One of the staples of cinema is the coming of age drama/comedy (dramedy). It’s a well trodden path and hard to add something new with a back catalogue including Mean Girls, Clueless, My Girl, Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club, to name but a few. Then along comes debut writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig who makes it look easy, delivering a moving and entertaining addition to the genre. Largely overlooked in theaters last year, it’s home video release gives you an opportunity to appreciate it for yourself.
Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) and Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) are two outsiders, awkward girls who forged a firm friendship and grew up together. Now teenagers, they’re inseparable, however their friendship seems to be over when Krista begins a romance with Nadine’s older brother Darian (Blake Jenner). Estranged from her mother (Kyra Sedgwick) and still dealing with the loss of her father a few years earlier, Nadine finds support in a new friendship with fellow loner Erwin (Hayden Szeto) and tough love from her teacher Mr Bruner (Woody Harrelson) leading to her realizing that what feels like the end of the world is just the beginning.
The synopsis doesn’t do The Edge of Seventeen justice. This isn’t just some girlish/melodramatic teen endeavor, it’s actually a whip-smart blending of coming of age movie, comedy, and family drama. It feels a tad frenetic in a way, a perfect encapsulation of the jumble that is a teenager’s life, showcasing the anguish and angst, the impulsive and emotionally driven decisions, and the instant regret. It speaks to the multitude of events and expectations heaped on the younger generation, family dysfunction, friendships and peer pressure, school, relationships and even the loss of a loved one. It’s funny, heartfelt, and remarkably frank in it’s depiction of teenage life.
It’s an impressive debut from Kelly Fremon Craig who crafts a film that above all feels genuine. Less schmaltzy than Sixteen Candles and more grounded that Mean Girls, it’s own, well structured and authentic slice of teen angst. It’s perhaps Steinfeld’s best performance since True Grit, while Woody Harrelson’s gruff but tender Mr Bruner threatens to steal the show. It’s not just the big names that stand out, Hayden Szeto gives a very understated and impressive performance as Erwin. Top performances and smart script combine to make for an enjoyable film that manages to give insight to the teen years without pigeon holing itself as a “teen movie”.
THE PACKAGE
The Blu-ray transfer shows impressive detail, good contrast and strong colors. Blacks are deep, no artifacts are noticeable.
Special features are limited to a short gag reel and three deleted scenes. A commentary with writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig would have been most welcome in how it would have offered insight into the travails of a first time filmmaker, but alas no such thing is present. There is a DVD copy and code for a digital download also included.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Edge of Seventeen treads familiar ground but feels remarkably fresh thanks to sharp, grounded writing and a nuanced performance by star Hailee Steinfeld. A thoroughly enjoyable and accomplished take on the coming of age genre, and a debut that marks Kelly Fremon Craig as one to keep an eye on.
The Edge of Seventeen is available on Blu-ray and DVD from February 14th
