CAPSULE: Edge of Seventeen (2016, Dir. Kelly Fremon Craig)

It's a badge of honour for Edge of Seventeen that there will undoubtably be a few parents that question whether they want their sons or daughters to see it. That's a win for honesty. Films that are actually representative of the teenage experience are hard to come by. For some inexplicable reason we feel the need to sugarcoat that time, as if shielding kids from what their lives actually are will give them the skills to endure it.

Director Kelly Fremon Craig has nailed it, particularly what she's come up with for Haylee Steinfeld's Nadine (which is not to take away from Steinfeld's pitch perfect performance). Over dramatic, whip smart, self-deprecating and wallowy. She and her best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson), pad their social ostracism with they-just-don't-understand-us sass, something they extend to Nadine's mother (Kyra Sedgwick) and brother (Blake Jenner), though one of them re-negs on that and sets the relationship on a downward spiral.

Even at its most amusing (and I refer directly to Woody Harrelson's cuttingly funny turn as Nadine's teacher come educational whipping boy) Edge of Seventeen works off a tell it like it is vibe. Its honesty may be heightened, and given biting flair by Fremon Craig's screenplay, but it is obvious that everyone gets it. What's more, in cutting as close to the bone as it does, some interesting parallels are uncovered - or maybe that's just me slipping into the adolescent-spiked, social media-drenched modern dating world (There some skills I need!)

If honesty has a downside, it is that Edge of Seventeen gives over to a few well worn stereotypes as it reaches its climax. An over-reliance on the goodie-two-shoes brother for one (though the delivery of his "what about me?" speech packs a wallop) and the can't-see-past-her-own-misery end of Nadine's emotional growth spurt is unnecessarily disempowering. They're slight downsides though and certainly not going to ring false (unfortunately).

It's a bit of a foul mouthed life lesson but Edge of Seventeen doles out wisdom in a way that should be eaten up by young and old. There're plenty of solid parenting conversations to be had on the other end of it. Do people still parent? Oh well, this is a good place to start.

★★★★

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