Review: The Edge of Seventeen

The Edge of Seventeen, the debut film from Kelly Fremon Craig, is a film that would make John Hughes smile and perhaps a little jealous. High school films have a way of telling the same story over and over again. The Edge of Seventeen tells a familiar story but breathes such life and character into it that the film feels completely fresh.

Aside from the well observed script by Craig, the film also has a great star in Hailee Steinfeld as Nadine. Nadine is a young 17-year-old girl who is struggling to find her place, both at school and in life. When her best friend (Haley Lu Richardson) begins dating her jock brother (Blake Jenner), Nadine's angst boils over. Her relationship with a cranky teacher (Woody Harrelson) and an awkward boy who loves her (Hayden Szeto) help to force Nadine to grow up.

While so many high school films would create a youthful, manic energy to the film's editing and pace, Craig keeps the film in a restrained mode. This helps the real emotions and honesty of the story to bubble up. Add the incredible wit on display by Steinfeld and you have the rare coming-of-age film that feels fresh. Juno was the last film I can think of that combined these elements with such grace. Scenes are allowed to have a natural pace and rarely does the film feel churned through the test audience process.  What results is a genuinely funny and touching film. The R rating allows the film to be realistic to its characters, giving the film real substance.

The film's humor has its own style to it. The John Hughes reference is fair but Kelly Fremon Craig has her voice and it is a distinct one. The film feels told from her experiences. There is hardly an unauthentic moment in the film. While the plot feels very familiar, the dialogue and characters never do.

Steinfeld is an obvious standout but the whole cast is great. Harrelson brings a wonderful natural tiredness to his archetypal character. Hayden Szeto also stands out as Erwin. Again the performance and writing seem to defy the standard cliches of such a character.

While The Edge of Seventeen feels terribly familiar at times, the film stands out as one of the best coming-of-age tales in a decade. The honesty and authenticity of the performances and dialogue work to create a very enjoyable film.

4/5