They nailed it. Having spent my last three years teaching Middle School and a total of six years teaching Middle School of my 28-year career, they get it. Everything is too intense and at the same time everyone is suffering in silent awkwardness. Adults fumbling in their efforts to “relate” to students, kids having no filter between their feelings and thoughts and what comes out of their mouths. At a time when they have no idea who they are, they are completely  addicted to getting a little  👍 or 😀 for a post on social media. I loved when the girl having the birthday party snapped at her mother, “No one uses Facebook,” when the mother suggested that she send an invitation to her party to our hero using Facebook. Duh! Facebook is only for “old people.” And the high schooler arguing with friends that eighth graders were from a different generation, because they’re “wired differently!” Perfect. And I loved that the filmmakers did not resort to using some huge tragedy to tell this story. Don’t get me wrong, it was appropriately uncomfortable and there were many difficult moments, like the poor dad, no matter what he did, it was the wrong thing. Yeah, the last weeks for eighth grade can be almost too much to deal with, but somehow we do. Basically I loved it, but then I realized some time ago that we’re all awkward weirdos… it’s just that some of us hide it better than others and many needlessly suffer because they think they’re the only ones. Enjoy. 

[Movie viewed on 2925-08-31 at The Beverly Theater]

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Tags:  2018 movies, 2025 movies, awkward adolescence, movie review, video Fridays

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