Booksmart  3.5***

    “Booksmart" (2019 release; 102 min.) brings the story of high schoolers Amy and Molly. As the movie opens, Molly is meditating in her bedroom (adorned with Michelle Obama's book, a picture of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, etc., you get the idea), before she is picked up by her BFF(“best friend forever”) Amy. It's the very last day before HS graduation, and straight A students Amy (admitted to Columbia) and Molly (admitted to Yale) have made it with top grades and loads of AP credits! But when Molly learns that the party-goers and "losers" have also been admitted to elite colleges, Molly realizes that they have missed out on so much, and she talks Amy into going to a party that night and make up for lost time. At this point we are 10 to 15 minutes into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

This is the directing debut of actress Olivia Wilde, and what a debut this is! Working from a script co-written by 4 women, Wilde brings a coming-of-age story with a decidedly female perspective. Protagonists Molly and Amy are played with fervor by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. The script is crisp, funny and yes, raunchy, so if that is not your thing, you may want to stay away. I thought it all blended together quite well. "Booksmart" reminds me in spirit of last year's "Eighth Grade", which also brought a fresh perspective on the coming-of-age theme.

“Booksmart” is delightfully charming, refreshingly funny and chock full of delightful characters. The leads are without a doubt the highlight of the movie. Kaitlyn Dever's Amy and Beanie Feldstein's Molly are a dynamic pair, both girls as fun and witty as each other. There is fantastic depth to both characters, and the chemistry between them is undeniable ( they lived together during filming to make it more realistic). We can't forget the supporting characters, however. The colorful, diverse array of characters make up an ensemble of quirky, charming and thoroughly hilarious personalities. Each one adds something special to the film.  I did find that the hilarity and charm fizzled  a little bit towards the end of the film. But overall the movie is wonderfully unique and well made. It is sweet and honest, and very, very funny.

Rated R for strong sexual content and language throughout, drug use and drinking - all involving te