leanah chestnut

This movie did a great job at portraying how high schoolers interpret injustice and empowerment. Though the main character was a pretty vanilla picture of a daughter of an 80s kid, her friend group was realistically diverse. On another note, folks have been writing negative reviews for the music. Almost all of the music included in the movie was by female punk revolutionaries like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile. Feminism has changed a lot since the 90s, no doubt about that, but totally disregarding a movement that had a ton of responsibility in changing how women were allowed to portray themselves in media is disappointing. Personally, I loved the nod to feminists that came before. Ultimately, this movie toed the line of heartwarming teen dramedy and empowering feminist flick. I felt similar feelings with this movie as I did when I watched Whip It, Clueless, or 10 Things I Hate About You. It's not perfect, but it does a great job of depicting how teenagers sloppily but passionately deal with injustice and self-expression. It's great fun and a beacon of hope and forgiveness in this tiresomely unforgiving landscape we have today.