Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Booksmart 2019

     On the eve of their high school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more.  Now, they are determined not to fall short of their peers.  The girls try to cram four years of fun into just one night.  They have been invited to a party but they don’t know the address?  They don’t tell their parents where they are really going.  They ask a pizza delivery man to take them to the place he has been delivering pizzas because that is the address?  He talks to them about getting into a car with a stranger??  Does any of this sound like they are on their way to the best night of their lives?? 
     This film is geared toward older teens and adults.  Teens accidentally take a hallucinogenic drug and go on a trip.  Teen drinking, pot smoking and other brief drug use.  Language is extremely strong and nearly constant.  Audio from a porn video is heard, there is explicit sex talk, banter and innuendo.  But, along with all the iffy behavior are are strong messages about being a good friend, supporting friends, begin confident, smart and positive about yourself.  I’m not sure even the target audience would find this to be a good film?  2 1/2* (this movie is so-so) 


102 min, Comedy directed by Olivia Wild, written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman with Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, Victoria Ruesga, Mason Gooding, Skyler Goisondo, Diana Silvers, Molly Gordon, Billie Lourd, Eduardo Franco, Nico Hiraga, Austin Crute.


Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 55,222 views, Rotten Tomatoes 97% with 338 critics 77% with 4,111 ratings, Roger Ebert 4* Monica Castillo, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Simran Hans, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson age 16+, 3* positive, 2* role Models, 1* violence, 4* sex, 5* language, 28 consumerism, 4* drinking, drugs & smoking.


Special Note:  Filmed in Los Angeles, Glendale, Pasadena, California.  Olivia Wilde said that The Breakfast Club, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Dazed and Confused and Clueless were the inspiration for this film.  Olivia also encouraged her cast to rewrite any dialogue for their characters if they felt it wasn’t authentic.  Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein were roommates for 10 weeks to build up a rapport between them.  Delta Air Lines censored some scenes from their in-flight movie version. 

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