The Edge of Seventeen

Plot

Nadine Franklin (Hailee Steinfeld) confides to her history teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson) that she plans to kill herself. Her threats and his responses illustrate their uniquely wry relationship. Nadine narrates: By age seven, differences between Nadine and her older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) are already obvious. Nadine has a tempestuous relationship with her overly dramatic mother (Kyra Sedgwick), while Nadine's father (Eric Keenleyside) is her only ally. At age 13, Nadine is buoyed by her relationships with her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) and her father. As a result of her father's death, Nadine's life turns upside down. Up to the time Nadine is seventeen, Krista was the only "good part" of her life.

One night, Nadine and Krista get drunk, while Darian throws a pool party. Nadine falls asleep, and wakes up to find Krista in bed with a naked Darian. Krista tries to fix things but Nadine is tormented about her best friend being with her brother. Krista and Darian think to break it off, but he ends up asking her to be his girlfriend. Nadine feels desperately alone and resorts to her classmate Erwin Kim (Hayden Szeto), who has a crush on her. She discovers that although he is awkward, he has a great sense of humor and is kind. Nadine however is attracted to older student Nick Mossman (Alexander Calvert) who she has only met once. Krista confronts Nadine for ignoring her so Nadine makes her choose between herself and Darian. Krista doesn't want to choose, and Nadine angrily tells Krista their relationship is over.

At school, Mr. Bruner has become Nadine's go-to person for support. He lets her vent her anger at him but afterwards, as a way to guilt her, reveals that she is his favorite student. Erwin and Nadine spend the evening in his heated swimming pool. Although Erwin is wealthy, he is lonely. Nadine learns that he is an animated filmmaker and accepts his invite to their school's short film festival. Nadine and her mother end up in an argument about her father, and Nadine drives away. In the heat of the moment, she writes a sexually explicit text to Nick but decides against sending it. Nonetheless, she accidentally hits "send" and is mortified.

The film returns to the present, and Mr. Bruner tries to keep Nadine calm about the text she sent. She receives a text from Nick, asking her to hang out that evening, exciting Nadine. Mona calls Darian, confessing that Nadine is missing, and that she has depended on her son as the father figure since Tom died. Darian leaves to find Nadine. During their date, Nick repeatedly attempts to have sex with Nadine in his car, having interpreted the text as a proposition, while she had been wanting a traditional romantic date. Embarrassed and heartbroken, Nadine runs away and calls Mr. Bruner, who drives her to his house, where they wait with his wife and baby boy until Darian arrives. Darian confesses to Nadine that although his life seems perfect, he has been secretly suffering from the pressures of having to take care of the family ever since their father died. Darian even confesses that he feels trapped and did not apply to colleges far away, and the only person who helps him smile is Krista, but even that is a problem too since Nadine is upset that Krista is with him. Nadine confesses to her brother that she has been dealing with self-hatred, intensified by her jealousy of him. For the first time, the two hug and their feud ends.

Nadine readies herself for the school's film festival. Nadine walks downstairs on her way out and is welcomed by Darian and Krista, and the two girls happily agree to catch up later. Mona fears that Nadine has run away. Realizing that her mother is worried, Nadine sends her a text saying that she is safe. Mona decides to trust her word. Erwin's animated film is a story about a green alien boy who falls in love with a girl at high school but is rejected by her. Realizing the metaphor, Nadine apologizes to Erwin for taking so long to accept his love. Erwin is congratulated by his colleagues. When he introduces Nadine to them, she greets them with a smile, finally opening up to others.

Cast

Production

Writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig sent a copy of the screenplay to producer James L. Brooks, hoping that Brooks would produce the film. Craig recalled, "I had written a spec version of this film, and had been just an insane fan of Jim’s for years and years. He was the crazy longshot I took in the beginning! And one I never thought would actually work. But I sent him the script and he ended up taking on the project." The Edge of Seventeen is Craig's directorial debut. She also produced the film.

On August 4, 2015, Hailee Steinfeld was cast in the film to play the lead role, while Richard Sakai was also attached as a producer of the film. On September 24, 2015, Woody Harrelson and Kyra Sedgwick joined the film's cast, with Harrelson playing the role of a high school teacher and Sedgwick as the main character's mother. On October 6, 2015, Blake Jenner was cast in the film as Nadine's older brother, a popular and handsome soccer player who begins dating Nadine's best friend Krista. Hayden Szeto was cast in the film as Erwin Kim, Nadine's earnest classmate, who fumbles several attempts to win her affection through much of the story. Haley Lu Richardson joined the film to play the role of best friend Krista.

Principal photography on the film began on October 21, 2015, in Hollywood North, then in Anaheim, California. Filming also took place in the Metro Vancouver area, then at Guildford Park Secondary School and near Guildford Town Centre in Surrey, British Columbia. Port Moody was also shown, with the film festival taking place in City Hall. Filming wrapped on December 3, 2015.

Release

The Edge of Seventeen, distributed by STX Entertainment, was originally scheduled to be released on September 30, 2016, before being moved to November 18.

Box office

The Edge of Seventeen was released alongside the openings of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Bleed for This, as well as the wide expansions of Moonlight and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, and was initially expected to gross around $8 million from 1,900 theaters. However, after grossing $1.8 million on its first day, weekend projections were lowered to $4–5 million; it ended up opening with $4.8 million, finishing #7 at the box office. As of 2017, the film has grossed $14.4 million domestically and $3.7 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $18,146,405.

Critical response

The Edge of Seventeen received widespread critical acclaim, with Steinfeld's performance earning unanimous praise. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 95%, based on 140 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Edge of Seventeen's sharp script – and Hailee Steinfeld's outstanding lead performance – make this more than just another coming-of-age dramedy." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.

IGN reviewer Alex Welch gave the film an 8/10, saying "Kelly Fremon Craig’s The Edge of Seventeen is a pitch-perfect portrait of youth, and the struggles of learning to accept yourself for who you are. It’ll have you laughing and crying, sometimes in the same scene, and never feels anything other than sincere and authentic."