Review by James Lindorf
Best friends haven’t been living life to the fullest and decide to attend a party for one debaucherously fun night. No, it’s not this year’s Good Boys, those kids are too young, and it’s not a 12 year too late review of Superbad, the stars are the wrong gender. OK, I know what you’re thinking, you’re getting ready to read a review of Olivia Wilde’s acclaimed Booksmart, and you’d be close, but wrong. Instead, we are here to talk about Laura Terruso’s raunchy comedy; Good Girls Get High. Sam (Abby Quinn, Landline) is a math and science whiz while Danielle (Stefanie Scott, Insidious: Chapter 3) had her first book of poetry published at the age of 14. They have been best friends their entire lives, spending every Friday night with pizza, dancing, and document. They do everything together like just being named co-valedictorians. Life is going pretty well for the pair until the school’s yearbook comes out and labels them “Biggest Good Girls.” Devastated by the superlative award, Danielle convinces Sam they should prove they can be “bad girls.” You can watch them break out of their shells starting November 8th.
While Dannielle is preoccupied with how the rest of the school views her, Sam has bigger things on her mind. Her father’s (Matt Besser) ice cream shop has fallen on hard times and is struggling to keep up with trend-setting competitors leading to her turning down her acceptance to Harvard. Danielle initially has more modest aspirations like attending a state school; when she unexpectedly gets into Harvard, it leaves Sam in an emotional tailspin. Danielle is also obsessed with newly single hunky artist Jeremy (Booboo Stewart). When they find some marijuana belonging to Sam’s father, the two girls decide to get seriously stoned on their final Friday night before graduation. Cue the inevitable and predictable hijinks involving, a wild party, run-ins with the cops, inappropriate sexting, record-setting bongs, vodka-soaked tampons, discussions about “queefing,” and a tiny dog.
Director Laura Terruso and her co-writer Jennifer Nashorn Blankenship may not break any new ground in this burgeoning comedy subgenre, but what they did do is create natural characters who get by on sweetness and a believable friendship. Quinn and Scott personify Sam and Danielle, they laugh, cry and fight like real friends. Unfortunately, the side characters are mostly one-note with very little to offer. The only ones who make any lasting impact are officer Patty and science teacher Mr. D played by veteran comedian actors Danny Pudi and Lauren Lapkus.
The film relies heavily on stoner comedy as the title suggests, and some of the jokes cross over from humorous to silly. Those jokes don’t come frequently, which is good, but also makes them more jarring when they do show up. With a 77-minute runtime thee isn’t time to linger on anything let alone a joke that didn’t land.
While the humor may not be for everyone, the honesty and lack of cynicism within the main characters should appeal to all audiences. Good Girls Get High is worth the watch but not before genre leaders Booksmart and Good Boys.
