The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Review of The Edge of Seventeen (2016), directed by Kelly Fremon Craig
I started watching this movie a couple of years ago, but just around to watching it fully now. I feel like every decade or so, the new generation needs a movie that defines them, and I feel like this movie is realistic enough to do so. A lot of people might say that Lady Bird is the movie of this generation, but I’ll dare to say that The Edge of Seventeen is up there too. Hailee Steinfeld is someone I’ve never seen in the acting arena yet, despite desperately wanting to see Dickinson. Just got hooked up with a free Apple+ TV subscription for three months, so guess what I’ll be binge watching next?
I’ve come to realize that I lean towards coming-of-age stories with female characters that are specifically written for by and by women directors and screenwriters. This is why films like The Edge of Seventeen and Lady Bird have become so loved; because they offer a feminine touch to growing up, something that women can sympathize with after being subjected to having to deal with male-dominated and written coming-of-age stories.
Alright, I’ve talked too much, let’s dive into this review.
Content
Our main character in this film is Nadine. Her father died when she was thirteen years old, leaving her behind with a mother that’s obsessed with how she appears to others and an older brother that’s popular and now apparently dating Nadine’s best friend. Nadine is clearly unhappy as we see her move from one space to the next, feeling inferior in this world.
Enter: Erwin Kim. He’s desperately fallen for Nadine, who is friendzoning him to the max. We then see our man Woody Harrelson playing a disgruntled teacher who has a soft spot for Nadine, as she comes to him to complain about her life. He probably doesn’t get paid enough to also be her therapist, to be quite honest about the situation.
I think a lot of us can relate to Nadine. She’s a moody teenager who has gone through an immense trauma in her life, and she isn’t very likable. But that’s the point. She’s not meant to be likable because she is a teenager and who really was likable when they were a teen? We’re all trapped in some form of a cycle, and she’s trapped with hating her life and circumstances. And so she comes across as harsh, selfish, inauthentic. On Nadine’s journey, we’re also learning how to heal with her and move on with her life.
Woody Harrelson has some great comedic relief as her teacher slash unauthorized therapist. Even as she berates him for probably being underpaid and having no wife or kids, it’s so satisfying to see his own home life and to watch Nadine get proven wrong. We then see how awkward Erwin Kim is with Nadine, making them the love match in heaven, but she refuses to acknowledge his feelings for her because she’s obsessed with another guy.
It’s a cute film with a lot of truths about being a teenager in today’s society. I thought that Erwin and Nadine would’ve made such a power couple earlier in the film, but it’s important that she doesn’t actually end up with someone like that throughout the film because she still needs to discover more of herself and the world around her.
Overall Thoughts
It’s a good, sweet film. It’ll break your heart at times, but it doesn’t lose any authenticity because it incorporates those sad, slower moments that are broken up by brief comedic relief. Our main character comes to realize that we all have problems at the end of the day, the pacing coming to this realization is good, and the dialogue is sharp and witty. I think this is a solid choice for a Friday night film and, for the brief time in which I am writing and reviewing this, it is available on Netflix. So go enjoy!
