The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) User Reviews

It successfully goes to the edge without going over it.

[proud_luddite · 7/10 · 10 October 2018]

San Francisco, 1976: Minnie (Bel Powley) is a 15-year old who initiates a sexual affair with the boyfriend (Alexander Skarsgard) of her mother (Kristen Wiig).

"Diary" has much in common with "Fish Tank", a 2009 British film in which Michael Fassbender played the role of the boyfriend. But "Diary" can't be accused of copying the other film as it is based on the biographical graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner. Each film has its own strength and uniqueness.

There is much discomfort in the early sex scenes for obvious reasons. At least, Powley was an adult when the film was being made. But while the film clearly goes into taboo territory, it does so in a way that surprisingly comes off as moving rather than cheap and exploitative.

The story is told through Minnie's (Gloeckner's) perspective so, as it turned out, there seem to be no belief in victims or predators. While there are consequences for the very unconventional liaison, there is no sense of melodramatic punishment that would be expected in other current stories.

Director Marielle Heller does a great job in recreating the carefree attitude of San Francisco in the 1970s as she does in getting fine work from Powley and Skarsgard. The constant partying and indulgences in sex, booze, and drugs was simply the way of life back then and the lightness in attitude comes through in a way that is almost nostalgic. This attitude would crash later after the onset of AIDS, the Reagan years, and real estate speculation (the single-parent family lived in a big apartment in downtown San Francisco on a librarian's salary - something that couldn't happen today). There is also the enjoyable bonus of animated images that accompany Minnie's thoughts and reflections.

This movie succeeds in taking a controversial subject and expressing it convincingly with heart. - dbamateurcritic

Fascinating, non-judgemental movie of a pretty screwed up life

[cherold · 8/10 · 31 May 2020]

This movie follows a teenage girl's sexual awakening, which involves statutory rape, prostitution, drugs, and other things that weren't a part of my far more vanilla teenagehood. The main character, Minnie, is creative and bright but also has the delusional mind of a teenager and a bit more of the "I'll try anything once" attitude that might be good for her.

The movie itself doesn't seem to judge anyone. Not the mother who does coke with her daughter or the boyfriend she seduces or Minnie herself. The life they lead seems appropriate for an appearance on the Jerry Springer Show, yet she never portrays them as mouth-breathing idiots but more as just reasonably decent people with dubious judgment. It's surprising, particularly at a time when the movie idea of the girl and the older man has moved from romantic to creepy, to see this straightforward portrayal.

It's also cleverly filmed and includes some nice animated sequences. I'd definitely recommend it.

The music makes the movie soar....

[deepakahlu · 8/10 · 21 January 2016]

Been hopelessly hooked, for the past several days now, to the captivating selection of 1970s pop that forms the music soundtrack of The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

The film itself, about a teenage girl discovering and embracing sex amidst the Bohemian surroundings of 1970s San Francisco, impressed me for its rare honesty, its vibrancy, and the wonderful music soundtrack that accompanies the film's moods. Phoebe Gloeckner's searing and much acclaimed 2002 graphic novel comes to screen with a careful selection of eclectic tracks from the 1960s-70s that make the film soar at times. The film is not for the prudish and easily shocked though. And that includes the nannies at the Academy who have completely shut out this indie from this years Oscar nominations!

An Honest, Unfiltered & Nonjudgmental Account Of One Girl's Sexual Awakening

[CinemaClown · 31 December 2015]

An honest, unfiltered & nonjudgmental coming of age drama about a young woman's sexual endeavours, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a nicely crafted, sensibly narrated & wonderfully performed cinema that's highly bohemian in nature, emanates a psychedelic vibe from start to finish & is further uplifted by its well-put together cast.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the story of The Diary of a Teenager is set in San Francisco during the 1970s and concerns Minnie, a 15-year old aspiring cartoonist who in the wake of her sexuality begins a relationship with her mother's boyfriend. However, her longing for love & acceptance soon sets her on a path to much bolder adventures.

