Entertainment

Olivia Wilde’s Directorial Debut For Booksmart

Olivia Wilde Kills It With Her Directorial Debut For Booksmart – A Teen Movie For Our Generation

By Chloe Cornell

 

Olivia Wilde is getting raves for her directorial debut with “Booksmart,” a comedy that Variety says is “The best high school buddy comedy since ‘Superbad.’” Starring Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Will Forte, Lisa Kudrow, and Jason Sudeikis, the movie tells the story of two overachieving high school senior girls who realize at the end of the year that they were so focused on studying and getting into college that they missed out on their teenage years. Wanting to make up for lost time, they plan to pack four years of partying and breaking the rules into one night.

Olivia said that she admires girls today and they inspired her to film this movie. She told HuffPost, “Truly, this generation is better. They’re smarter. They’re more evolved. I just really wanted to tell a story about smart girls today.” She also said that she wanted to make a teen movie like the ones she loved as a kid, for this generation. “I just had a dream of making a film like the ones I loved and still love,” she said at the film’s premiere. “In my teenage years, it was the generational anthems that kept me going,” she said, naming classic ’80s teen films including “Breakfast Club”, “Dazed and Confused” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”. “I thought, ‘We need one of those for this generation. I want to help with that conversation.'”

Not only has “Booksmart” received rave reviews, but Olivia has gotten accolades for her directing abilities. She was named one of 10 Directors to Watch by Variety at their Creative Impact Awards, which also named first-time director Bradley Cooper. Olivia shadowed directors throughout her 17 year career as an actress, and has previously directed short films and music videos to get directing experience.

Olivia has said that she is most excited to be a member of the Director’s Guild. She posted a picture of her director’s card on Instagram with the post: “Only 15.6% of DGA director members are women. That’s gotta change. But in the meantime I sure am proud to be one of them. My first card came today and Nora Ephron is on it and I can’t believe I finally have an excuse to carry a picture of her in my wallet at all times. ❤️”

Booksmart will be released in theaters on May 24th. Check out the trailer for Booksmart here:

 

Leave a Response