'Booksmart' - A Movie Review

It’s the night before high school graduation. Don’t do anything that you may regret.

Booksmart is a 2019 film directed by Olivia Wilde about two girls going out to party on the night before their graduation. Fearing that they missed out on parties because they made a pact to get into good colleges, Molly and Amy have an evening they will never forget.

I wish I could have seen this movie in theaters. After watching it, I feel that Booksmart is an underrated film for audiences. Booksmart is a well-acted film donning a strong message about friendship, coming-of-age, and being yourself.

Kaitlin Dever and Beanie Feldstein are the ultimate team! Everything from their sarcasm, witty conversation and a dramatic argument showcased an incredible friendship. Not everyone is perfect. I enjoyed the scenes where the girls were talking in conversation. They distributed a genuine friendship that made me laugh, smile or tear up.

Since this a teen flick about high schoolers partying the night before graduation, I felt that there were a little too many subplots that took away from the main action. I did enjoy performances by Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, Billie Lourd, Edwardo Franco, and one of my favorites from Diane Silvers.

For her directorial debut, Olivia Wilde did a nice job. The cinematography in some scenes is outstanding. Wilde paid very close attention to the characters and that’s what I like about the film. At times, there is a little too much going on with characters, but the message does not fall into the shadows.

That being said, Booksmart could have been a better film if it didn’t run on cliches. The script tried to incorporate subplots of other high school students who are not important to the plot. I enjoyed Molly and Amy recklessly wandering around town to try to find the house that the party was being held at, but it felt like filler at times.

Once the girls finally end up at the party, it felt as if the story began again. The last half of the film is dramatic and I was interested to see how everything would end. Speaking of which, I like how this film only takes place in a span of an entire night. I felt more of the urgency of the situation instead of making the story span out as a week-long predicament.

The music in Booksmart plays a heavy role in the film and becomes too prominent at times, taking away from the drama. Some scenes could have played better without rock music blaring in the background.

Booksmart is a colorful film. The humor is cringy and forced at times. Booksmart is more for a young adult audience. At times, certain scenes of improvisation lasted too long and didn’t hit that the mark that the joke was looking for.

I still enjoyed Booksmart and I believe that it has an important message. Coming-of-age stories have always been my favorite. That and being true to yourself. Don’t go by the crowd. How you live your life in and out of school is an important decision. No matter what, you always come first.

Friendship is an important theme. Be proud of friendship and don’t take it for granted. Amy and Molly’s endearing friendship was the strongest part of the film. They carried the film and shared great scenes depicting their friendship.

Give Booksmart a chance. It is an entertaining film and it has its funny moments. The humor and some subject matter may not be for all audiences. The film is comedic and dramatic sporting fantastic performances and a great message.