Olivia Wilde’s funny and perceptive high school comedy Booksmart has most favorably been compared to Superbad. While some have pushed back on that comparison, I think it’s appropriate not only from a storyline perspective but in their aspirations. What the two films also share is a special bond that formed between its stars. In this case that would be Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, who happens to be Jonah Hill’s sister. So there’s another close tie for ya.
Neither actress is turned off by the comparison in my recent interview with them. Nor does that mean Booksmart is a carbon copy. On the contrary, it’s the female perspective, one we so rarely get to see in high school comedies, that helps set the film apart. The story follows best friends Molly (Feldstein) and Amy (Dever), classic over-achievers, who realize all of their hard work got them to the same exclusive colleges as the lazy kids. So they set out to cram four years worth of partying into a single night.
All one needs to do is watch Booksmart to know how special of an experience this was for the entire cast and their director, and it’s clear from our conversation that Dever and Feldstein’s on-screen chemistry mirrors their real-life friendship.
Booksmart is in theaters now. Listen to my interview with Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever below!
