Eighth Grade (2018) Review: Who is Elsie Fisher? Actually, who is Bo Burnham?
This one really came out of nowhere for me. My favorite podcast guys were really high on this, and I had never heard of it. Not only had I never heard of it, I had never heard of its star, Elsie Fisher, nor its writer/director, Bo Burnham. But now I have and multiple facets of my life are improved as a result.
It turns out Burnham is a 28-year-old, sort of non-traditional stand-up comedian, specializing in balancing his satire right on the razor’s edge of what’s appropriate. And he’s so funny.
And look what he gave us. This. Movie. And yet, he is not after satire or irony here. I haven’t read many reviews for this movie, but I am sure we are all saying the same thing: this was so raw and real and awkward and, consequently, gorgeous.
I grew up just on the brink of the social media explosion (I was on AOL IM only in 9th grade), but social media is Kayla’s (Fisher) currency in this movie, and in a way I wouldn’t have seen coming back in 1999. And yet here she is, navigating her way through the most fickle, unpredictable waters on her phone and trying to discover some island of solid ground that she can call her own. The film takes place in the last week of her eighth grade year, with the weight and anticipation of high school looming in the background. And of course this movie is about eighth grade in particular, as it is, objectively, the year you are at your apex of social awareness and the trough of your ability to find sure footing.
And the magic of this movie happens in the marriage of Burnham’s portrayal of Kayla on the page and Fisher’s clarity in how she would bring her to life; a marriage that seemingly has never had a misunderstanding nor conflict since its inception. And this is his FIRST SCREENPLAY — well at least the first that was ever made into a movie. So yay for how much more there (surely) is to come from him, and also wtf, how did he do this?
And yet, Fisher is the one who had to execute everyday during filming, and she does. I hope this film gets enough recognition that we don’t need to worry about her career going forward, because I would like to see her all the time. I feel like it’s a tall order to craft a character that is both fully realistic and fully likable. But sure enough, here is Kayla, with us rooting for her all the way because we are her.
And while Eighth Grade is a reminder to all of us of a more tumultuous time, it does a remarkable job of capturing timeless themes, like the instability resulting from being misunderstood and the stability resulting from being known. After seeing it, ask yourself, have you not had a “pool party scene” in some version in your adulthood? Maybe more metaphorically than literally, but whatever — Burnham gets it. And I get him. And I hope you do too.
And may the Gabes and Olivias of your lives be plentiful.
10/10 for me for writing/acting/directing (obviously), story, relatability, rewatchability, and for my overall comfort-level in recommending this to a wide audience. If you haven’t seen it, please go rent it on iTunes/Amazon ASAP. While this was a summer release, I think (hope!) we will still be talking about this come Oscar nominations.
Check out what else is on my 2018 Awards Season Watchlist.
