This is a movie about a teen, first and foremost, rather than a “teen movie,” and that’s exactly what makes it feel like a peerless example for the genre. David Sims, The Atlantic, regarding The Edge of Seventeen

The official description of The Edge of Seventeen may at least partly explain why many potential viewers haven’t been flocking to theaters to see it—it just sounds so, well, teen-movie-like:

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.

The following excerpt, however, adds more depth and interest (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times):

…Nadine has always resented Darian for his favored-child status with their mother (Kyra Sedgwick), a feeling that has only intensified since the sudden death of their father (Eric Keenleyside) a few years earlier…

Its verbal style informed by numerous interviews that [writer] Fremon Craig conducted with teenagers nationwide, ‘The Edge of Seventeen’ never descends into a ‘Juno’-esque quirkfest…

(See my previous post about Juno.)

Critics, in fact, have generally heaped high praise, declaring Steinfeld to be a gem and the story uniquely told. A sampling of reviews:

• The teen cult classic you’ve been waiting for (Nico Lang, Salon)
• No one experiences self-loathing as intensely as a teenager, and I’ve never seen it so well-reflected in a movie before (Molly Eichel, Philly.com)
• A deceptively funny depiction of teen anxiety and depression (Zach Schonfeld, Newsweek)
• The rare coming-of-age picture that feels less like a retread than a renewal. It’s a disarmingly smart, funny and thoughtful piece of work, from end to beginning to end (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times)
• Thanks to its edgy sense of humor and achingly accurate poignancy, the flick will touch a nerve with anyone who has ever had to ride that tidal wave of teenage angst. By the way, that’s everybody (Maria Reinstein, Us Weekly)

Nadine’s Character

David Sims, The Atlantic: “Nadine is prone to moments of cruelty or gracelessness, and proves at times to be incapable of self-awareness, despite her obvious intelligence.”

Katy Waldman, Slate: “…a beguiling blend of charisma, lancing intelligence, and hostile insecurity.”

Christy Lemire, rogerebert.com: “She’s capable of laughing at herself for her frequent follies, but her default mode is misanthropy, and she doesn’t suffer fools. She can be mean and impulsive and she’s often the victim of her own undoing. Steinfeld makes this intriguing jumble of contradictions feel real and alive. She doesn’t seem interested in making us like this girl who’s perched on the edge of womanhood. She just tries to make her feel true—and that’s what makes us love her.”

Other Notable Characterizations in The Edge of Seventeen

Stephen Holden, New York Times: “If ‘The Edge of Seventeen’ were a run-of-the-mill high school melodrama, Krista would be revealed as a selfish, scheming vixen and Darian as an arrogant jerk. But they are smart, sensitive people who care about Nadine. Krista, with her sunny temperament and gentle disposition, has been the light of Nadine’s life since they were children, while Darian has assumed the role of a surrogate patriarch since the death of their father…”

David Sims, The Atlantic: “As the straight-arrow Erwin, who’s clearly interested in Nadine but has no idea how to snap her out of her various reveries, Szeto is a delight, as well as a refreshing choice for a romantic lead in a genre that usually relegates Asian performers to sidekick roles.”

Ella Taylor, NPR: “The life lessons, such as they are, flow from [teacher] Bruner [Woody Harrelson], but less from what he says than in the understanding he extends toward this floundering young bigmouth…All along this taciturn man has offered her what every teenager needs — acceptance, the gift of listening, and a sly nudge down a path along which she can take the reins.”