ON THE SCREEN: ‘How to Build a Girl’ quirky, wild and irresistible
Adapted from the New York Times best-selling, semi-autobiographical novel by author Caitlin Moran, “How to Build a Girl” may not be the most amazing film in the world, but it certainly is a memorable one.
Starring Beanie Feldstein, who has already made a huge name for herself after films such as “Booksmart” (2019) and “Lady Bird” (2016), this coming-of-age comedy stands out above the rest as it chronicles the life of a nerdy, literature-obsessed high-schooler named Johanna Morrigan, who transforms herself into a rowdy, bombshell music critic overnight.
This film has something fabulous going for it that not a lot of films these days have, and it does not even involve the film itself really: an outstanding logline. A logline is a screenwriting term that simply means “a brief summary of the narrative,” but what only an industry professional can tell you is that a film will not get made if the logline is uninteresting. However, certain films can get away with not having a decent plot or logline due to having big-name stars or directors attached to the project. But, at the end of the day, a great logline like in this film’s case: “a nerdy girl turns herself into a bombshell music critic overnight,” makes a more than interesting movie.
For one, the author of the book, Caitlin Moran, was also the screenwriter for the film, and I think this was an extremely reputable choice in terms of adapting this crowd-pleasing book into a movie. As I mentioned earlier, the book is semi-autobiographical. Therefore, this is Moran’s story to tell, so who better to write the script than the author herself? Both the film and the book have such an authentic voice that it would be hard to imagine the film having as much flavor as it does had Moran not taken the script into her own hands as well.
Whether you like this film or not, if or when you watch it, we can all agree on one thing: Beanie Feldstein is the perfect actress to portray this quirky protagonist. Genuinely, I do not think this film would have been nearly as entertaining had another actress portrayed Johanna Morrigan. Feldstein shines in every comedic beat of the film and nails a thick British accent for an American actress — which is not usually the case for some actors.
Not only was Beanie Feldstein fantastic as this intriguing character, but also the character of Johanna was just incredibly refreshing in general. Johanna Morrigan is cool, boisterous, and cringey all at the same time, yet we girls cannot help but relate to her mistakes and awkward mishaps. As someone who started writing as an amateur film critic when I was 17-years old, much like the small print, music critic Johanna in the film, I could not help but relate to her even more. It is rare to see films or even stories that show teens partaking and succeeding in something other than being in high school, so this element of the narrative in itself was invigorating to watch.
All in all, “How to Build a Girl” is definitely worth a watch, for it is a satisfying, innovative addition to the coming-of-age genre audiences already know too well. My only complaints or warnings would be that this is definitely an R-rated movie and a British R-rated comedy at that… If you don’t understand what I mean, watch at your own risk. Also, it tends to slightly drag towards the end and have a dramatic twist that may be somewhat triggering to some teens, or even adults struggling with mental illness. But besides these small things, you will definitely have more than a few laughs and even cries if you settle in to really watch and enjoy this film. If I were to base this film on originality, I would give it a 10/10, but since I am rating it on its overall entertainment value, I’ll give it an 8 out of 10. This is the best thing I’ve watched in quarantine besides TLC’s “90 Day Fiancé,” and yes, I’m 100% serious.