Podcast | ‘Booksmart’ Episode Recap

The latest episode of Imbibe Cinema, hosted by Jonathan C. Legat, Tricia Legat, and Michael Noens, delves into Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut, Booksmart, calling it "amazeballs" and "an absolute home run." While discussing the film, the hosts imbibe a cocktail called the Horny Schoolgirl.

Booksmart tells the story of two highly focused young women, Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), who spent their entire high school careers prioritizing academics to get into prestigious schools. On the last day of school, Molly realizes that the people they thought were beneath them — the party crowd — are also getting into great schools or successful careers. In a moment of panic, Molly decides that she and Amy must jam four years of missed social experiences into one epic night.

The podcast hosts repeatedly praises the film for its witty and deep script, which succeeds in breaking down typical high school character clichés and showing the multidimensionality of the supporting cast.

• Multidimensionality: Characters who initially seem like stereotypes are revealed to be complex. For instance, Triple A (Molly Gordon) is famous for seemingly inappropriate behavior but reveals she was actually being kind and helping people who were broken down.
• The Nicest High School: The hosts noted the surprisingly kind high school environment where nobody is truly mean or easily dismissed. Even the excessively rich guy, Jared (Skylar Gisondo), is revealed to have unexpected aspirations, wanting to design airplanes and produce original musical theater.
• The Core Message: The film's message is that there is more to everybody than one thing; high school students, who often focus all their energy in one dimension, need to see past initial impressions. Additionally, the film celebrates the idea that girls are funny and filthy.

Director Olivia Wilde chose an unconventional cinematic style, aiming to shoot Booksmart not like a typical high school rom-com, but with the intensity and high stakes of a buddy cop film like Lethal Weapon or Training Day.

Several performance standout moments were highlighted:

• Gigi (Billy Lord): Described by the hosts as the "wild card" and Tricia's favorite character, Gigi magically and unexpectedly appears at every single location Molly and Amy end up at. The hosts mention that Billy Lord was so amazing the writers actually wrote her more scenes.
• The Pizza Guy (Michael Patrick O'Brien): The brief but memorable encounter with Pat the pizza delivery guy — aka "the hillside strangler" — who, while sounding creepy, is hilariously concerned for the girls' safety.
• Miss Fine (Jessica Williams): The cool teacher who saves the day and picks them up. She reveals she attends parties because she missed out on a high school social life.

The casting by Allison Jones was praised for assembling a talented ensemble of new faces. She also expertly used bigger names like Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, and Will Forte in short, memorable appearances that brought interest and life to the scenes. The collaborative script was written by four women: Emily Halpern, Susanna Fogel, Sarah Haskins, and Katie Silberman. The editing by Jamie Gross and Brent White also mirrored the requested Training Day approach, keeping the audience engaged and constantly waiting for what would happen next.

Episode Beverage Pairing

Ingredients

• 1 ounce pineapple vodka
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce pineapple juice
• 1 lemon wedge
• splash of grenadine
• sparkling wine for bubbles