Written & directed by Marielle Heller in what is her filmmaking debut, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is oddly stylish, surreal & provocative in depicting the sexual & artistic awakening of its protagonist and captures the highs & lows of adolescent life with utmost sincerity. Heller's direction is as good as her screenplay, and it's refreshing to see the story being told from a girl's perspective.

Production design team does a good job in replicating the 1970s setting, Cinematography makes splendid use of its camera & bright colour tones to further enhance its images, and Editing is finely carried out while the music fits its scene. Coming to the performances, Bel Powley delivers a terrific performance and is brilliantly supported by Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig & others.

On an overall scale, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a bold example of its genre that attempts to capture the turmoil of teenage years without sugarcoating any of it, is capable of leaving a few viewers squirming on their seats with its explicit nature, and thanks to its playful tone & sensible handling of its characters, is a welcome entry in the coming-of-age filmmaking landscape. Definitely worth a shot.

From A Real Diary? It Makes You Wonder

[TheAnimalMother · 7/10 · 16 January 2022]

A refreshingly honest look at realizing the importance of loving oneself, and for a change, it comes from a true female perspective. Usually coming of age films of this sort out of Hollywood are written by men, and it's like their sort of fantasy-like perspective of the young female. Even as a man myself, I enjoyed this gritty, more authentic coming of age story from a female perspective a lot more than most films of this sort. Here it just feels so messy and real, a tale of a real human young woman discovering herself and what is actually important to her. A wonderful film.

7.5/10.

Period piece not without merit, but doomed by unlikable characters

[hyoga_saint · 7/10 · 29 June 2017]

In many ways a period piece, this indie film captures a very special time period in San Francisco, a time when counterculture flourished and withered, people experimented and abused all kinds of substances, and teen artist Minnie experiences a lot of firsts, in the eternal search for acceptance, love, and a sense of purpose.

In spite of a brave, earnest, and raw performance by a deliberately exposed Bel Powley, very believable as a teenager in the aforementioned period, and of a subtle, nuanced and understatedly magnetic one by the great Alexander Skarsgård, this movie falls short because its characters are sadly just a bit too immature, selfish, and unlikable.

While that sounds very much like the typical description of the stereotypical youth, it remains nonetheless a major fault in the script how unsympathetic Minnie is throughout, with no real point of self-reflection or regrets over some of her actions, refusing to deal with the consequences of even her more heinous ones.

Surrounded by egotistical, likewise emotionally stunted, at times manipulative adults, it may be no wonder that the main character is unable to learn or grow much, but the level of navel-gazing is still a bit too grating, with the protagonist of this clearly autobiographical story experiencing life events without any sort of moral compass whatsoever.

The film drags towards the end, perhaps because of the fragmented, increasingly hazy way the story is told as the movie progresses, but also because by then we care very little about the fate of the different characters. Though this intimate film does hit some high notes in terms of mood, acting, and cinematography, the end result is unsatisfying.

(+) The reconstruction of 70's San Francisco is very well done. Some of the scenes really hit the point. Mood and color palette also well done.

(-) Unsympathetic characters, starting with the amoral, self- centered protagonist, doom the movie.

A film that's sadly uncommon in America (which is also makes it a film you need to see)

[StevePulaski · 9/10 · 31 August 2015]

"The Diary of a Teenage Girl" is a film that shouldn't be as uncommon as it is for American cinema. It's a seriously contemplative and revealing drama about a young woman lost and confused about her sexual identity upon committing one of society's most serious taboos and realizing that she liked it and might want to try it again. And again. And enough times to keep an audio diary of her thoughts and experiences about said act.

I'll catch you up; set in 1970's San Francisco, Minnie (Bel Powley), a fifteen-year-old girl and aspiring cartoonist, experiences her sexual awakening after losing her virginity to her mother's sorta-boyfriend Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård). Minnie considers herself overweight and undesirable in every sense, and is largely neglected by her Bohemian mother Charlotte (Kristen Wiig), who is usually too busy smoking weed or doing drugs with strangers to even notice her daughter, so this awakening comes as an immense shock to Minnie and her person.

