Booksmart

Every generation has its own raunchy coming-of-age comedy—Porky’s, American Pie, Superbad—and this one from actress-turned-director Olivia Wilde is for millennials. On their last day at Los Angeles’s Crockett High School, snarky best friends/brainiacs Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever)—accepted at Yale and Columbia, respectively—suddenly realize that by concentrating on grades they’ve missed out on all the fun, since their playful, slacker peers are also headed to elite schools or great jobs. “They did both,” Molly marvels, meaning studying and partying, while “we’re the only assholes who did one!” Determined to spend their last night before graduation making up for lost time, valedictorian Molly convinces social-activist Amy to embark on a raucous evening they will never forget—crashing the pool party hosted by hunky Nick (Mason Gooding), taking hallucinogenic drugs, and experimenting with sex. Shy, socially awkward Amy only agrees because she has a lesbian crush on skater-punk Ryan (Victoria Ruesga), and she winds up on the bathroom floor with ultra-cool Hope (Diana Silvers). Plus there’s ethereal space-cadet Gigi (Billie Lourd) and lonely rich guy Jared (Skyler Gisondo). And their Lyft driver turns out to be their moonlighting school principal (Jason Sudeikis), while a hip teacher (Jessica Williams) hooks up with a classmate. Sensitively scripted—the dialogue and vignettes ring true—the film’s characters are recklessly honest and achingly vulnerable, particularly when discussing gender and sexuality. A savvy tale about female friendship, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Olivia Wilde, the production featurette “The Next Best High School Comedy” (18 min.), behind-the-scenes segments on “Plies and Jazz Hands: The Dance Fantasy” (3 min.) and “Dressing Booksmart” (3 min.), deleted scenes (5 min.), and a photo gallery. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this winning comedy.] (S. Granger)