The Edge of Seventeen will make you glad you're not a teenager anymore

Movie Title:    The Edge of Seventeen

Grade:  B+

Rating: R, 98 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Hailee Steinfeld plays a completely self-absorbed teenager who has a hard time learning some of the most important lessons in life…that loving and caring for others is important and necessary to be happy.  It’s a bit frustrating how long it takes her to discover those simple truths, but she’s still a complete delight to watch, because the magnificent Hailee Steinfeld plays her.  

Woody Harrelson is fantastic in every scene he’s in and complements Hailee's performance perfectly.  I wish there had been more scenes in the movie with both of them together. I could have watched their hilarious banter all day long.

It’s an edgy coming-of-age story that will make you ache and laugh at the same time.

Uplifting theme: 

• “I have to spend the rest of my life with myself.” – Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld)
• “Wow, I’m one of those people who thinks everything’s about them.” - Nadine

 

Things I liked:

• What a sweet dad.  Oh that every kid could have such a kind, loving, supportive father.
• It was touching to watch each family member finally learn how to relate and communicate with each other.
• I thought Erwin Kim’s short film at the end was pretty funny.
• First-time writer Kelly Fremon Craig will have a bright future if he keeps producing honest movies like this one.
• I’m so grateful I’m not in high school anymore.
• Fans who first fell in love with Blake Jenner on Glee The Complete Series will be happy to see him in this film.

Things I didn’t like:

• Kyra Sedgwick doesn’t seem to age.  She plays a terrible mother to counterpoint the very sweet father played by Eric Keenleyside.
• I know it was part of the story, but it was NOT smart for Mr. Bruner to bring a young female student into his home.  My husband never even drove any of our female babysitters home when we had little kids.  Thankfully, the movie doesn't go in that direction, but it's important for men to use wisdom when dealing with dramatic, psycho teenage girls.
• As a mother, I would be super depressed if I had a daughter like Nadine.  I hate seeing young girls already be so foul-mouthed, cynical, mean, and desperate.
• Erwin is too rich, talented and good-looking to be so shy and awkward. His character didn’t seem believable, but I really liked him.

Funny lines:

• “You are so going to get fired when I actually do it.”  (commit suicide) - Nadine

“Well, not actually for sure, but I can dream.” – Br. Bruner

• “There are two types of people in this world: the people who radiate confidence and naturally excel at life, and the people who hope all those people die in a big explosion.” – Nadine
• “My mom has to take medicine or else she’ll get too upset at the mall.” = Nadine

Tips for parents: 

• Lots of profanity, including many F-bombs.
• Talk of suicide, bullying.
• Loss of virginity, inappropriate sex jokes, teens in bed, awkward car make-out scene.
• Your kids will probably laugh, but you need to remind them that Nadine is terribly messed up and NOT a positive role model for them.
• Nadine drives a car without a driver’s license.

@trinaboice 

Pitch Perfect 2 is A Ca-ffensive fun

Movie:   Pitch Perfect 2

GP-13, 1 hour 54 minutes

Grade:  B

In a Nutshell:   If you’re easily offended, this film is not for you. Every group that exists is a target for distasteful jokes by writer Kay Cannon in this college party flick. Jokes fly as fast and hard as if they were being shot out of one of those T-shirt guns at a football rally, some landing better than others.

Directed and produced by Elizabeth Banks, the singing sequel isn’t as good as the first one, but if you loved the first Pitch Perfect like I did, you’ll still be entertained and have a few new mash-ups and choreo steps to try on your own after the final credits roll.
  

While most of the movie is a bit messy, the ending is sweet and inspiring, leaving us with that sing-a-long feeling like the original movie did.  By the way, keep watching after the rolling credits for a funny scene with Bumper.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Overcome your fears.

·         Everyone has a voice.  Everyone is an original.  Find your unique sound and sing/live it.

Things I liked:

·         There is some pretty good beatboxing.

·         How fun would that be to spend a $42,000 gift card at Dave & Busters?  We use to take the fam         there when we lived in San Diego.

·         I love Emily’s long, gorgeous hair.  Hailee Steinfeld  has grown into a beautiful young woman.          Where have you seen her before?  True Grit and Ender's Game .

·         It was fun to hear Katey Sagal sing.

·         The riff-off scene in the eccentric, rich guy’s basement is a lot of fun.  More please.

·         I loved how Beca could only think of positive things to say about her German nemesis, Valkyrie        (the flawless Birgitte hjort Sorensen).

·         Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) has the best lines.  She also has some of the worst lines.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Lots of slow-motion montages of the Bellas dancing, having a pillow fight, and doing team building activities at a camp retreat. Were they looking for filler material?

·         SPOILER ALERT: There are two odd, creepy, romantic scenes between Fat Amy and Bumper.   I would have liked to see Beca and Jesse sing a duet instead.

·         There are some musical misfires (songs about butts, for example), but overall the music is good. Thankfully, the finale is exactly what we hoped it would be.

