Andrew Robinson
Eighth Grade, an R-rated comedy drama directed by Bo Burnham and starring Elsie Fisher and Josh Hamilton, follows Kayla (Fisher), a shy and reserved girl, as she navigates her way through her final week of eighth grade. After becoming a bit of a surprise hit at the 2018 Sundance Festival, Eighth Grade hit theaters on August 3rd to much love from both critics and peers.
It lives up to that praise, and then some.
The early Oscar contender written and directed by the 28-year-old Burnham is a breath of fresh air in teenage storytelling. While most films concerning the youth, even now, fail to replicate the importance of technology to minors in today’s day and age, Eighth Grade captures that importance, and both its positives and negatives (well, mostly the negatives). Fisher, previously of Despicable Me fame as the voice of Agnes, makes the film as good as it can be with her at-times heartbreaking performance as Kayla, but the attention to detail of current-day teenage habits by Burnham is what sets it on another level. With references to popular Vines (“Lebraan James“), Snapchat filters, and the need to get that *perfect* picture, the reality of teenage life in America is shown in all its hilarity and difficulty.
What sets the teenage comedy above others of its kind, however, is the heartbreaking truth of the life of middle schoolers that it portrays both through and in spite of the comedy. Whether it be chronicling the life of someone not part of the in-crowd, showcasing some kids’ desire for compromising pictures (and other kids’ willingness to give them), or the all-too-real instructions to follow in the event of an active shooter, Eighth Grade doesn’t shy away from the reality of life as a young teenager that many like to forget exists. Made even more true in the age of the Internet and social media, young teenagers need guidance and love more than ever before, and Eighth Grade is one of the few films that actually captures the increasingly difficult and dangerous life of an American teenager.
Bo Burnham will almost definitely get an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and the film has a real shot at garnering Best Picture and Best Director noms, despite being released over six months before the awards show is to be held. Elsie Fisher will likely be overlooked for major award consideration because of her age (she’s just 15, and filmed Eighth Grade literally days after finishing up her eighth grade school year), but she gives one of the best performances of the year as Kayla. Playing a shy girl who has yet to come out of her shell, but actively wants to overcome her anxieties and do so, Fisher provides comedy, exhibits strength and empowerment, and makes the viewer fall in love with Kayla. Through subtle means, such as applying makeup in the mornings before school to cover up pimples, absentmindedly scrolling through Instagram (and ‘liking’ all her peers’ pictures and videos), and awkwardly attending school gatherings, Fisher portrays Kayla in a way that many young teenagers can relate to, and sympathize with. Without her incredible performance, Eighth Grade would not have nearly the same impact as it does.
Josh Hamilton, who plays Kayla’s father, Mark, also gives a performance that parents can see in themselves on a daily basis. Whether it be through attempting to communicate with seemingly-perennially-distracted teenagers, driving the usually-unthankful kids everywhere, or just straight worrying about their kids, parents all across the country can relate to Mark and his relationship with his daughter on a deep level. Hamilton was a wonderful choice to play Mark, portraying him in a way that keeps the non-teenage viewers engaged, both mentally and emotionally.
Some may say that Eighth Grade plays the “kids are distant because of technology” card a little too much, but even though it may slightly exaggerate the extent of the issue, it does so with good intentions. Burnham wishes to show audiences how kids act today, and he does a brilliant job at doing so, even if he does include a few scenes that may be a bit cringeworthy because they play it to an extreme. Not many films even attempt to portray current teenage culture, as much of it is admittedly wrapped around screens and technology; many directors and producers would be afraid that building a film around this would make for a boring hour and a half, and audiences would become disengaged. Burnham, however, had the guts to make the film, and in turn makes one that young teenagers all across the country can relate to on a very deep level.
Verdict
Eighth Grade is an important, powerful, emotional, heartbreaking, and hilarious film about a normal, shy, teenage girl attempting to survive her last week of middle school, at a time when doing just that is the hardest its ever been. Kayla, played perfectly by Elsie Fisher, is entirely relatable for both teenage boys and girls. Many different emotions flow as the movie goes on, and all of Kayla’s hopes, worries, aspirations, and actions throughout the movie are things that many young teenagers experience often, as hard as that may be for many to admit.
With Eighth Grade, Bo Burnham has brought a film to light that accurately portrays present-day young teenage life better than any film in recent memory. His attention to detail, Fisher’s performance as Kayla, and Hamilton’s portrayal of her father all blend together to make Eighth Grade a must-watch for all moviegoers that are ready and willing to see a film that accurately portrays the lives of children in America. Due to technological advancements and the dependency on it, today’s children lose their innocence way too young, and generally have the roughest path to adulthood socially-speaking as any generation in history, and Eighth Grade reflects that perfectly.
9.25/10
