Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “On the eve of their high school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night.” -IMDB

Review: Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are the focus of the summer’s funniest movie. Directed by Olivia Wilde, this film has been my single most recommended film of the season. It is smart, funny, progressive, and female-focused; all things missing in the usual dance of men in tights who dominate the cinema. Arriving at such a belief didn’t take me long. Within the first 10-minutes of this movie about two friends focused on the future, I knew something was different.

Amy and Molly are modern, forward-thinking women. For as long as they can remember, they have been focused on the future. To achieve their aspirational dreams, they have intently followed a certain path. They’ve achieved stellar grades., found themselves involved in the right clubs and activities, dismissed distractions, and avoided anything remotely resembling the high school experience. On the eve of their graduation, it has become apparent they will achieve greatness, but it is also abundantly clear they’ve missed the full experience. Thanks to some convincing from Amy, this begins an epic adventure to shove all the high school social experience into one night.

Since they’ve avoided this scene, finding the right party is a bit of a challenge. After a series of hilarious, but wrong choices (it is these choices that give this film its comedic strength), they finally arrive at the right party. Of course, their arrival comes as a shock to anyone who knows them. On the eve of graduation, their fellow classmates are in the mood for forgiveness. As they blend into the party, they begin to shed themselves. Amy begins pursuing a girl she has had a crush on for a long time. Molly is bound and determined to use the hottest guy in school. Of course, rookie mistakes are made and we, the audience, are treated to some of the funniest moments of the entire movie.

In the chaos, truth is revealed. Amy and Molly haven’t been completely honest with each other and choose to use the middle of the party as an opportunity to air some grievances. This is when this film truly reveals its heart and soul. As they trade barbs, we watch their friendship fall apart and are left to question whether they will be able to make amends and salvage something really special.

Reading the plotline, it might be easy to dismiss this film, but to do so is to ignore its potential to move and make you laugh at the same time. For that, I cannot recommend it enough. In a haystack of summer blockbusters, this indie is worth finding.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

This website exists because of readers and supporters. If what you just read made you smile, please consider supporting the website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.