Minnie begins to crave more sex and attention from Monroe, going as far as to make intimate sex with him a regular thing, in addition to craving sex from strangers and other boys her age, all under her mother's nose. This sex drive, however, is deeper than horniness, but a cry by Minnie for companionship, desire, and, most of all, love. Minnie wants to be the apple of someone's eye, so much so that when she leaves, the person feels like they'll die without her company and security.

I've long had the same hunger Minnie has had, though I've been fortunate, as a male, to see roughly two or three coming of age films that accurately reflect my emotions, my desires, and my sexual awakening. Young girls and stories of their sexual awakening have been cruelly shortchanged in American film and "The Diary of a Teenage Girl" takes note of that just by existing. Consider scenes when Monroe and Minnie have sex, makeout with one another, or Minnie describes past sexual advances to her best friend. If these scenes made you at all uncomfortable, uneasy, or awkward (like they did me), then writer and directress Marielle Heller has effectively proved that fact without even saying it. Now switch the genders of the two main characters, think about the situation over again, and see if you feel that same level of discomfort.

Heller unapologetically details Minnie's desires in a way that, while revealing, is whimsical, thanks to the presence of Minnie's drawings springing to life before her eyes. However, this occasional distraction is offset by Heller's honest depiction of Minnie and, most importantly, the rawer scenes of the film, like when we see Minnie stand naked before a mirror as she examines her body and voices her desire to be loved and cherished. It's something I'm sure most young girls have done at least a few times in their life; standing before a mirror entirely exposed and hoping someone will love you for all of you rather than just parts of you. It's the basic level of human feeling, and Minnie has discovered it and craves it much quicker than any of her friends have.

Bel Powley is a force on-screen here, positioning herself not as a fabled caricature but an empowering everygirl that transcends beyond the confines of a typical teenage girl into somebody many can relate to. It also helps that Powley, herself, is such a great screen presence, confident even when her character is insecure, and encapsulated in a bubble that teeters between innocence and the loss of innocence.

"The Diary of a Teenage Girl" could easily be paired with "Turn Me On, Goddammit!," a Norwegian coming of age drama about a girl relatively the same age as Minnie, who becomes entranced with masturbation and sexual pleasure so much so that it takes over her life. Truly impacting and significant coming of age stories for young girls are depressingly few and far between and here is a film that boldly asserts itself by silently calling audiences out on its double standards for young women, focusing on a relatable protagonist throughout the film, giving us artful direction and attractive aesthetics not as a means to sugarcoat but to humanize, and concluding the picture with an ending that, while unfortunately fairly radical for American cinema, hits as hard as some of the best endings of films this year.

sexual coming-of-age

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 4 July 2016]

It's 1976 San Francisco. Fifteen year old Minnie Goetze (Bel Powley) is overjoyed at losing her virginity to her mother Charlotte (Kristen Wiig)'s boyfriend Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård). They begin a secret affair. Minnie and her friend Kimmie Minter get into various adult situations. Her stepfather Pascal MacCorkill (Christopher Meloni) wants to stay in her and her sister Gretel's lives. She records tapes of her diary and draws inspired by cartoonist Aline Kominsky.

This takes a less conventional look at the sexual coming-of-age story from the female perspective. It is not flowers and puppies. It is highly sexual in nature. It is unflinching. My main problem is that Bel is a little too old to play the fifteen year old. I rather have a younger actress do the role without the nudity. There is a shock with a man having sex with a young girl that is missing in this movie. She looks 20s. I'm reminded of Heather Matarazzo in 'Welcome to the Dollhouse' and the shock of that sexual subject matter. This movie has the same shocking subject.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a Must-See movie!

