“The Edge of Seventeen” came out in 2016 and is still talked about on a large scale.
Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, this film captures the delightful and honest truth about a teen whose world seems to be falling apart. The film is rated R due to the sexual content, language, and small amounts of alcohol use.
This funny and relatable coming-of-age film captures the true feelings of an emotional teenager. Almost everyone has experienced feelings of depression, and these feelings are typically more common for people in their teenage years. Hailee Steinfeld plays Nadine, an abrasive teen who you eventually grow to love.
As the movie begins, the audience is quickly introduced to the main characters. At the very beginning, it is evident that Nadine is closer to her father than her mother. Their relationship gives the viewers hope for Nadine until her father dies from a heart attack, setting the tone for her emotional downward spiral.
Nadine is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). The development of these three characters brings the viewers through a whirlwind of emotions.
Two more important characters show up early on in the film. Her only confidant is her teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson). And one of her classmates, Erwin (Hayden Szeto), is into her. They have great chemistry, but in typical 17-year-old fashion, Nadine is more interested in the mysterious bad boy than the good guy.
Life can be broken, and most coming-of-age films recognize this. But in “The Edge of Seventeen,” it’s not broken because of a pimple or losing a date to the prom. Instead, the movie takes the teenager’s hurt seriously and delivers an emotional dramedy.
“The Edge of Seventeen” takes teenage emotions and troubles seriously. That is one refreshing thing about this film; it is realistic. Usually, coming-of-age films are predictable and filled with cliches. This film is different, and viewers understand and empathize with Nadine because you most likely have felt a little bit of what she’s feeling throughout the film.
Character development is vital when it comes to these coming-of-age films. The character growth seems genuine and realistic, and in retrospect, may remind you of someone you know or know.
Nadine learns a lot throughout the movie and develops the most. In the beginning, she is a needy selfish teen who thinks everyone is out to get her, including the universe. She later finds out that that is far from the truth. She learns that growing up means being aware of how lousy you can be and also acknowledging that other people are doing their be
Luckily, this movie has sort of a cheesy ending. All of the quarks from the characters make this film a wonderfully funny star-making performance.
