Thoughts I Had While Staring at The Edge of Seventeen Poster
Monday, July 18, 2016 at 9:54AM Manuel here. How do we feel about Hailee Steinfeld? I have never seen her Oscar nominated turn in True Grit so I'm obviously at a disadvantage in discussing her career but really enjoyed her in Pitch Perfect 2, The Homesman and Begin Again. I may give the Coens film a chance but if the upcoming The Edge of Seventeen is my first chance to see Steinfeld carry a movie, I think I'll be okay.
Kelly Fremon (who wrote the Rory Gilmore Alexis Bledel pic Post Grad) wrote and directed the teen flick and it may very well be this year's Perks of Being a Wallflower. We finally got a chance to see a poster and a trailer so check out unfiltered thoughts after the jump...
- I can't be the only one who went on to Google "Dude abide 8bit sweatshirt," yes? Not only does it give us nice character detail on Steinfeld's teenage girl (cool but misunderstood) but it functions as a cute True Grit inside joke.
- If you're going to go with a photo + boilerplate title card for your poster, you may as well give us a striking image and well... sweatshirt aside, that isn't quite the case here. The poster actually looks like the cover of a novel that got a reprinting because it's just been turned into a film. Funny since The Edge of Seventeen is an original property.
- This I learnt because at first I worried it was some sort of straight reboot of Edge of Seventeen, the gay rom com from the 90s. (It's not.)
- "You're only young once... is it over yet?" Fact: teenage angst is the trickiest, hardest feeling to pull off sincerely on film. This is partly because in real life it so often depends on posturing which can trip up even the best of performers on screen. Yet films love to wallow in it.
- Steinfeld and Bridges. Steinfeld and Ruffalo. Can Steinfeld and Harrelson capture that same type of crackling rapport?
- Despite his ace turn in Everybody Wants Some! Blake Jenner isn't quite a marquee name but you should know you'll be seeing his handsome face in this film.
- "Produced by James L. Brooks" is perhaps too small for everyone to notice but it reminds you of that one-two punch of Spanglish and How Do You Know which are inexcusable follow-ups to the affecting As Good as It Gets. What kind of prestige does his name still carry (for critics and audiences alike) in 2016?
Check out the Red Band trailer below where you'll see why you may want to keep your eyes out for this teen flick that hopes to plumb your John Hughes nostalgia and bring it to the 21st century. The film opens September 30, 2016 in the US.
Reader Comments (12)
I thought the tagline is Hailer's question to her own film career as a teen star. After True Grit, she never really did anything worthwhile.
She was GREAT in True Grit. Worst category fraud case ever.
Worst category fraud ever? I agree that it was an example of category fraud but nothing equals the nominations of Mara and Vikander (regardless of whether or not you liked the performances) who were THE leads in their movies so undisputedly that it beggars belief that they were even allowed to be submitted as supporting. At least with True Grit one can make the case for the film being an ensemble of leads. Mara and Vikander were front and center of their movies almost from the minute the films started to the final shots.
I watched Post Grad because I like Alexis Bledel... and THAT was a mistake.
This trailer has me more interested than I expected - name dropping James L. Brooks and "Say Anything" still works on me, and feels like a teen film niche we're not getting a lot of lately.
But I was also convinced this was a period piece until she pulled out a cell phone - why is she dressed like that? Why are 2016 teenagers referencing the movie "Twins"?
This trailer looks truly dreadful. Who in their right minds would watch?
Everyone: If you can, skip this probable crap and just binge play the game Life is Strange. Even with it's worst line ("That is a tasty plasma. Maybe I can sneak in a viewing of Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. I don't care what anyone says, that's one of the best sci-fi films ever made."), I'd guess it'd still blow this thing out of the water.
I like Haillee Steinfeld and James L.Brooks so this is a yes for me.
She's been great in True Grit, as well as Begin Again & Pitch Perfect 2 - so she's earned some respect. Harrelson always nails this sort of part so if it has a decent script it could be really good.
It should be noted that Steinfeld seems to be pretty choosy about scripts so I'm intrigued.
(I agree with Peter C. that Mara & Vikander were both more egregious cases of category fraud.)
"I have never seen her Oscar nominated turn in True Grit." Didn't miss much...very overrated.
Hailee was great in True Grit though she was the lead in it. The Oscars need to establish committees to ensure proper category placement a la the Tonys or Emmys.
She's fine in true grit but she would not have been nominated for best actress had she been submitted in that category during what was an extremely competitive year.
I finally just watched True Grit, and she's pretty terrific. It's egregious category fraud. She is in nearly every scene of the movie and she drives the plot. Her only other performance I've seen is in Begin Again and she's quite good. I'd give this a shot.