[Jody K · 10/10 · 24 March 2015]

I saw the movie that at the New Directors/New Films film festival in New York in March 2015. I read Phoebe Gloeckner's graphic novel that the film was based on. Although I did enjoy the book, I did struggle with the characters and a lot of the things the characters were doing, but I couldn't wait to read it every night. I loved the way she told the story of a 15-year-old girl that has just started an affair with her mother's boyfriend in 1970's San Francisco.

I was drawn to read the book and see the movie because I am a huge Alexander Skarsgård fan and I love to support his films. His character, Monroe Rutherford, seemed like a total jerk in the book. Alex's take on the character was much sweeter. Sure, the content is the same, but the characters in the movie (ALL of the characters) seemed much more likable in the movie. It was hard to see why Minnie would be so into Monroe in the book, but it is quite evident in the movie. Besides Alex's handsome good looks, his Monroe is a happy-go-lucky guy that shows he has a heart. (Very caring) Not that I think that having an affair with your girlfriend's 15-year-old daughter is a good thing or appropriate, you can see how a situation like this could happen (especially in that household). The fact that he could take a character like Monroe and make him so likable, convinces me that this is his best performance to date.

Minnie is the kind of girl that loves to be touched and show affection. She is a highly talented girl that has so much going on around her, and she is receptive to take it all in. I'm happy to see the way that the director/screenplay writer Marielle Heller told her story. I had heard some people said there were cringe-worthy scenes, but I didn't feel that way.

Sure there are plenty of sex and drug scenes in the movie but they are done fairly quickly and with respect and are essential to the story. There is humor throughout and lots of animation in the style of Phoebe Gloeckner and Aline Kominsky.

As I said earlier, I didn't care for the characters in the book as much as I did in the film. Bel Powley is SUPERB as Minnie (you never do detect her natural British accent). Kristen Wiig still plays an awful mother, but you can tell she cares, but in her own way. Christopher Meloni was a caring and humorous ex-step-father. I also enjoyed Madeleine Waters as Kimmie and Margarita Levieva as Tabatha which were two of the characters I particularly didn't like in the book.

Marielle's take on the book was superb. This was a passion project for her and it shows. I hope to see more of her work in the future.

Brandon Trost won the Cinematography award at Sundance and you will see why. It just doesn't feel like any other movie I have seen. It is such a stand-out film.

THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL was an excellent movie and I cannot wait to see it again and again. I hope it has a soundtrack because I definitely want to buy it. It may not be suitable to see with the family, but definitely grab your best friend and go!

Well played, but so what?

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 11 May 2018]

In 1970s San Francisco, Minnie is the 15 year old daughter of a loser mother, a would-be cartoonist, and beginning to explore her sexuality, which she chooses to do with her mother's equally loser boyfriend (and others).

Based on a graphic novel, this film is well played by Kristen Wiig as the mother, and with a particularly courageous performance (by which, as usual, I mean featuring a lot of nudity and simulated sex) from English Bel Powley. It's not just courageous, it's a good performance.

The problem, for me, was that the film didn't actually have much to say. OK, let's be controversial by making her 15 (Powley was 22 when making the film, but convinces as a sexually precocious 15-year old), but then they did nothing with that. It could have explored the issue of the age of consent: it didn't. Instead, the main plot dynamic was when and how drug-addled Mom would find out, and that wasn't really enough to sustain the movie.

I quite liked the performances and the stylish direction, but I wanted more meat on the bones.

Arrested development

[gsygsy · 5/10 · 9 November 2015]

Being a grumpy old guy, I'm not at all the target audience for this film, so please bear that in mind when I tell you that I found this a fairly tedious coming-of-age movie. I admired aspects of it - in particular the performances of Bel Powley and Alexander Skarsgård - but I wasn't able to maintain my interest in the story.

The biggest obstacle was, I think, that Minnie, the eponymous teenage girl, was not the only adolescent around. All the adults in her life were at various stages of arrested development. This is possibly the point both of the movie and of the novel it is based on: how can a child grow up when all her role-models are children themselves? It's an interesting question, but when transmitted as drama the audience finds itself stuck in high school for the duration.

An honest telling of a true story--with no moralizing.

