Reviews & Ratings for
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)

It feels revelatory to watch a coming of age film truly from the perspective of a teenage girl. It's so uncommon that it feels absolutely radical.

Diary of a Teenage Girl also feels very authentic. It is based on the graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner and tells of the sexual awakening of young Minnie. I'm not sure I've ever seen a movie so honest about the sexual feelings of a young teenage girl and that comes both from the assured debut direction of Mareille Heller and the amazing portrayal of young actress Bel Powley. Bel Powley's performance is incredible, and I will be so excited to see her future work.

The film is set in the mid-1970's (with wonderful costumes and art direction) in free wheeling San Francisco. Kristen Wiig plays Minnie's boozy cocaine snorting mother, and Alexander Skarsgard Minnie's mother's boyfriend, Monroe.

Minnie and Monroe have a secret affair, and Minnie loses her virginity to Monroe, Unlike his powerful character in True Blood, here Skarsgard plays Monroe as a rather feckless man. Not overtly creepy or predatory, but a guy so laid back that he just lets things happen to him, and seems surprised when they blow up in his face.

After Minnie and Monroe break off their affair, Minnie has a sexual encounter with a young rich boy from her school who seems quite taken aback at her sexual experience.

Christopher Meloni plays Minnie's step-father, divorced from her mother, but still wanting to have an influence in her life. He is a stark contrast to the shiftless Monroe.

I hope this film is a success as we need fresh perspectives and stories like this one, both by women and about girls and women.