-

Opening this weekend is writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig’s coming-of-age feature debut The Edge of Seventeen. Produced by Academy Award winner James L. Brooks – the director of Broadcast News, Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets – the film is a candid and honest look at what it’s like to be in High School today when it’s filled with social media, text messages and constant drama. The film is about two best friends Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) and Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) whose relationship becomes strained when Krista starts dating Nadine’s all-star older brother (Blake Jenner). As Nadine starts to try and figure out dealing with High School without her best friend, an unexpected friendship of a new classmate (Hayden Szeto) gives her a glimmer of hope while she struggles to deal with her well-meaning but ineffective mother (Kyra Sedgwick). The film also stars Woody Harrelson as Nadine’s History teacher, mentor, and reluctant sounding board. What’s great about the film is that all the characters feel real and the dialogue isn’t written by committee. Check it out for yourself by watching the red-band trailer.

During my interview with Hailee Steinfeld she talked about making the character her own, how when you’re seventeen everything that happens – no matter if it’s good or bad – is literally the most important thing that’s ever happened, what it was like working with Woody Harrelson and James L. Brooks, balancing her movie and music career, Pitch Perfect 3, and more.

Check out what she had to say in the video above and below is a list of what we talked about and some images from the film.

Hailee Steinfeld:

• How the film captures what it’s like being 17 and whatever happens is literally the most important thing that has ever happened in the universe.
• Talks about working with Woody Harrelson.
• How did she want to make the character her own beyond what was on the page?
• How James L. Brooks like to ruin takes due to laughing on set.
• What is it like trying to balance her acting career and her music career?
• Pitch Perfect 3 talk.