Comedian Bo Burnham made his feature directorial debut recently with Eighth Grade, the latest coming of age film. Also the latest example of the MPAA's flawed rating process. The idea that this film could be considered unsuitable for 13-year-olds simply because it doesn't restrain itself from showing the more mature language and ideas that 13-year-olds accurately talk about is ridiculous. If you are concerned at all about how appropriate this film is for a child just know that there is nothing gratuitous or over the top, just a dose of at-times heavy realism.
Starring Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan, Luke Prael, Catherine Oliviere
Written and Directed by Bo Burnham
Synopsis: During her last week of middle school a young girl struggles with her social anxiety.
Visuals and Audio: The coming-of-age film is not a genre known for distinct visual style. Though there are exceptions, they tend to be very low budget, and thus try to use a basic style of shooting in order to speed up the filming process. That is very much not the case with this film. Though it doesn't call attention to itself, the film often picks unusual shot choices that keep the film from getting stale. These decisions also change up somewhat as the film goes along, choosing to tailor its style to the individual scenes rather than have one blanket method of shooting. None of this is very noticeable without going in looking for it, but it does subconsciously add something.
Cast: One of the most intriguing things about this film is how hyper-focused it is on the lead character. While there are, of course, other people around her, her own difficulties relating to the kids around her mean that there is no solid friend group to fill in the traditional roles of a narrative. Instead, Elsie Fisher has to carry nearly the entire film herself, in terms of both comedy and drama. Thankfully she is more than up to the task. There is a certain level of realism and understanding to the character of Kayla. Though it may be on the lower end of the scale of character goals, Fisher's performance taps into how desperate the desire to be liked is for people of that age, making it feel like the most important thing in the world. She finds the perfect balance between wanting to change who she is to achieve that goal, and not being able to change. It creates for a brilliantly relatable and real feeling character, capturing the nitty gritty of adolescence. Ironically, it is because Fisher plays the dramatic beats of the role so well that the comedy works. She's not winking at the audience, she's playing it all straight, and the comedy comes because of the realism and relateability.
The supporting cast is not weak, per se, but they are very much there to support Fisher's role and arc. With only a few exceptions, many of these characters never get a chance to show multiple layers. This is because we're seeing everything from Kayla's eyes. We are not seeing any of these character as they are, but as Kayla sees them, where it makes sense that she may only see their most dramatic features. The most prominent exception is Josh Hamilton as her father. His struggles trying to connect to her are instantly recognizable and heartfelt. Though we never get to see his perspective, we can tell that he's somebody who doesn't really know how to be a parent, but is still putting his entire being into trying to succeed. Their relationship really forms the heart and soul of the film.
Writing: One of the primary things this film does differently than most of the type is the degree to which it shows the impact of social media on childhood. Preteens in this day and age live on Instagram and other similar websites, and the way they communicate is shown to be affected with unusual intensity. The disconnect between how somebody represents themselves on the virtual world, versus how they are in actuality is a prevalent theme throughout. Since these characters are still becoming who they will be, it is impossible for them not to be affected by this, and the film doesn't shy away from that. Supposedly, writer/director Bo Burnham actually took advice from his child actors on how to accurately portray this aspect, such as the kids using Instagram instead of Facebook.
Directing: In going from script to screen, Burnham expertly uses this realism to highlight both the comedy and the drama in the film. Notably, for the most part the comedy and drama are not separate. Kayla's awkwardness is often funny, while at the same time depicting a sadness in the difficulty she has fitting in. Some scenes do lean more heavily one way or the other, but the balancing act is mostly a positive. I say mostly because the way an audience connects to these moments can cause them to be difficult to watch. Just a warning, if you went through similar things to Kayla, then this film can often take you back to those moments, and become occasionally difficult to sit through. It shouldn't ruin the film, but can occasionally take you out of the proceedings mentally, though that is itself a testament to Burnham's achievement. There are also a few moments that highlight the less seen dark side of adolescence, which can be especially difficult for parents to watch. This is very intentional, though. Burnham crafts these moments to show that, though parents may try to protect their kids from the world, the world will find its way to them, for better and worse. This is an especially powerful lesson, as the scenes mark a strong change in tone, highlighting the intensity of the moments.
Verdict: Eighth Grade is a unique, hysterical and occasionally quite difficult portrait of youth in the digital age. Any parents might find it difficult to watch, but it is worth sitting through, as it will help show what their children are going through. For all others, it's worth seeing to find a Dramedy that doesn't follow any sort of cookie-cutter rule book, and makes its own path, although it will hit those with similar social awkwardness quite close to home.
Grade: 9.2
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