Streaming: Hulu (With subscription)
Warnings:
Sex & Nudity
Explicit Language
Drug Use
Underage Drinking
Booksmart is a coming-of-age comedy about two academic superstars and best friends who regret not being more adventurous during their high school years. They are determined to have one big night of fun and the girls try to cram four years of parties into the eve of their high school graduation. For the directional debut of Olivia Wilde, she does not disappoint. Written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman, the film takes the audience on a wild ride and hilarious journey in the eyes of two high school over-achievers. Booksmart stars Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Billie Lourd, and Jessica Williams which makes the perfect mix of talent to be included on 68 critic’s top-ten lists, it also was nominated and won numerous awards. Booksmart’s screenplay is incredibly solid and carries the film in way that is a refreshing reminder that not everyone fits a stereotype. The acting is also a strong element in the film and both Feldstein and Dever were acknowledged for their performances. The comedy is probably the strongest element of the film, it allows the characters to freely express themselves without being offensive while also being progressive in their jokes. The film creates a new form of politically correct comedy for everyone to enjoy without sacrificing the comedy itself. With all of these elements combined, Booksmart is one of the best comedies of the decade.
The screenplay was written by some comedy greats who have won many awards and have been recognized internationally for their different approaches to comedy. Director Olivia Wilde encouraged the cast to rewrite any dialogue for their characters they felt to be inauthentic. In an original writing of the script, both of the lead characters were seeking boyfriends at the prom, later this was changed to rewrite one of the characters as a lesbian and then they were seeking a party instead. In the film, Dever’s character is a lesbian and Feldstein’s character is straight and in real life the opposite is true. Screenwriter Katie Silberman stated that Billie Lourd did such an impressive performance that extra scenes were written to include her more. The film was truly a collaboration which is part of what makes it so great, there were many people involved in the development of the story which allowed Booksmart to become the comedy masterpiece it is today.
The acting is another element that makes Booksmart wonderful, Wilde encouraged Dever and Feldstein to live together for a short amount of time to accomplish the “best friends” chemistry they were hoping to achieve. Dever and Feldstein lived together for about 10 weeks in Los Angeles. Several of the actors among the younger cast members are relatives or children of other Hollywood industry professionals or stars. Beanie Feldstein (Molly) is the sister of actor Jonah Hill, Mason Gooding (Nick) is the son of Cuba Gooding Jr., and Billie Lourd (Gigi) is the daughter of agent Bryan Lourd and Carrie Fisher. Both Dever and Feldstein won awards for their roles as the lead characters and Olivia Wilde won many awards for her direction. On the site Rotten Tomatoes Booksmart was named the #1 comedy of the decade, in order to come up with this title, the site used an adjusted formula that weighted multiple factors, considering the film’s release year and the number of reviews. Booksmart is certainly one of the best films of the decade especially when considering the great acting from the many young cast members.
Lastly, the comedy is different in Booksmart, which adds another strong element that makes the film great. There was a lot of attention to detail when it came to writing the script, and Silberman particularly credited the complimentary language that the characters used to Feldstein who frequently stated, “I have no breath” to Instagram. The continuous editing of the script allowed the characters to blossom which also supported the comedy to become a solid part of the film. Vulture’s Emily Yoshida favorably wrote about Booksmart stating, that it “manages to be inclusive and progressive without being precious about anything or sacrificing an ounce of humor.” Even the Wall Street Journal stated that Booksmart is a “prodigy” and that no film that was “funnier, smarter, quicker or more joyous has graced the big screen in a long time.” These statements sum up the wonderful comedy element of the film that makes it hilarious. Since Booksmart approaches comedy in a different way this type of comedy hasn’t been seen often in the past. Booksmart is inclusive and considerate and still manages to be hysterical. These combined aspects of the film truly make this a wonderful comedy.
Booksmart isn’t a film for everyone considering some of the crude humor, however if one can stomach some gross out humor or explicit language Booksmart is beyond hilarious and entertaining. This genuine comedy explores what it’s like to be in high school again and at times forces the audience to reminisce of their own experiences. Through the authentic and wide-ranging comedy, the solid writing and acting, and interesting collaborative approach, Booksmart earned the title of being one of the best comedies of the decade. If you wish to laugh until you cry, and re-live some high school experiences, I highly recommend Booksmart.