The years of an early teen can be very turbulent. I am sure that everyone out there can remember what it is like to worry about acceptance and attention, struggling to have a life of confidence. Physical changes happen, hormonal changes take place, and social structures become more exclusive. Director Bo Burnham's debut feature film, Eighth Grade, investigates this time of transition by looking at a few week's in the life of Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher) as she nears the end of grade eight.
Kayla isn't a person that mirrors all of our experiences directly. She fas no friends, no voice for herself, and absolutely no confidence. I know that only a small number of people out there will have been in a very similar situation, but Burnham knows that isn't the point. The universal struggles of Kayla, the desire above everything to be noticed and to belong will hit home with anyone. I was most certainly socially awkward, but I also know that the kids that had it all together faced the scary fear that they may not fit in and be accepted as well. Kayla, although she is portrayed in an extreme, represents the emotional hurdles for all in that age range.
Acceptance is a big lust of Kayla's, and she believes that she must aim high. The girls she tries to befriend are the coolest in the school. Kayla is obsessed with Aiden (Luke Prael), her dream hunk. Kayla's desire to date the cool boy is strong, as is the need to be befriended by the particular girls. Elsie Fisher delivers a performance that conveys to the audience just how important this is to her, and how she needs this above everything else. Life for Kayla, it seems, will have meaning should she achieve her goals.
Kayla's desires inevitably bring about some issues for her, as she needs to come to decide what lengths she will go to in able to get what she wants. In the case of this film, Kayla thinks that sexuality is the way to get Aiden, that she needs to be exactly what he would want. What is completely awkward is that Kayla really has no clue of what she is talking about, and is repulsed when she does a little research. This is the treasure that is Kayla. While the pressure of being socially accepted appears to override everything in her life, her character ultimately refuses to give away her innocence.
The realm of sexuality in young people is definitely something that Bo Burnham is addressing with Eighth Grade. This is something that these kids are unable to escape, and Burnham shows how difficult it can be to stay true to yourself. Kayla faces a few situations where she believes that she is supposed to act a certain way, that it is expected of her, and her conscience and her own comfort are tested. I know that some people would probably prefer that sexuality isn't addressed in movies about kids, but the reality is that Kayla's struggles are real. This is what kids face, and, as we see with Kayla, it takes courage to make the right decisions.
This brings up the issue with the movie's rating. In Canada, it is rated 14-A. In the United States, it has the R rating. The film has a little bit of swearing that could be cut out, but Burnham's quest here is to reflect the harsh truth of life at this age. Because of the rating, the audience that needs to see this the most, the group of people that should see Kayla's story and the decisions she makes, are unable to because of their age. The rating system really misses the point of movies like this. What is depicted here, while deemed inappropriate for kids in their early teens, is the truth of their life. It is unfortunate that what they face every day at school is deemed too mature for them in a film that is not glamourizing these issues, but looking at the toll that they can take.
Social media and living online are a big part of this movie. Kayla is almost constantly on her phone. It is the life she lives, and it is a realm where she is not the nerdy kid. She can be anything at all online. Interestingly, Kayla creates Youtube videos where she gives life advice and guidance. None of what she says is anything that she does in real life, and it is the perfect way for Burnham to show how different an online presence can be compared to what people are like offline. The videos that Kayla makes are terrific, as she tries to spit out confidence, but can't stop over using words such as 'like.'
A part of the film that shows just how isolated kids may feel in their issues is Kayla's relationship with her father, Mark (Josh Hamilton). Kayla's mother left the family, so it is just the two of them. The want from her father to have a connection bleeds from the screen, and Hamilton portrays the longing of a parent to understand their child as well as to be understood. While a lot of films may have focused largely on just what the character would face at school, here we have a touching and heart wrenching depiction of just how far away from their child a parent can be even while sitting at the same table.
All of the wonderful aspects of the story are created with realism through the acting of Elsie Fisher. She is very young, but the pure range of nuance that is evident in her performance is something that many mature and weathered talents aren't capable of. I have talked a lot about the heft of this movie, but there are many hilarious moments, and they are all perfectly earned thanks to Fisher. This is some legit high level acting, the kind that really needs to be well considered for an Oscar nomination. As I said earlier, Kayla is a conduit for all of us, regardless of if we were awkward like her or not, and Fisher is largely to thank for that.
This really is a wonderful tale. There is ample humour, relatability, sadness, and triumph. Bo Burnham created what feels like an authentic experience. While I would say its target audience is young teens, it is a film that will speak to many adults. It is a reminder of just how intense the battle for acceptance and identity is at that point in life. What ultimately stands out is the courage of Kayla, someone who believes they are willing to do anything for friends, but seems to almost surprise herself when she refuses to act out of character. While difficult at times, this film delivers laughter and, most importantly, connects us deeply to our protagonist and the outcome. It is a beautiful tale that is easily one of the best films of the year, one that speaks to both kids as well as adults.
Rating - 4 out of 4 stars
I think most of us at Kayla's age struggled with being accepted and felt no one understood us, even if we weren't social outcasts. The feelings are universal even if the experience isn't.
ReplyDeleteI think, this movie is going to make me want to make Danika homeschooled.
As for the rating, there isn't something messed up when the MPAA deems a real teen experience as something teen's shouldn't see. At least in Ontario it is 14A, so they seem a little less clueless.