I went to Western University (the one recognized by Playboy) and I didn’t party much. I think about this all the time and even more so now that Olivia Wilde released her directorial debut, Booksmart. Now I regret it!
Some of my favourite female celebrities like Busy Phillips and Lena Dunham endorsed Booksmart and now I understand why. It’s a great movie about female friendship and coming of age after high school. It’s filled with good music, good laughs and good lines.
Everyone deserves to have fun, including the valedictorian. Molly (Beanie Feldstein) is the kind of girl who corrects a grammatical error in graffiti on the bathroom wall. She has a picture of Michelle Obama in her room too.
On Molly’s last night of high school, she convinces her best friend Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) to live it up. Even though they always prioritized academics, their classmates who played hard the whole time also got accepted to top colleges. One of them got hired at Google. These BFFs need to make up for lost time.
“Nobody knows that we are fun! We are A+ people and we are going to an A+ party.”
“How are we going to find out where the party is? Homework.”
It was fun to watch their cool teacher drive them around and surprise them with sequinned party clothes. I was relieved when they finally got to the ultimate party after making a couple random stops along the way. The surprise twists near the end made the journey worth it.
The girls’ wild night out gives Molly a new perspective on her classmates, which she expresses in a spontaneous speech at graduation. Don’t worry, it will make you laugh, not cry – especially her entrance!
Will Ferrell is an executive producer, so sometimes Booksmart seems a bit silly. However, the story has many sweet moments, like when Amy’s parents make pre-graduation food named after puns. Seeing Booksmart made me realize I’m a big fan of screenwriter Katie Silberman because she also wrote Isn’t It Romantic and Set It Up.
Now I have a challenge for Hollywood. Where are the movies about smart girls who let loose in between school and their bachelorette party? Why do you need to have a special occasion?
I could theoretically arrange a wild night out now. What am I going to do – get really crazy and have caffeine after dark? Maybe a Diet Coke and some sugary snacks? Life is boring now that I’m in my late twenties and I’ve become a self-care pro.
Is there a script for that yet?