Movie Review: Booksmart

What's occurring with the comedy genre right now is really sad. It seems like no matter how much critical acclaim or marketing (traditional advertisements, promotional tours, word-of-mouth-building screenings, etc.) an R-rated comedy receives, people just don't show up. The latest victim of this upsetting trend that has inexplicably developed over the past few years is Booksmart. This coming-of-age party tale boasts plenty of big laughs harvested from the many unexpected detours the protagonists (Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstien-who are among the most believable best friend pairings in cinema history) get into on their way to said party, a damn near perfect supporting ensemble full of colorful scene-stealers (Jason Sudekis, Noah Galvin, Eduardo Franco and undisputed MVP Billie Lourd are the top dogs among the long list of standouts) and a series of nice messages about everything from the power of friendship to how some people can grow on you once you get to know them better underneath all of the obligatory vulgarity.

When projects like this and the similarly well-received Long Shot-which came out earlier this month- stumble at the box office, it makes the genre's relegation to streaming service exclusives seem more and more likely. Studios aren't going to continue investing in movies that consistently lose them money and the threat of losing the beautiful communal experience good comedies tend to deliver really fucking sucks. The gleeful energy that rapidly builds in a theater where everybody is laughing, smiling and just generally having a good time is one of the primary reasons I love going to the movies. It doesn't matter who you are or what you're going through in the outside world, you're just people in a dark room bound by a desire to take a brief reprieve from reality. Even though I knew it wouldn't make any real difference, I was happy to go see Booksmart a second time just so I could give more money to this deserving movie and revel in that special theater experience while it's still around. Congrats to Olivia Wilde, Katie Silberman, the excellent cast and everybody else involved in the production for making such a warm, fun and hilarious movie. It's a shame that more people didn't go and see it, but hopefully the overwhelmingly positive response it received from the people that did will be enough to help keep comedies in the environment where they belong for at least a little big longer.  

Grade: A-