·         Beca’s personality vacillates from being the cynical, "alternative" goth she was in the first movie and a more optimistic, happy college girl living her dream.  We all love hearing Anna Kendrick sing again.  How about a solo?  By the way, have you seen her in the musical movie "The Last Five Years"?  She's fantastic in it.

·         Some of the characters we fell in love with in the first movie are in this sequel, but they don’t get developed any further.   If you haven’t seen the first movie, you’ll miss some of the charms of the original characters that get a little lost in this one.

Did you know?

·         The real A Capella group that won Season 3 of The Sing-Off on NBC, Pentataonix, appears in the movie as a group representing Canada in the World Championship.  In real life, they won a Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. They’re A Camazing.  Check out their YouTubeChannel, which is the 12 most subscribed-to music channel.

·         The German guy on Das Sound Machine  A Capella team (Flula Borg)  has a funny YouTube channel I discovered a couple of years ago.  Here’s a clip I show my English language students:

·         
Cameo performances in the movie include Snoop Dog, President Obama and First Lady Michelle, Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhymes, and Good Morning America's Robin Roberts.

Producer Max Handelman chose an all male A Capella group from his Alma Mater, the University of Pennsylvania, to perform in the movie as one of the groups in the World Championship.

Funny lines:

·         “Don’t blame yourself.  You’re a ginger; that’s punishment enough.” – Fat Amy

·         “You’re the most talented person I know, and I’ve met three of The Wiggles.” – Fat Amy

·         “Even your sweat smells like cinnamon.” – Beca

·         “We need to scout those Deutschbags.” – Fat Amy about Das Sound Machine

·         “I don’t understand camping.  We’re voluntarily living like dogs.” -  Flo  (Chrissie Fit)

Tips for Parents:

·         Like the first film, there is a lot of crude language and sexual innuendos.

·         Tweens may not understand certain pop-culture references, such as the hate letter supposedly written by Sonia Sotomayor (who is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States) and all of the immigration jokes aimed at Flo, the Guatamalan. 

·         A kalimba is mentioned.  Want to see what one looks like?




Must-haves for Pitch Perfect fans:

Ender's Game now out on DVD for fun family movie night

Movie Title:  Ender's Game

PG-13, 1 hour 53 minutes

Grade: A-

In a Nutshell:  This sci-fi tween thriller deserved to be made into a film, as the book has been popular with kids since 1985.  Congrats to Orson Scott Card for making it on to the big screen!  Most of the source book fans have been very pleased with the movie adaptation, although they admit that a few interesting aspects were rushed or necessarily left out because of the time constraints. The battle scenes feel like you’re watching someone play a video game, but the special effects are pretty amazing.  You’ll feel like a 12 year old kid again and wish you could float around in the battle simulator.

Things I liked:   

• I love Harrison Ford, even if I have to see him as a grumpy, aging man. 
• I’ve also adored Ben Kingsley ever since he won an Oscar for Best Actor in Gandhi many years ago.  The design on his face was very cool and supposed to represent a way to speak for the dead.  His father was a Maori.  I have a friend whose ancestry is Maori.  He plays the ukulele and sings songs in Maori for his students.
• You feel like you get your money’s worth because the film is long, but moves quickly.  
• I thought Ender’s squeaky, pubescent voice was perfect because it constantly reminds you that he is still just a boy.  Asa Butterfield does a terrific job.  I loved him in Hugo.  Ben Kingsley was in that movie as well.  It was simply stunning in 3D.
• I liked the cadets’ white casual wear and would like one for myself to wear at home when I’m just kicking around.
• I hadn’t read the book, so I had no idea what was going to happen.  I love twists.
•  The zero gravity room looks super fun!  I went Indoor Skydiving in Las Vegas recently and had a blast…literally!  A giant fan blasts air at you so that you float.  I highly recommend it!  This is a picture of my husband, son, and I after our indoor skydiving experience, which is probably the closest we'll ever get to a zero gravity feeling:   

Things I didn’t like:

• So, it only takes 3 adults to run that entire spaceship? 
• I was surprised at the amateur-looking credits at the end of the movie.
• It takes itself a little bit too seriously and could have been improved with more peppering of humor.

Uplifting theme:

• The way we win matters.
• “Let us train our soldiers so they can be gifted at war AND peace.”

Funny lines:

• “This is basic rocket science, people!”  - teacher
• “Game over.” - Ender

Interesting lines:

*  “When you truly understand your enemy, you love them.”

Things to look for:

• The button on the back of their necks that is used to monitor them reminded me of The Matrix .
• Hailee Steinfeld plays a character whose name is Petra.   Petra means rock in Latin.  She becomes Ender’s rock throughout their experience in the training experience in the International Fleet.

Tips for parents: There is a lot of violence, some bullying, and a repeated use of the word “A**hole” in Spanish by a character named Bonzo.  There is no other profanity, other than mean name-calling by bullies.  There are some interesting moral dilemmas that could provide interesting dinner conversations for your family.

If your tween loved the movie, you can find the box set of the book series here: