Booksmart


Booksmart is a 2019 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde, from a screenplay by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman. It stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as two graduating high school girls who set out to finally break the rules and party on their last day of classes; Jessica Williams, Will Forte, Lisa Kudrow, and Jason Sudeikis also star. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay executive produced the film through Gloria Sanchez Productions.
The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2019, and was theatrically released by United Artists Releasing in the United States on May 24, 2019, to acclaim from critics and grossed over $24 million. For her performance, Feldstein was nominated for Best Actress – Comedy or Musical at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.

Plot

Amy and Molly have been best friends since childhood, but are considered pretentious by their peers. Amy is out and has a crush on a girl named Ryan; Molly urges her to pursue a relationship with Ryan before they graduate. On the eve of graduation, Molly confronts classmates talking about her in the bathroom. She tells them she got into Yale, but they reveal that, despite their partying, they too got into prestigious colleges and job recruitments. Furious, Molly tells Amy they should have enjoyed their time in high school more. She proposes they go to a graduation party held by classmate Nick, and Amy reluctantly agrees.
Realizing that neither of them knows the party's address, Molly calls Jared, a wealthy classmate who likes her. He brings them to his party aboard a yacht; only his drug-crazed friend Gigi is there, and she feeds the girls strawberries before jumping off the yacht. Amy suggests they go home, but Molly calls a "Malala". The girls call a Lyft and are shocked to be picked up by their principal, Jordan Brown.
To prepare Amy for potential sex with Ryan, Molly insists they watch pornography, which accidentally plays through the car speakers. Brown drops them off at what they think is Nick's aunt's house but turns out to be the home of their classmate George, who is hosting a murder mystery party. They encounter Gigi, who reveals that the strawberries were laced with powerful hallucinogenic drugs. Amy and Molly experience a bad trip and hallucinate that they are George's sister's plastic fashion dolls. They manage to escape George's house, but Gigi reveals that Molly secretly likes Nick.
Despite wanting to go home, Amy insists they press on so Molly can consummate her crush on Nick. The girls head to the library, where they see pizza boxes in an online video of Nick's party and acquire the address from the pizza delivery man. Amy accidentally leaves her phone in his car, and Molly's phone battery lasts just long enough to call their favorite teacher, Miss Fine, who gives them a change of clothes and a ride to Nick's party.
There, Amy finds Ryan making out with Nick. Heartbroken, she finds Molly and calls her own "Malala,” which Molly refuses, thinking she still has a chance with Nick. Amy angrily reveals that she is not just spending the summer in Botswana but taking an entire gap year there because she resents how Molly always tries to control her life.
The two friends argue in front of the entire party. Amy runs to the bathroom, finding her classmate Hope there; they are initially combative until Amy kisses her. Jared appears, and he and Molly have a heartfelt conversation about how no one at school really knows them. Amy and Hope start to have sex, but Amy vomits on Hope. Cops arrive, and the partiers scatter. Unable to find Amy, Molly is driven home by Triple A, a popular student with a promiscuous reputation, and they bond over the stereotypes they both have endured.
Waking up on graduation day, Molly checks her phone and discovers her classmates praising Amy for creating a diversion at the party, allowing everyone to escape the police while getting herself arrested. Molly visits Amy in jail and apologizes for her manipulative actions, and they reconcile. Learning the pizza delivery man is a serial killer, they trade that information to free Amy, and take Jared's car to graduation. Molly kisses Jared onstage and gives an improvised valedictorian speech, receiving a standing ovation.
A few days later, as Molly helps Amy prepare for her trip to Botswana, Hope visits to give Amy her phone number. Molly drives Amy to the airport, where they share a tearful goodbye. As Molly drives away, Amy jumps in front of her car, saying she has time to hang out before her flight; she suggests they get pancakes, and Molly ecstatically accepts.

