, fear, assurance — all 360 degrees of human emotion. Who knew it was possible?
One of the film’s biggest scenes centers on an argument between Amy and Molly. Their fight seems to devolve into too-personal territory, but Wilde doesn’t cut her shots short — she lingers on faces, letting their rage share the spotlight unapologetically. It’s a big moment when other high schoolers stop and pay attention to the two girls’ hurt feelings. When the fight dissipates, each character goes off in her own direction. Instead of predictably falling into the arms of romantic interests, they enter even more confusing situations as individuals. Amy has an unexpected slip-up — literally, sorry not sorry — and it’s powerful to see her continued discomfort on screen. Molly’s crush doesn't sop up her sorrow. She has to address it by herself.
And maybe that’s what makes the movie powerful: Instead of watching Amy and Molly “poor me” themselves to death, we see them recalibrate and continue on their missions. Young women today are doing the same thing. College debt is seemingly insurmountable, political leaders are attempting to legislate women’s bodies, and we’re not having the serious discussion we should be about climate change — the biggest threat to their generation.
Booksmart isn’t about graduating high school, nor is it about getting enough party time in. It’s about young women — Amy, Molly and others like them — coming to terms with the inevitable crap of life, figuring out the answers and being the heroes and authors of their own futures.
