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Middle School, the awkward time in our life where we just wanted move on to bigger and better things that high school had to offer. It is the 2-3 years that one just has to go through for the sake of growing up. In Director and Writer Bo Burnahm’s film Eighth Grade, audiences are taken back to that time where life was awkward and difficult as a tween. While it does it does make one cringe and uncomfortable to certain degrees, it is done with the best intentions for the characters to develop and for audiences to relate, and boy, does it pay off.
The primary theme in this film is a typical yet classic one – be yourself. Throughout the film, the main character Kayla (Elise Fisher) constantly tries to find meaning during her time in the eighth grade, from having friends to having confidence. As one can tell by the trailers, she is heavily introverted, yet tries to come out of that shell by having her own youtube channel. During the tween years and even the teen years, one may ponder the philosophical question, “Am I significant?’ or “Do I stand out?” It is not selfish to ask these questions. Many people in middle school simply wanted to be liked and have friends to have fun with and leanon. Eighth Grade heavily plays with these questions throughout Kayla’s eighth grade life, leading up to graduation. All she really wants and desires significantly is to be noticed, acknowledged, and eventually loved by others. It is a powerful portrayal of identity, self-worth, confidence, and value for oneself.
A smaller yet highly noticeable and important topic is the relationship between her and her father, Mark Day (Josh Hamilton). As seen in the trailer, Mark is a single father trying to find how he fits into his daughter’s life. From simple conversations to pick-ups and drop-offs, he constantly tries to do and offer the best for Kayla on a father-daughter level. Though he does come off as awkward, it is not done out of anger, control, or abuse. It is simply done out of love, care, and concern, even if Kayla disagrees. Furthermore, Mark tries to find his own identity of being more than a father, but a father that she can turn to for help, guidance, support, and love. In today’s day and age, a father figure in a film typically would come off as abusive, controlling, or a walk out. While that is an unfortunate truth and factor for people today, there are still fathers out there that simply want to love and cherish the child they raised, and Bo Burnham’s paints a beautiful character of that with Josh Hamilton giving his all in his portrayal.
Introverts are a very interesting people, from how they think to how they interact. Despite their shyness, they always have something to say about a particular opinion or topic and when they talk, they stand out. Yet, there are times where they may come off as the odd person out. This happens with Kayla throughout the film and yet, despite her setbacks, she still grows and slowly but surely pushes herself to speak her mind and stand up for herself. Through other people, she finds value from them as they simply act and embrace themselves – the rawness, passion, and awkwardness. There is this idea that tweens, teens, and even adults have to adapt and change their personality in order to impress others at school or college. Eighth Grade says no, you don’t have to change who you are. Yet, it also says to take a chance and if you screw up, that is perfectly okay and normal.
Being the comedic and philosophical genius he is, Bo Burnham delivers a spectacular coming-of-age story on the realistic life and mindset of middle school child introverts, primarily females. It is a film that makes audience laugh at childhood moments, cringe when characters try to be cool, and hurt when reality and hardship step in the picture. Assuming most of us if not all of us went to middle school, this film is a high recommendation, especially for those that are parents or teachers that want to try to understand the younger generation of today.
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