Booksmart, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, tells the story of lifelong best friends Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) on the day and night before their high school graduation. They’ve done everything right. They studied hard. They didn’t drink or party at all. Their academic and professional futures always came first. And by all accounts it worked out for them. Amy is headed to Columbia University in the fall, and class president Molly will be at Yale. Their “by-the-book” success has given them (especially Molly) a sense of superiority over the rest of their classmates, who spent their last four years (gasp!) having fun and making sure to experience life outside of school.
Their entire world view is thrown out of wack, however, when Molly discovers that the perceived “irresponsible” kids also got into good schools and have bright futures ahead of themselves as well. Whether it’s the popular girl joining Molly at Yale or the stoner who is skipping college but take a high-paying job with Google, Molly is horrified to learn that so many of their classmates were able to balance their social and academic lives in a way she and Amy never imagined possible. And it’s this discovery that sets the two besties on a course for a wild night.
And from there the two go on a wild ride as they make their way to the illustrious “cool kids party.” Some of the events are predictable, but there is more than enough variation to the normal tropes that give Booksmart a fresh feeling that continues to the very end. It’s almost like a mini roadtrip movie, as Amy and Molly struggle to find their way to the correct party. And this laser focus on the two leads is perfect, because both Dever and Feldstein are dynamite in their respective roles. They have a real chemistry that makes you believe they are actually best friends. The two of them actually lived together during filming, and that extra time spent together paid off big-time.
But while they have no problem carrying the bulk of the movie, you need a good supporting cast to really make it hum. And while there isn’t quit the depth of supporting characters you might like to see, those that do shine, shine bright. Playing Jared and Gigi, respectively, Skyler Gisondo and Billie Lourd are two of the funniest side characters you’re likely to see this year. Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, and Will Forte are all fantastic – as expected – in their limited roles as well.
As great as those side character moments are, though, the movie is at its best when it focuses on Amy and Molly’s friendship. Luckily for us all, that friendship is the movie’s biggest driving force, so there is no shortage of it being on full display. And that’s the thing Booksmart does best. Though obviously heightened for cinematic purposes, it’s an honest portrayal of high school friendship. It taps into something that everyone can relate to, and that’s a powerful thing for a movie to pull off.
