Fed up with the sexist and toxic status quo at her high school, a shy 16-year-old finds inspiration from her mother’s rebellious past and anonymously publishes a zine that sparks a school-wide, coming-of-rage revolution.
Pam says:
Amy Poehler’s second feature film pushes the boundaries and succeeds in this feminist story of one young teen who is wrestling with who she is and who she will become. Filled with faces we know and situations many of us have experienced, the times are changing and screenwriters Tamara Chestna and Dylan Meyer take Jennifer Matheiu’s novel and transform it into an experience that will most certainly start a conversation.
Hadley Robinson is Vivian, a typical teen who coasts under the radar at school, but this year is different. After her parents’ divorce and a new school year beginning, the social challenges are more taxing than before. Meeting a new transfer, Lucy (Alycia Pascual-Pena), Vivian begins to have her eyes opened to seeing not only the world, but her world, in a different way. No longer does she accept the “annoying” behavior of Mitchell Wilson (Patrick Schwarzenegger), but she feels compelled to change things thanks to discovering who her mom once was. It’s a revelatory experience for Vivian, but equally complex are all the emotions of any teen: falling in love, considering sex, balancing friendships, and experimenting with alcohol. This is all so very familiar for us moms who, believe it or not, were once teens, too. However, throw into the equation social media and the internet and this all becomes a rumbling volcano ready to erupt. (I am SO thankful my daughter is in her mid-twenties and I missed this aspect of parenting!)
With Poehler in the film and in the director’s seat, you are guaranteed of plenty of laughs and this does not disappoint. Attention to detail is on-point (noting the vase of leeks at dinner) and finding the right cast to gel is no easy feat and again, “Moxie” hits this right. Robinson and Lauren Tsai (Claudia) have that chemistry of life-long besties to give it credibility and Robinson strikes a chord with Poehler’s role of Mom. The film tackles everything from race, gender, rape, harassment and gender expectations using bold strokes. What it lacks in subtleties it makes up for in creating a space to talk about each of these issues. Pascual-Pena fills the screen with her presence, Marcia Gay Harden is the ubiquitous principal with blinders on, and Robinson gives us an unparalleled genuine performance as Vivian. Schwarzenegger has a tough role as the popular kid with no scruples and delivers this effortlessly.
“Moxie” is a little heavy handed in its message, particularly in the final act taking away that authenticity it had earned earlier. But even with this, it’s a film that warrants viewing particularly if you’re a mom of a teen in high school. It’ll open those lines of communication that are so very necessary.
3 stars
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