[bettyspinks-43879 · 10/10 · 25 August 2015]

Love this film. I highly recommend it. Written/filmed/acted beautifully. Very human. Very funny.

If you're prude or judgmental, go see this film, but be warned.

Movie-goers complain that Hollywood films are all the same. But then movie-goers complain when an original film like The Diary Of A Teenage Girl comes out. Funny that.

Yes, the subject matter is dark, but the filmmakers have struck the pitch-perfect tone. There is nothing cynical about this film.

This true story is told from the point-of-view of Minnie, a lonely 15-year-old girl who loves to draw, and who loves to have a bunch of consensual sex with her mother's pathetic 35-year-old boyfriend Monroe.

The animated parts are sweet, funny, raunchy--the drawings a 15-year-old girl.

I disagree with the UK reviewer who says she speaks in the "wise beyond her years" dialogue typical of American teenage films. I had the exact opposite reaction: I was relieved to hear her speak in plain, simple, sometimes downright dumb sentences. (So ignore the numpty Brit reviewer.)

Many will find it impossible to separate the (illegal) deed from the brilliant story. So I'll address this review to people who are on the fence:

If you think you'd like to see this film, go see it.

Don't be scared away. Yes, the material is a little uncomfortable at first, but take a couple of breaths, and remember that this is a true story. Enjoy the honesty. Enjoy the non-judgment. Enjoy some empathy. There's so much cynicism on TV and on the internet. You deserve a break. Go see this movie and show yourself some cinema love.

Inside the teenage mind (for real)

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 20 August 2015]

Greetings again from the darkness. It takes some talent – acting, writing, directing – to make a watchable movie that centers on a teenage girl sleeping with her mom's boyfriend. Ordinarily that would be considered a (nausea-inducing) spoiler; however, it is disclosed in the trailer and is the focus of the best-selling YA novel from Phoebe Gloeckner. The author claims the story is "semi-autobiographical", but we are all better off not knowing which parts she actually experienced.

The film begins in 1976 San Francisco with 15 year old Minnie (Bel Powley) celebrating her recent sexual escapades. As we hang with Minnie, we see and hear her dictating her diary entries into a microphone and clunky cassette deck. The thing that immediately jumps out as a difference in this film is the authenticity in its portrayal of teenage girls and the thoughts and perspectives of Minnie. She lets us in on her desire to be desired and her conscious decision to give up her virginity to Monroe. Ahh yes, Monroe. The biggest issue here (and it's a major issue - not just legally, but morally) is that Monroe (played by Alexander Skarsgard) is the boyfriend of Minnie's mom (Kristen Wiig).

There are many complex aspects to the story, and you must get past the repeated illegal (no matter how consensual) sexual activity (it's only a movie) to appreciate the rare insight from a teenage female perspective. Minnie is an artist being raised by what can conservatively be termed a lackluster parent. Her mom Charlotte spends much of her time drinking and drugging, setting a less-than-stellar example for her two daughters. It's no wonder Minnie works so hard at being noticed and desired … feelings she mistakes for love. Witnessing the teenage brain attempt to transition to adulthood is excruciatingly painful, and a reminder that emotional maturity is a process and not an on/off switch.

Bel Powley is a new screen presence to most of us, and she is shockingly strong in carrying much of the movie. Alexander Skarsgard never once backs off from his thankless role – knowing full well his actions will disgust many viewers. Kristen Wiig brings nuance to her role as crappy parent, while Christopher Meloni, Margarita Levieva and Abby Wait are all strong in support.

Any film that kicks off with Dwight Twilley's "Looking for the Magic" and later shows a clip of "H.R. Puffenstuff" deserves a shot, and first time director Marielle Heller rarely makes a safe choice in the presentation of Minnie's journey. It's a rare film that forgoes "teenage cuteness" for emotional growth. The film states that alienation is good for your art, and Ms. Heller and Mr. Gloeckner risk audience alienation for their courageous storytelling. It's no wonder the film has been a favorite on the film festival circuit.

