Starring Hailee Steinfield, "The Edge Of Seventeen" follows the life of a girl named Nadine. Throughout the film we find out that as a kid, Nadine grows up as a social outcast who is never quite as popular as her twin brother Darian. Then one day she meets her best friend, Krista, who grows up with her. But as time goes on, her brother and best friend end up together, causing friction between the trio.
The movie then shows the "downfall" of her life and how she handles challenges thrown at her. Since she lost all her friends, she becomes extremely independent, seeming directionless for a while. On top of that, her relationship with her mom is hostile as well, never being able to see eye to eye on anything. Through these problem, Nadine realizes she needs change. So she decides to branch out and meet new people. In class, she meets a boy named Erwin who teaches her to branch out and somewhat step out of her comfort zone. Through Erwin, Nadine finds out that new experiences don't have to always be scary.
The Edge Of Seventeen truly showed what it was like to grow up in today's culture and social norms. Teenagers over-think, over-analyze and over-exaggerate; and this movie truly showed that. It was great to watch because it was easy to empathize with characters, knowing exactly what they were going through and the emotions that were running through them during certain situations. This is why I think this film we do great, it's relatable.
Let's be honest, the teenage years are ALWAYS awkward.
An aspect of the film I seemed to really like was the fact that Nadine had a mentor throughout the entire movie. Her history teacher, Mr. Brunner, helped her overcome her obstacles and strive to be a better person, both to herself and others. This was also the comic relief of the film. He didn't seem like a teacher and was willing to knock some sense into her if he had to (not physically, don't worry). However, it was great seeing an adult figure be somewhat adolescent and vulnerable, showing how not everyone has it all figure out.
Also, can we talk about the music choice for the film? Absolutely phenomenal. From The 1975 to Mike Snow, it was hard to watch the movie without having the urge to bop your head to tunes playing the background.
Overall, The Edge Of Seventeen was a great film and I highly recommend it to those who are skeptical about. To put it simply, it's genuine. It shows how awkward teenagers can be and how we are basically fumbling through adulthood, pretending we know what we are doing with our lives.
