‘What’s the point of living if nobody loves you…’
Coming-of-age movies are all the rage but many of the most well-known Bildungsroman view childhood through a romantic lens. That’s not most people’s experience of adolescence. A person’s teenage years are normally messy, confusing and painful. The Diary of a Teenage Girl, despite the asinine title, dives straight into the world of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll that is a reality for many teenage girls…
Minnie (Bel Powly) is a 15-year-old girl on the cusp of a sexual awakening. Unfortunately, it is her alcoholic mother’s boyfriend who serves as the catalyst for this brave new world (the former portrayed by Kristen Wiig and the latter by Alexander Skarsgård). Minnie falls hard for the older man whilst always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Based on Phoebe Gloeckner’s graphic novel and directed by Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood), The Diary of a Teenage Girl pulls no punches in its portrayal of a fucked up kid from a fucked up family. Wiig is frighteningly good at playing Minnie’s party-girl mother but it is the eponymous teenage girl herself who really stills the show. Whilst Powly was in her early twenties when filming began, she exudes the juxtaposition of sexuality and vulnerability that allows both men and women to take advantage of her burgeoning maturity. It’s a star-making performance from the young actor, especially considering it was essentially her first major film role. Elsewhere, Skarsgård is sleazy but in a subtle way, never overplaying his devious hand, and Heller’s intimate direction (lots of browns and yellows mixed with close-ups filmed on a handheld camera) ensures that this larger-than-life story remains grounded in reality.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a brave, provocative film that approaches impending adulthood in the same way as its main character – with reckless abandon. An underseen gem.