THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN

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At last, an intelligent teenage “coming of age” movie that teens and their parents can relate to!

Hailee Steinfeld plays Nadine, a high school loner with only one friend, Krista (Hayley Lu Richardson). When Nadine’s older brother Darien (Blake Jenner) hooks up with her best friend, the poor girl feels totally rejected, and you feel for her.

The crisp writing avoids the usual clichés, adding both humor and pathos to the plight of a teenager who feels totally rejected by her mother, her brother, her best and only friend, and society in general.

Woody Harrelson provides the subtle, often sarcastic humor of Nadine’s teacher in a restrained role unusual for the bombastic actor.

Hayden Szeto plays a clumsy, nerdy Korean classmate who befriends her. He is equally wonderful in the role.

“The Edge of Seventeen” is a quietly effective little movie that avoids the over-dramatic, keeping teenage crises in perspective while showing how vital little things can make big, difficult situations for young people and their parents.

The film is rated R because of some explicit sexual references and activities, profanity and teen drinking. It should have been toned down a bit so that high school students could legitimately see it.

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