The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

High-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.

Director:

Kelly Fremon Craig

Writer:

Kelly Fremon Craig

Stars:

Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 28 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hailee Steinfeld	...	Nadine
Haley Lu Richardson	...	Krista
Blake Jenner	...	Darian
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Mona
Woody Harrelson	...	Mr. Bruner
Hayden Szeto	...	Erwin
Alexander Calvert	...	Nick Mossman
Eric Keenleyside	...	Tom
Nesta Cooper	...	Shannon
Daniel Bacon	...	M.C.
Lina Renna	...	Young Nadine
Ava Grace Cooper	...	Young Krista
Christian Michael Cooper	...	Young Darian
Jena Skodje	...	Little Mean Girl Leader
Josh Simpson	...	Teammate

Storyline

Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy (Hayden Szeto) gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all.

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Plot Keywords:

adolescence | coming of age film | scantily clad female | panties | white panties | 

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Taglines:

You're only young once... is it over yet?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, language and some drinking - all involving teens

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the official Twitter account for the movie announced that it will begin screening in the Philippines on November 25, 2016, it did not actually play in Philippine theaters. No Philippine distributor was announced, nor has it been released on DVD there.

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Goofs

In Mr. Bruner's home when his wife Greer picks up the child in her arms at first she has no blanket in her hand, then she does, then she doesn't.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Nadine: Look I don't wanna take up a ton of your time, but I'm gonna kill myself. I just thought someone should know. I don't really know how this works. I'm probably gonna jump off an overpass in front of a semi, so... Or U-Haul, maybe, just not a bus. I'm not gonna be a dick and make people watch, but it has to be big; it's gotta be so big that it just...
[snaps her fingers]
Nadine: Done; kills me. Lights out. 'Cause if it just maims me, and I'm like...
[imitates differently abled person]
Nadine: Well then ...
[...]

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Connections

References Home Alone (1990)

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Soundtracks

Big Jet Plane
Written by Angus Stone & Julia Stone
Performed by Angus & Julia Stone
Courtesy of Nettwerk Productions

User Reviews

Doesn't hit as hard as it should

I know most people would have felt sympathy for Nadine. I personally wanted her to follow through with her suicide threats at times. I always struggle to connect with protagonists who hate themselves and actively try to make situations worse by saying the wrong thing. It comes from an attention seeking place and is inherently self absorbed. Hailee Steinfeld is fantastic playing her of course, I don't fault her performance for a second. She was just not much of a character to root for. From what we see Darrian really only insults her after she insults him first, and for the most part just wants to live his life, he isn't a complete alpha male asshole who thrives on power, just a kid who happened to be born good looking and thus got what most of us want, popularity.

The movie is good, but not great. It is not as powerful and memorable as recent teen dramas that came out in recent years. It also has clichéd silly music and sitcom moments where it really should have picked a tone and stuck with it. Also Krista's character is woefully underdeveloped. Would have been nice to see a few more scenes where they confide in each other about Nadine's behaviour. Woody Harrelson elevates this from a 6 to a 7 by just being Woody Harrelson. The man turns orange juice to whisky. This movie simply could have left more of an imprint than it does.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA China

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 November 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Besties

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,754,215, 20 November 2016

Gross USA:

$14,431,633

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,370,020

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gracie Films, Huayi Brothers Media, Robert Simonds Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1