Glorifies Sexual Abuse

[karaokebowl · 1/10 · 28 September 2020]

I'm disappointed in myself that I even sat down to watch this after reading what it was about. It took me about two minutes to realize how horrified I was and turn it off. This movie shows how messed up our society's ideas about sexuality are. There is nothing sexy about an adult having sex with a minor. It is very normal for teenage girls to be curious about their sexuality but not normal, or at all acceptable, for an adult to act that act that out with her.

Mixed feelings

[euroGary · 17 July 2015]

Set in the San Francisco of 1976, 'The Diary of a Teenage Girl' can best be described as "challenging", chiefly because it deals with the sexual adventures of a fifteen year-old.

Minnie (Bel Powley, who will have many British viewers exclaiming "Oh, she was in that TV thing... about the thing, you know!") decides she wants to lose her virginity to her mother's 34 year-old boyfriend Munroe (Alexander Skarsgård, statuesque but horrendously moustached). Their initial coupling is very sleazy (neither takes off their shirt), but they do it again, and again, and again, as Minnie discovers she's rather fond of sex. Meanwhile she details her experiences on audio cassette, forming the narrative voice-over of the film.

So, challenging. Although Powley is in her twenties, there's no getting away from the fact that she's playing a fifteen year-old, and that that fifteen year-old is frequently shown in varying states of undress, often in sexual situations. It's not pornography, but I think there are still moral difficulties with this. Another challenging aspect of the film is the use of animation superimposed over the live action - personally I liked this as a narrative device, but some may find it a bit arty-farty.

The film is in many ways predictable: the instant Minnie decides to record her diary on tape you will know someone else will stumble across the recordings; and you'll also have a fair idea that Minnie's free-loving, heavy-drinking, drug-taking mother will eventually learn a valuable lesson in parental responsibility. And Minnie exhibits the wise-beyond-her-years attitude that all teenagers have in American films and television.

I'm not sure whether or not I enjoyed the film. The story is entertaining, and the performances uniformly good - but there is that issue of a fifteen year-old character shown having sex - and with a man two decades her senior, no less. Some fifteen year-olds do have sex, sometimes with older partners, and I'm accepting of that being portrayed on film - but I'd prefer it to be shown more discreetly. But that would have made this a different film.

Brilliantly Acted, but still a coming of age girl shaming movie

[dragonhawkaslinndhan · 6/10 · 30 October 2019]

I would give anything to see a movie about a girl coming of age without it becoming a cautionary tale that ultimately girl shames the heroine. While the story is interesting to a certain degree, I have to say it also depicts just how flaky the seventies were. From the mom to the dad to the boyfriend to the girl herself, all the characters are flaky drug addled or simply immature people who should not be given custody of a dog much lest a child. To praise this film as coming of age for girls is a slap in the face of girls who do finally come of age and are not in fact girl shamed by the people around her. I am not impressed by this film as a so called coming of age story. I am however impressed by the performances. Do not go into this movie thinking the girl is going to come out triumphant, owning her own sexuality. She doesn't. By the way, made me change the language because I used the term sl&t shaming, so I subbed it with girl shaming.

It's alright

[hamda-03494 · 6/10 · 26 February 2019]

Did enough some parts of it.. especially skarsgårds performance.. it was an interesting take on a relationship like this without any filters or a complete moral preach about skarsgårds character. If you are specifically interested in these sorts of films then i guess it's worth it, if not.. no need.

An intimate and blunt brash look at the coming of age of a young lady who learns about life, love, and sex while finding herself.