Cast

Production

Development

An early version of the screenplay, Book Smart by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins, was circulated in 2009 and appeared on the 2009 Black List; in 2014 Susanna Fogel revised the screenplay, rewriting one lead character as a lesbian and revising the story so the girls are not seeking boyfriends for the prom, but are going to an after-prom party.
Following the revisions, Annapurna Pictures purchased the screenplay and approached Gloria Sanchez Productions to produce it; Gloria Sanchez' Jessica Elbaum pitched the screenplay to Olivia Wilde, who read the screenplay and two days later expressed admiration for it. Megan Ellison, Chelsea Bernard, David Distenfeld, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Elbaum would serve as producers on the film. Screenwriter Katie Silberman was hired for more revisions in spring 2018, and to update the story. Silberman explored a new concept:
According to Silberman, "Olivia's mantra to all of us was that high school is war". Wilde also envisioned "a drug trip where the girls turned into Barbie dolls" and gave Silberman the responsibility of where to incorporate it into the story.

Casting

In February 2018, Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein joined the cast of the film. In May 2018, Billie Lourd and Skyler Gisondo joined the cast of the film. That same month, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, Jessica Williams, Will Forte, Mike O'Brien, Mason Gooding, Noah Galvin, Diana Silvers, Austin Crute, Eduardo Franco, Molly Gordon, and Nico Hiraga joined the cast of the film.
Silvers was initially asked to audition for Ryan, but felt her appearance was not ideal for the character and auditioned for Hope instead. Wilde also urged Feldstein and Dever to live together to develop a rapport. The two actresses were roommates in Los Angeles for ten weeks. Wilde also asked the cast to read the screenplay and signal if they found dialogue that felt "inauthentic... rewrite it in your own voice". Silberman continued to write after casting, finding it easy to come up with dialogue to fit Feldstein and Dever. Silberman particularly credited the complimentary language the characters use to Feldstein, who frequently posted "I have no breath" to Instagram.

Filming

began in May 2018 around the San Fernando Valley.
Wilde and production designer Katie Byron decorated the bedrooms seen in the film, including with trophies and depictions of prominent American women Michelle Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Release

It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2019. It was released wide in the United States on May 24, 2019. It was also released in France on Netflix the same day.

Home media

Booksmart was released on digital download on August 20, 2019, and on DVD and Blu-ray on September 3, 2019.

Reception

Box office

Booksmart grossed $22.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $2.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $24.9 million.
In the United States and Canada, Booksmart was released alongside Aladdin and Brightburn, and was projected to gross around $12 million from 2,505 theaters in its four-day opening weekend. The film made $2.5 million on its first day, including $875,000 from Thursday night previews. It ended up underperforming, debuting to just $6.9 million, finishing in sixth place. Industry publications insisted that although the targeted young female demographic did turn out to the film, it should have begun with a limited release and expanded, similar to the R-rated, female-led high school comedy Lady Bird in 2017, and that Booksmart failed to stand out in the crowded marketplace. In its second weekend the film made $3.3 million, dropping 52% and finishing in eighth.
The film's largest market outside North America was the United Kingdom, where it grossed around US$1.8 million after seven weeks in theaters.

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 97% based on 351 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Fast-paced, funny, and fresh, Booksmart does the seemingly impossible by adding a smart new spin to the coming-of-age comedy." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 80%. Rotten Tomatoes named Booksmart the #1 best comedy of the decade, using an adjusted formula that weighed multiple factors, including a movie's release year and its number of reviews.
Peter Debruge of Variety praised the ensemble cast as well as Wilde's direction, calling the film "the best high school buddy comedy since Superbad". John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter called the film a "hilarious, blazingly paced teen comedy." Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling it a "refreshingly original take on the raunchy coming-of-age comedy" and praising Feldstein and Dever's chemistry. Alissa Wilkinson of Vox awarded the film a score of four out of five, writing that the "memorably relatable" Booksmart is also a "delightful reminder that growing up is about realizing nobody's a stereotype".
Linda Holmes of NPR gave an especially favorable review, calling the film "a humane and heartfelt film without a mean bone in its figurative body". Vultures Emily Yoshida also favorably wrote that it "manages to be inclusive and progressive, without being precious about anything or sacrificing an ounce of humor". A. O. Scott of The New York Times regarded the film as "sharp but not mean, warm without feeling too soft or timid", and referring to Feldstein and Dever as "a classic comedy duo". Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal deemed Booksmart a "prodigy", stating that no film that was "funnier, smarter, quicker or more joyous has graced the big screen in a long time."

