A select few comedy movies have an infectious glow. They fill you up. They supersede jokes, and become an experience. I can probably count on one hand movies I would put into this category. And I would count Booksmart among them.
In Booksmart, best friends Amy and Molly have spent their entire high school lives studying, and are determined to experience one night of partying before heading off to College.
There's a universality to stories about finishing high school. Whether its the awkwardness, or uncertainty, there's an inherent vulnerability to these stories.
Amy and Molly have the kind of transcendent friendship you can only have in high school. They spend every day together, they tell each other everything, they are over-the-top supportive and complimentary to each other, and they are as deeply in love with each other as platonic love gets. The kind of friendship yet unmarred by life.
It's hard to believe this is the directorial feature debut of Olivia Wilde. It's not easy to keep up the comedic energy as scenes flit from one location, or one madcap scenario to the next. But it succeeds because it always comes back to the friendship, which is the beautiful epicentre of the film.
After watching Booksmart I immediately recommended it to two of my best friends. Perhaps in part because I thought they would appreciate it, but also because I wanted to believe that we have the same love that Amy and Molly have.
In Booksmart, best friends Amy and Molly have spent their entire high school lives studying, and are determined to experience one night of partying before heading off to College.
There's a universality to stories about finishing high school. Whether its the awkwardness, or uncertainty, there's an inherent vulnerability to these stories.
Amy and Molly have the kind of transcendent friendship you can only have in high school. They spend every day together, they tell each other everything, they are over-the-top supportive and complimentary to each other, and they are as deeply in love with each other as platonic love gets. The kind of friendship yet unmarred by life.
It's hard to believe this is the directorial feature debut of Olivia Wilde. It's not easy to keep up the comedic energy as scenes flit from one location, or one madcap scenario to the next. But it succeeds because it always comes back to the friendship, which is the beautiful epicentre of the film.
After watching Booksmart I immediately recommended it to two of my best friends. Perhaps in part because I thought they would appreciate it, but also because I wanted to believe that we have the same love that Amy and Molly have.
