The Edge of Seventeen: Das Jahr der Entscheidung

As a fan of the "coming of age" story structure, I am happy to report that this film met my expectations in every single way. Some key plot points were predictable, but the writing, performances and soundtrack were all on point. The emotions and experiences the film conveys do not feel artificial, and Hailee Steinfeld shines! Intelligent writing and little twists here and there will likely leave you genuinely invested in the life of these characters and leave you wanting more. Woody Harrelson plays a wonderful image of a teacher dealing with his life amidst high school drama and Kyra Sedgwick's performance as a struggling mother was especially heart felt and real. This is not to be missed for fans of this genre!

The Edge of Seventeen is a movie I stumbled upon. I did not know what to watch next and saw this movie available to stream. Once I started watching I absolutely fell in love with this movie. It's a coming of age story that could not be more real about the life of a teenager. The movie is awkward, funny, sad, frustrating, and emotional, and that's exactly what being a teenager is. Hailee Steinfeld perfectly plays a character that I've seen has been labeled unlikable. I read other reviews and some just say that "she is unlikeable and thinks she's way hotter and funnier than she really is." And that's absolutely right, her character, Nadine spends most of the movie not knowing why she feels so frustrated. She just is. And me being a teenager myself I know that is absolutely accurate. Sometimes I just feel angry because I do, and sometimes I'm really anxious and awkward without wanting to. This is the first movie in which I have really seen myself reflected onscreen. The main character is a teenage girl, but this movie is so greatly written that it isn't only relatable to girls but to all teenagers in general like it happened to me being a guy. The whole arc the character goes through is not about her changing everything about herself, but about recognizing that everyone has problems and everyone feels all of those emotions she feels. The dialogue was perfectly written, it reflected everything about being this age. The performances were amazing, Hailee Steinfeld is a really talented actress. I was genuinely surprised about how great this movie was. It's such a relatable and heartwarming story that at times may feel a little irritable or all over the place, but that's just what being a teen is.

I can't say that I expected to see this movie opening weekend, or at all for that matter. But I'm glad I did. The Edge of Seventeen is an awkwardly charming coming of age tale that flirts in the same vein as some classic John Hughes 80's flicks.

I think all of us have been keeping an eye on Hailee Steinfeld since True Grit in 2010. When you can steal scenery from the likes of Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin, you know you have someone special. The Edge of Seventeen is an entirely different genre and obstacle for Steinfeld, however. I almost think that the coming-of- age-teenage-angst-comedy-drama's are the most difficult films to reach a broad audience, perhaps even more so than westerns. I usually need something to hook me before I spend money on one of these, and that came by way of Woody Harrelson.

Harrelson play's Steinfeld's teacher and common companion at lunch when there's no one else to sit with. The brilliant thing about this relationship is that its neither too dramatic nor too goofy, the writers find a nice balance between gut busting laughs on Harrelson's end to a nice dramatic payoff in the latter half. For all the clichés that this film inevitably has, this relationship was something very refreshing and served as the highlights for most of the film.

Nadine (Steinfeld) has several issues with her mother, brother, and best friend to figure out throughout the course of the film. But it was pleasing to see that the writers didn't choose to make any one character in the right or wrong. I constantly felt like I was playing out both sides in my head as to who I believe had the right to be mad at the other or vice versa. Being in a family of 7, I can definitely relate to some of the family obstacles Nadine goes through, and it wasn't Hollywoodized just for the sake of pushing the plot forward. There's unfortunately quite a few clichéd tropes that this film ends up taking you toward, but it felt more natural than most of these types of films. This could be attributed to the welcomed R rating the film received.

It isn't for everyone, and I wouldn't even consider myself the target audience. But it speaks to larger personal and family issues than the trailer sets up. It's also one of the best Woody Harrelson performances I've seen recently, even if he is probably as reserved as he's ever been.

+Steinfeld carries this film

+With the help of the hilarious Harrelson

+Writing

-Inevitably some clichés and predictable plot points

8.0/10

I've spent a lot of time over the years trying to figure out the humor I like and movies like this pin it down for me. I like awkward humor. Nadine is all kinds of awkward and that's what makes her relatable and adorable. You empathize with her and the problems she's going through, and through the eyes of an adult, of course you laugh at how overdramatic she is, but in a FUNNY way. It makes for some comedic relief between her and her teacher delightfully played Woody Harrelson, who just ignores her neuroses. What makes the film a pleasant experience is the way she is played by Hailee Steinfeld. There's a few minutes here and there where they venture into 'I will punch you' category, but nowhere near the insufferable 'lady bird' I had to turn off after ten minutes. Definitely a recommended film for those who empathize with growing pains.

I know most people would have felt sympathy for Nadine. I personally wanted her to follow through with her suicide threats at times. I always struggle to connect with protagonists who hate themselves and actively try to make situations worse by saying the wrong thing. It comes from an attention seeking place and is inherently self absorbed. Hailee Steinfeld is fantastic playing her of course, I don't fault her performance for a second. She was just not much of a character to root for. From what we see Darrian really only insults her after she insults him first, and for the most part just wants to live his life, he isn't a complete alpha male asshole who thrives on power, just a kid who happened to be born good looking and thus got what most of us want, popularity.

The movie is good, but not great. It is not as powerful and memorable as recent teen dramas that came out in recent years. It also has clichéd silly music and sitcom moments where it really should have picked a tone and stuck with it. Also Krista's character is woefully underdeveloped. Would have been nice to see a few more scenes where they confide in each other about Nadine's behaviour. Woody Harrelson elevates this from a 6 to a 7 by just being Woody Harrelson. The man turns orange juice to whisky. This movie simply could have left more of an imprint than it does.