Eighth Grade is the latest film released by A24, one of my favorite production companies. I would sub-title this teen angst film Confessions of an Adolescent Vlogger. My wife and I watched this film at our local independent theater along with a rather sparse audience. I think the title of this film may scare some people off, thinking it is a film directed toward an adolescent audience. While it is in many ways, the values in this film are not age-confined. It is a film for everyone.
Kayla (Elsie Fisher) is your typical eighth-grader. She spends an awful lot of time on her phone and interacting with social media. At home, she produces a vlog series with advice for kids her age. At school, she is a bit of a wallflower. Only, she isn't actually shy. She just prefers not to talk excessively. In the age of technology, that tends to be a teen trait. Kayla decides to make an effort to come out of her shell and carve out her own space. It is an awkward period of growth and self-actualization, that Kayla navigates with naive grace.
Kayla has a dad (Josh Hamilton) who tries really hard to connect with his daughter, who he is raising as a single father. Their channels of communication are stilted, but her dad never stop trying. The story progresses over the final two weeks of eighth grade as Kayla looks to her past and future and ponders her present. Her unhappiness and uneven transition is balanced with her vlog, which demonstrates a level of maturity. In her vlog, Kayla is the person she wants to be. The vlog helps her navigate her angst, but also serves as a tool for narrating the story. Technology plays a central role in the story with the vlog incorporated into the narrative as an overlay to Kayla's courage and growing confidence. It is an interesting technique that works seamlessly into the story as we watch her grow as a person.
Eighth Grade is a character-driven film. While it has received very high marks from the critics, I was left wanting a bit more substance. As a character film, it succeeded. Kayla is an engaging character, deftly brought to life through the typical teen banter delivered by Elsie Fisher. The film has a subtle arc that explores the growth of our central character without any dramatic revelations or major plot twists. It is a story of love, growth, kindness, social interaction and family. I was expecting something dark to happen. Independent films often delve into that realm. I'm kind of glad this film chose not to go that route. While it dealt with complex teen issues, it handled those issues with kid gloves. That is not a bad thing. This film could have been depressing, but instead had an embracing warmth.
I enjoyed the characters in Eighth Grade even though I would have liked a bit more substance. As a character-driven film, the story relied heavily on solid casting. I thought that was a hallmark of this film. Kayla was brilliant as the awkward adolescent lead. The film hinged on her performance. Josh Hamilton was exceptionally well cast as her father. The two had the right chemistry to exude love through the chasm of teen tension. I particularly enjoyed Jake Ryan as Kayla's new friend, Gabe. His performance had a lovable delivery of stream-of-consciousness dialogue that gave his character compatibility and sweetness. The casting helped this film tremendously.
The MPAA gave Eighth Grade an R rating. The rating likely stems from sexual content that does not include nudity. There is talk about nude snapchats, oral sex and a tense scene that seems like it is headed toward sexual assault but stop far short. The relevancy of these topics were well place and contextual in the film. The story also contained strong language. For the most part, the R rating seems a little bit strict for this film, but I think I understand the rating based on the age of the subjects. If the same characters were all adults, this film might be PG-13. Use your judgment on this one. I didn't see an issue with allowing teen viewers or older to see it.
I enjoyed Eighth Grade. It was a relevant film about relevant teen issues. The film managed to "get it right" on issues like Facebook vs. Snapchat/Instagram, and even included a brief scene of a couple of adolescents doing the floss dance. The research seemed to be pretty much on point. The characters were strong and mildly interesting. I would have liked a bit more substance, but the film had a purity to it that I liked. We have so much garbage coming out of Hollywood that it was nice to see a film that deals with real issues with such a soft touch. This film is hovering around 8.3 on IMDb. I am not quite that ecstatic about this story. But I would definitely give it a recommendation. 7.5/10.
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