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 29 August 2015]

"The Diary of a Teenage Girl" is one film that's not worried about showing it's point even though it's supported by some artistic animation it proves that one young lady is serious about finding herself thru sexual discovery learning that life is about love and lust before you discover your true self. Set in mid 1970's San Francisco Bel Powley is Minnie a young teenage girl who starts an affair with her Mom Charlotte's(Kristen Wiig) boyfriend Monroe(Alexander Skarsgard). And the passion and intimate feel is hot and feel good as many scenes are provocative and blunt showing plenty of skin and breast of young Minnie. As this young lady is in a crazy home life world as mom Charlotte is a fired alcoholic lady who snorts drugs with Monroe on the west coast and California party scene. Thru it all this young lady Minnie learns about people, life and love yet most important she comes to peace thru herself with love and inspiration for art and people. Overall good film of fun, discovery and finding about one's self with a happy feel in the end.

Brilliant , Honest & Discomforting Coming of Age Film

[jaysanchu07 · 7/10 · 10 April 2022]

Talk about brutal honesty, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is an unfiltered and unnerved coming of age story that shares on screen, the life of a high school teen who is discovering her sexuality for the very first time. In the film, we follow Minnie (who is brilliantly played by breakthrough actress Bel Powley), who sets her sights on her mother's younger boyfriend Monroe, as her object of lust. Without proper guidance, we find her curiosity towards sex lead to manipulation, as Monroe obliges.

With its premise, it was a refreshing experience to witness adolescence from a woman's perspective. We don't have enough of these storylines. Minnie's issues in self esteem, extreme desires for physical contact, immaturity in the face of liberation, are must see, insightful topics the film boldly tackles. Props to writer/director Marielle Heller! On a side note, expect a certain level of discomfort as well, as the film ultimately deals with what is sexually taboo. Exploitation, in front of our very eyes, is a distressing subject but it is the sick and sad truth the film is being real about, but presented without judgement.

Another key asset of the film is its feel for the dark, edgy and hippy 70s San Francisco. The setting that Marielle masterfully crafted, including the animations, brings to life the pretense of Minnie's self discovery and propensity towards bad decisions.

The Diary of A Teenage Girl, is one of the most interesting films of the year, hands down. It is very well acted and directed. Its honest themes of a teenage girl's discovery of who she is, is fresh, unique and simply draws you in. Highly recommended!

Keep on Truckin'

[aciessi · 10/10 · 9 January 2016]

The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a Robert Crumb comic come to life. You better believe that I loved this film. 2015 has given us a lot of films to talk about, but this one went completely under the radar, and it shouldn't have. This may be the best film of the year, and by far, one of the most provocative and fearless pieces in more than a year.

It's a coming-of-age story about a 15 year-old girl in the 1970's, dangerously experimenting nymphomania with her mother's 35-year old boyfriend. If that sound's frightening, it should be, but that's the point. If films of the time period like "Harold and Maude", "Taxi Driver" and "Fritz the Cat" come to mind, you're right on the money. The early 70's were a wild, revolutionary time were mainstream movies pushed every social boundary it could. This takes us back to those times. Maybe today, the subject matter isn't quite outrageous, but the nuance and celebration of it's outrageousness is infectious to a fresh, new audience. Bel Powley is a breakout star. She's fantastic, and uncannily plays a teenager, when in fact, she's older than me. The other star is Kristen Wiig, in the best role I've ever seen her in, as the hipster mom. She's really a great dramatic actress. Most comedians these days seem to be. The mixture between live-action and animation was lovely to look at, and a solid touch to what would've been a film just as fantastic without it.

This is one of my favorites, and it's going to haunt me for a while now. I love it when movies do that.

Just like in the cartoons

[jainsaransh-80631 · 7/10 · 14 July 2020]

While the outer story might seem somewhat fictional at moments, the heart and the emotional progress remains real till the end *Just like in the cartoons*.

Well made but could not get past pedophiliac storyline

[soojisophielim · 1/10 · 26 June 2016]

While this movie was well made, and well acted, I could not get past the storyline that showcased PEDOPHILIA.

