It all started when “Booksmart” director Olivia Wilde tweeted, “Anyone out there saving @Booksmart for another day, consider making that day TODAY. We are getting creamed by the big dogs out there and need your support. Don’t give studios an excuse not to green-light movies made by and about women.”
It was the boomerang needed to kickstart a social media frenzy that, uh-oh, the critically-acclaimed teen comedy might be in trouble at the box-office. Soon after, a slew of Hollywood A-listers like Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Swift, and Natalie Portman urged people to go watch “Booksmart.” All in an effort to save the low-budge indie film and support inclusivity at the movies.
It all got to be such a controversy, that feminist author Roxanne Gay had to tell social media hounds to calm the F down with their almost forceful pressure demanding audiences go watch the movie: “I’ve seen more than a few tweets basically pressuring people to see Booksmart or else more movies like it won’t get made,” tweeted Gay. “This strategy never works and it is always deployed for movies that cater to anyone but straight white men.” She continued on, “It’s aggravating. Going to a movie doesn’t solve systemic issues in Hollywood. This idea that we are supposed to be so grateful for representation that we are in the wrong if we don’t drop everything to offer or support is… a mess.”
With blockbusters such as Disney’s “Aladdin,” “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum,” and “Avengers: Endgame” dominating moviegoer wallets these past few weeks, it just so happens that Wilde’s female-led teen comedy just wasn’t going to be top priority for them. And so, it all culminated this Memorial Day Weekend with social media losing interest in “Rocketman” numbers but rather focusing, yet again, on “Booksmart,” despite the fact that most of America couldn’t care less about its fate.
The numbers weren’t good. Over the extended four-day holiday weekend, as it expanded to over 2500 theaters, “Booksmart” earned $8.7 million domestically.
Critics and celebs wanted to push this movie on audiences, what with its glorious 97% Rotten Tomatoes score and an impressive 85 on Metacritic. However, its ‘B+’ CinemaScore should have been of concern. Yes, that is a fine rating from audiences polled exiting the movie, but it’s not the kind of score that necessarily leads to incredible word-of-mouth. For that, you probably need an A, especially for a low-budget film such as this one, with barely any big stars and a box-office-debilitating R rating to boot.
It also doesn’t help that the film has been somewhat overpraised by journalists. No, “Booksmart” is not the second-coming, it is not in the same cult-classic-worthy league as “Superbad” or “Dazed and Confused,” but it is a refreshing movie, given its two female leads, its unadorned pro-LGBTQ stance and the fact that a female director is behind the camera. That’s all great, but let’s not push it — Wilde’s movie has pacing problems and is not as authentic an experience as some may think it to be. Regardless, it’s one of the few American movies playing right now in mainstream multiplexes that can actually claim not to be a superhero movie, a sequel, a reboot, an adaptation or an an animated movie. That, in itself, is an achievement, but expecting a good but not great movie to explode at the box-office for the sheer sake of promoting inclusivity is not going to cut it with American movie audiences, despite the critical praise.
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