By Ben Budke
Have you ever worked so hard, on an important opportunity in your life, only for other people to achieve as far as you have, even though they didn’t work as hard as you did? Well, Amy and Molly can relate as they worked so hard in school for a top college and for others who partied to the end to have reached the point they did.
Booksmart is a relatable coming-of-age film, taking comical and dramatic events to create a funny film all teens can relate to at any level. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to laugh or look back on the last years of being a teen, with struggles, but a nice taste of freedom before the responsibilities of an adult is necessary.
Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are two seniors in high school who are about to graduate and pursue great opportunities, as Molly is off to Yale. Molly then learns, despite being nose-first in her books throughout high school, everyone else has made it to prestigious colleges too, while they’ve been partying their lives away. This knowledge infuriates Amy and Molly, as they propose to have one night of absolute freedom before they graduate and part ways. The rest of the film goes through the eventful evening that follows, filled with romance, drama, weirdness, and a lot of car rides- one weirder and funnier than the next.
As it is seen in high school, love interests are a fundamental part of people’s lives. This film does an amazing job of giving a broad display of romance all throughout. “I just like that she’s always in a good mood, and she’s got a really cute smile,” says Amy, talking about Ryan, “She just seems like she’d be a really fun person to have sleepovers and lie around with.” Romance’s representation in the production is shown by Amy’s love for a girl named Ryan. The bravery of the film to display a lesbian love interest is another reason this film is deserving of recognition.
Moving on, Love isn’t the only benefit of this movie; comedy is seen all throughout. Comedy in this movie is seen to be mainly geared towards older teens, who can relate to the teens in the movie. The weird edge to this film is hilarious, combining elements of animation, adult references, and many awkward situations.
My interest in this film is mainly around the drama present in the film. Drama is represented by the dividing romances and friendship that Amy and Molly have endured on their journey in high school.
This film is truly amazing as it represents some of the biggest aspects of a high schooler’s life. The romance, comedy, and drama are seen throughout the film, truly feeling as if one knows these girls in person. It is a great film for audiences who are looking for high school nostalgia or a great laugh.