"The Edge of 17" Starring Hailee Steinfeld & Woody Harrelson

This coming of age teen flick clicks on all burners.  "The Edge of 17" produced by James L Brooks captures the emotional rage of an insecure & precocious teen, Nadine (an exceptional Hailee Steinfeld) with credulous charm & frustrations.  It's tough enough being a social outcast from early adolescence &  add to that, a handsome/popular older brother, Darian (Blake Jenner) also mom's favorite.  The beloved father & emotional anchor dies while driving with Nadine making her life nearly unbearable.  Her  saving grace is her only friend, Krista (Haley Richardson.)  They become fast friends at an early age only later to feel completely betrayed when Krista falls for her brother.  The mother is played with self-consuming neurosis by Kyra Sedgwick.  She seems to only relate & rely heavily on Darian.  Mr. Brunner (a terrific Woody Harrelson) is Nadine's history teacher to whom she vents her feelings of outrage, self-loathing & vulnerabilities.  "The Edge of 17" is set far above most teen movies.  Every scene is engaging & convincing.  Cruel things are said to Nadine from her brother, mother, classmates & even Mr Brunner.  But, Nadine lashes back in ways that are hurtful to others & self-destructive.  We continuously care for what Nadine is feeling or doing.  Nadine's tells Mr Brunner she intends to commit suicide.  His concern is measured and he responds admirably.  Meanwhile, the social scene of high school teens resonate with fun, frustration & fear.  Nadine's mother tells her "Everybody is miserable.  Just some people are better at pretending."  There's not a false note in this engaging film.  Steinfeld is wonderful in her role.  Irwin (a terrific Haden Szeto) is the classmate who tries to befriend Nadine.  Sometimes, you just need to look nearby to find friendship and acceptance.  "The Edge of 17" is an edgy & entertaining movie for teens & adults alike.  "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name."  And those who see "The Edge of 17" will be glad they came.