The Edge of Seventeen Movie Review

The film “Edge of Seventeen” does something other films of the same genre fail to do, and that is executing a relatable story. Movies that deal with the dramatic experience of high school tend to feel off-putting or just disingenuous, with overly exaggerated characters that lack any depth to them. We see these films as comical to the point where serious and dramatic scenes end up unintentionally funny, while the actual comedy simply doesn’t land. Movies like these are prone to narrative cliches, where characters end up committing acts of mediocrity. But Kelly Fremon Craig, debuting as a director, delivers a believable story with believable characters, out-performing many flicks of the same genre.

The film opens in with a playfully dark narrative from our main character, Nadine, played by Hailee Steinfeld, who’s had past recognition with the Coen Brother’s “True Grit,” which was nominated for an Oscar. The story begins with her early childhood, as she tries to justify her more pessimistic view on life, comparing herself to her successful older brother. There are two types of people in the world,” Nadine tells us. “The confident, and the people who hope the confident die.” Not only a humorous comparison between the two siblings, but also a taste of what kind of film we’re about to see. She points out the dysfunctions in the household, a worrisome mother, and herself. Yet, it all seems to be stabilized by her father, who she looks up to a lot. She also befriends another odd little child, her first best friend. Both of them endure through life together, and we end with present day Nadine.

Nadine, while clearly the odd one of high school, goes through the troubles one would expect from a kid going through her most dramatic of years. And I mean this as a compliment, as the script displays scenario’s that are both realistic and relatable, things we would actually see in a high school environment: Nadine is a flawed character, and doesn’t properly fit into the seemingly foreign world of common teenagers. We don’t see a presence of unrealistic bullies, which is pretty fitting nowadays, closer to reality. Her conflict is herself, and more personal issues, instead of placing the antagonist on jokingly exaggerated characters.

The cast itself is all around pretty reliable, the majority of which giving in a good effort. Steinfeld again offers a quality role, and shows that she is very aware of what type of character she is playing. Supporting roles also come up strong, most notably Kyra Sedgwick and Hayden Szeto, as Nadine’s Mother and an odd, but awkwardly cute friend in replace of her older one.

The script is incredibly humorous and intelligent, great source material for our actors to work with. The contentious conversations between Nadine and her hilariously sardonic history teacher, played by Woody Harrelson, are a joy to witness. It’s rare to see such a cold hearted yet funny character, repeatedly showing up to ‘counsel’ Nadine.

Though let’s not get ahead of ourselves, “The Edge of Seventeen” is no high school documentary, as it definitely has its more dramatic parts, but retains its authenticity as a film. Both aspects of comedy and drama are brilliantly blended, but never going too far as to identify the film as a weak teen-drama. Give it a shot, the movie might surprise you, maybe even give some faith of sub-genre as a whole, but regardless, it certainly stands out on it’s own.

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