Opening this weekend is writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig’s feature debut, the coming-of-age comedy 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 learns to deal 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 Haley Lu Richardson and Blake Jenner they talked about what they loved about the script and how the film doesn’t have stereotypical characters.