I was deeply distressed by it honestly and also by the dearth of a well deserved outcry on this subject, even in our super politically correct era! I'm all for women empowerment but why does a relationship between an underage girl with a man TWENTY YEARS HER SENIOR not raise any red flags? All I see are glowing reviews of this film without any mention (or actually, even worse, a light mention) of this fact. I was just so disturbed by this movie and I don't get the collective dissonance around its subject material

Powley gives a remarkable performance in blooming into adulthood from adolescent hell

[george.schmidt · 8/10 · 28 September 2015]

THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL (2015) *** Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgard, Christopher Meloni, Abby Wait, Madeleine Waters, Miranda Bailey, Austin Lyon, Quinn Nagle, John Parsons. Powley gives a remarkable performance as a San Franciscan 15 year old circa 1976 whose loss of her virginity also opens up her world to creativity, namely as an artist, as well as embarking in an illicit affair with her mother's lunkheaded beau (Skarsgard balancing the potentially skeevy with poignancy). Based on Phoebe Gloeckner, Marielle Heller's adaptation and gentle direction adds to the off-the-wall humor and bone deep emotions a teenager goes thru in general but specifically with Powley as her nerd in bloom it skyrockets with animation peppered thru out (ala R. Crumb's oeuvre including a funny giantess on the prowl sequence) and a flashback soundtrack right on key.

Good So Far As It Goes But Doesn't Go Far Enough

[billmarsano · 7/10 · 15 August 2015]

Must-see?--shouldn't that mean it's relatable? This coming-of-age tale is well acted and well written but its core is applicable to no one I've ever known in my life, so I had the feeling of watching an alien species: the sort-of-caring but ultimately disengaged and self- destructive mother, her sexually desperate daughter, the moron/predator boyfriend of both. After appalling adventures and misadventures, the boyfriend is bounced and mom and daughter forgive one another just like that. I'm always suspicious of movies (like this one, like Dancing at Lughnasa and Mermaids) that end with women who have seen and done terrible things to each other end of joyously dancing to ecstatic music: it's the filmmaker's cop-out instead of a real resolution. The ex-husband is played by Christopher Meloni, whom I've seen only in Special Vic Unit and never cared for. Still, he's paid his dues and he's insulted here with nearly zero screen time in an essentially meaningless role. Too bad.

Incredibly poor adaptation of a superior novel

[calvintoronto · 1/10 · 5 February 2016]

What is a masterwork -- Phoebe Gloeckner's graphic novel hybrid -- that roundly condemns patriarchal privilege and the exploitation of young women and girls, here turns into a very careful take on a young's girl's exploration of her sexuality that is rote, unenlightening, devoid of any feeling, and ultimately uninteresting.

Certainly, film versions of novels are different beasts, and I suppose one shouldn't expect faithfulness to the original. But this movie loses its way in that it can't really deal with the subject of exploitation and so, being careful not to veer into said exploitation, makes sure that the subject of sex is as non-erotic as possible.

You can't really tell if Minnie has lost her way, or if she is confused, or full of contradictory emotions, or just a mopey teen. She *appears* to be all these things -- but the tonal flatness of the entire enterprise results in a portrait of a young girl you could not care less about.

Bel Powley's wide-eyed and round-faced blandness fails to convey any complex emotions. Sure, she cries and she gets angry...but to what end? Since the film is so flat, the crises and shocks depicted (having sex with Munroe, doing drugs, hooking up with Tabitha, being "bold" about want to "f**k f**k f**k") are about as interesting as having a big mac. Minnie's final thought about Munroe -- "I'm better than you, you son of a bitch" -- is supposed to gather together, for Minnie and for the reader/viewer, what Minnie has learnt, in overcoming the overweening pretentiousness of men like Munroe. But the knowing smile of Minnie in the graphic novel is replaced by Powley looking half-stupid, to no end.

The film replaces the novel's near-catharsis with some pithy bromides about Minnie, supposedly wiser now, saying she doesn't need a man and intimating that you need to love yourself first. Yeah, another 15-year-old wise beyond her years.

The final insult is that Minnie dances in that kooky, indie way, that is so contemporary, like girls dancing to Feist's 2007 "1234." Girls and women didn't dance like that in 1976. (I know; I was there.)

Better luck next time.