Earlier this year, I saw the sleeper hit 'Love Simon', about a high school boy gay boy, trying to come out to his family and friends. A coming of age story with so much potential that must have read nice on paper but is disappointingly bland on screen, ruined by all the gloss and sugar. 'Eighth Grade', a new movie about a middle school girl, however, not only must have read great on paper but is actually executed brilliantly on screen. The result is a film that is this year's finest so far.
Directed by first time director, Bo Burnham, 'Eighth Grade' could have ended up becoming just another clichéd teenage comedy. Movies and TV shows about high school kids, focusing on bullying, sexual identity have been fairly common in recent years. But not all of them have been as authentic and deeply caring for their characters as 'Eighth Grade' is for Kayla, the movie's lead played to perfection by Elsie Fisher. As she navigates through the school hallways unnoticed by her fellow students, secretly watches youtube videos on how to perform oral sex (so that she can impress her school crush), we care for her and worry that something bad might happen to her. When she quietly listens to her senior peers chatting, we relate to her fear that they will probably notice her sitting quiet, unable to contribute to their conversation. We relate to her struggles, her desire to seek validation and to make friends that would like her gifts and read her letters. It is to Burnhman's credit that he manages to give us a real, fleshed out middle school girl who is so vulnerable and yet so endearing. His direction avoids all the teenage movie tropes. There is no real drama here, no plot twists and nothing gets really resolved. And yet, by the end, you feel assured that everything will be okay for Kayla. You also feel assured for her single dad who is trying to raise her without coming across as overprotecting, letting her daughter be surrounded by technology almost all the time and yet secretly hoping that she is able to make some friends. Josh Hamilton who plays Kayla's father is sincere and brings the right amount of affection to the portrayal of his character, complimenting Burnham's brilliant writing.
It is ironical though that a movie about a eighth grader is rated R, making viewing harder for the very kids that this film is about. But if not the kids, their parents definitely should watch this film. Actually scratch that - you don't need to be an eighth grader or a parent to get immersed in the rare fulfillment that this film offers. We all are Kayla or at least have been Kayla at some point. 'Eighth grade' is for all of us!
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