Eighth Grade

Thursday morning I went to see Eighth Grade and, as a former eighth grade teacher, I laughed out loud many times and cringed in my seat at the poignant and realistic portrayal of middle school life.  This movie introduces us to Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher), an awkward teenager trying to navigate her last week of eighth grade.  She creates YouTube videos giving advice about being true to yourself, putting yourself out there, and being brave.  These videos are, ostensibly, for an audience (that doesn't really exist) but they end up inspiring her as she attends a party for one of the most popular girls in school, tries to catch the eye of her crush, and becomes friends with a group of older students.  I absolutely loved this movie because I loved the character of Kayla (as well as Elsie Fisher's portrayal of her).  She is a typical teenager with flaws but she ultimately makes so many good decisions.  She realizes that she doesn't need to be friends with the popular girls (her confrontation with them at graduation made me want to cheer out loud) and she chooses someone who accepts her for who she is.  She realizes that she doesn't need to give in to peer pressure or compromise herself in an incredibly powerful scene where she stands her ground against the sexual advances of an older boy.  She realizes that her negative experiences in middle school do not need to define her because she is a good person and things will get better.  Kayla is a fantastic role model for young girls and the only thing that gives me pause in recommending this for all teens and parents is that it is incredibly realistic with language and sexual situations.  However, this movie could be the catalyst for some great discussions and I definitely suggest checking it out.