The Edge of Seventeen might not be the second coming of the John Hughes teen-dramedy, though Kelly Fremon Craig was certainly inspired by the late great writer/director, but with such an obnoxious main character, it was hard to care about her however portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld, it does make the movie more tolerable.
The Edge of Seventeen
(2016)
Genre(s): Drama, Comedy
Universal | R – 105 min. – $34.98 | February 14, 2017
Date Published: 02/10/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 3.5/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Growing up is hard, and life is no easier for Nadine (HAILEE STEINFELD), who is already at peak awkwardness when her best friend Krista (HALEY LU RICHARDSON) begins dating her all-star brother Darian (BLAKE JENNER), whom Nadine feels is her mother’s (KYRA SEDGWICK) favorite. All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever. With the help of her reluctant sound-board teacher (WOODY HARRELSON), she soon discovers that what feels like the end of the world may just be the beginning of growing up. Quick Hit Review: All I have to say following watching The Edge of Seventeen is thank god the role of Nadine was played by Hailee Steinfeld, a vastly talented young actress who possesses charisma that makes such a snobbish, obnoxious and self-absorbed character rather bearable. I get it, teens in general are self-centered and in their limited experiences, the littlest things seem to be world-enders and on that front, this movie, written by Kelly Fremon Craig (marking her second writing credit and directorial debut), clearly drew inspiration from her own teenaged years. The issue I had, beyond not being able to identify with her, was that Nadine just came across as a whiny, spoiled brat who, even when misbehaving and going out of control, suffers little to no consequences. Again, if it weren’t for Steinfeld’s casting, I’m not sure how much I could’ve endured. But with her, as well as Haley Lu Richardson in her small role (second half especially), and Woody Harrelson serving as that cool teacher I can’t think really exists outside of cinema, I did at least find some enjoyment and in the same vein as Freaks and Geeks (not to mention John Hughes’ teen films of the 80s) there are some genuinely poignant moments. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.0/5 |
| This release comes with a title-embossed slip cover. Inside is a DVD Copy and a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Features, however, are sadly lacking with only three Deleted Scenes (4:03; HD) and a Gag Reel (5:21; HD). |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Universal releases The Edge of Seventeen arrives on Blu-ray presented in its original theatrical 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and an AVC-encoded 1080p high-definition transfer. There’s a lot to admire from this drama-comedy which has plenty of color splashed throughout including Nadine’s vintage wardrobe (with blues, oranges and yellows) as well as sharp and well defined detail. It’s also a clean transfer with no apparent signs of banding, artifacts or aliasing. |
AUDIO – 4.5/5 |
| Surprisingly, the movie comes with a 7.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio track which generally would be overkill for this genre, but along with providing clear dialogue some fine depth is showcased especially when the hip soundtrack kicks in as well as some distinct ambient noises coming from the rear speakers. |
OVERALL – 3.5/5 |
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Overall, The Edge of Seventeen might not be the second coming of the John Hughes teen-dramedy, though Kelly Fremon Craig was certainly inspired by the late great writer/director, but with such an obnoxious main character, it was hard to care about her, even if it’s true to life for modern day teens, however portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld, it does make the movie more tolerable. This Blu-ray offers great video/audio transfers but woefully falls short in the features department. |