Accolades

Booksmart was included on 68 critics' top-ten lists, and on two lists was ranked in first place.
AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipientResult
Austin Film Critics AssociationJanuary 6, 2020Best First FilmBooksmart
British Academy Film AwardsFebruary 2, 2020Best Original ScreenplaySusanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, and Katie Silberman
British Academy Film AwardsFebruary 2, 2020BAFTA Rising Star AwardKaitlyn Dever
Chicago Film Critics AssociationDecember 14, 2019Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker AwardOlivia Wilde
Critics' Choice AwardsJanuary 12, 2020Best ComedyBooksmart
Detroit Film Critics SocietyDecember 9, 2019BreakthroughKaitlyn Dever
Detroit Film Critics SocietyDecember 9, 2019BreakthroughOlivia Wilde
Dorian AwardsJanuary 8, 2020LGBTQ Film of the YearBooksmart
Dublin Film Critics CircleDecember 17, 2019Best FilmBooksmart
Dublin Film Critics CircleDecember 17, 2019Best DirectorOlivia Wilde
Dublin Film Critics CircleDecember 17, 2019Best ScreenplayEmily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman
GLAAD Media AwardsMarch 19, 2020Outstanding Film – Wide ReleaseBooksmart
Golden Globe AwardsJanuary 5, 2020Best Actress - Musical or ComedyBeanie Feldstein
Gotham Independent Film AwardsDecember 2, 2019Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director AwardOlivia Wilde
Gotham Independent Film AwardsDecember 2, 2019Audience AwardBooksmart
Hollywood Critics Association AwardsJanuary 9, 2020Best PictureBooksmart
Hollywood Critics Association AwardsJanuary 9, 2020Best Original ScreenplayEmily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman
Hollywood Critics Association AwardsJanuary 9, 2020Best Female DirectorOlivia Wilde
Hollywood Critics Association AwardsJanuary 9, 2020Best Performance by an Actor or Actress 23 and UnderKaitlyn Dever
Hollywood Critics Association AwardsJanuary 9, 2020Best First FeatureBooksmart
Hollywood Critics Association AwardsJanuary 9, 2020Best Independent FeatureBooksmart
Hollywood Critics Association AwardsJanuary 9, 2020Best Comedy/MusicalBooksmart
Hollywood Film AwardsNovember 3, 2019Hollywood Breakthrough Director AwardOlivia Wilde
Independent Spirit AwardsFebruary 8, 2020Best First FeatureBooksmart
IndieWire Critics PollsDecember 16, 2019Best PictureBooksmart
IndieWire Critics PollsDecember 16, 2019Best ActressBeanie Feldstein
IndieWire Critics PollsDecember 16, 2019Best First FeatureBooksmart
Los Angeles Online Film Critics SocietyJuly 1, 2019Best PictureBooksmart
Los Angeles Online Film Critics SocietyJuly 1, 2019Best ActressBeanie Feldstein
Los Angeles Online Film Critics SocietyJuly 1, 2019Best Supporting ActressBillie Lourd
Los Angeles Online Film Critics SocietyJuly 1, 2019Best Female DirectorOlivia Wilde
Los Angeles Online Film Critics SocietyJuly 1, 2019Best Original ScreenplayEmily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman
Los Angeles Online Film Critics SocietyJuly 1, 2019Best Indie FilmBooksmart
Online Film Critics AwardsJanuary 6, 2020Best Debut FeatureOlivia Wilde
Palm Springs International Film FestivalNovember 27, 2018Directors to WatchOlivia Wilde
The ReFrame StampFebruary 26, 20202019 Top 100-Grossing Narrative Feature RecipientsBooksmart
San Francisco International Film FestivalApril 24, 2019Best Narrative FeatureBooksmart
St. Louis Film Critics AssociationDecember 15, 2019Best Original ScreenplayBooksmart
St. Louis Film Critics AssociationDecember 15, 2019Best ComedyBooksmart
Women Film Critics CircleDecember 9, 2019Best Movie about WomenBooksmart
Women Film Critics CircleDecember 9, 2019Best Movie by a WomanBooksmart
Women Film Critics CircleDecember 9, 2019Best Woman StorytellerEmily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman
Women Film Critics CircleDecember 9, 2019Best Equality of the SexesBooksmart
Writers Guild of America AwardsFebruary 1, 2020Best Original ScreenplayEmily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman