Well, extra credit to Happy Madison (and Netflix) for producing a thoughtful YA teen comedy/drama that’s not too crass and not too wholesome. Call it realistic, call it believable, call it not as good as other movies of its ilk. But it tried!

The movie stars a whole gaggle of Sandlers but especially Sunny Sandler (Adam’s daughter). She’s approaching her Bat Mitzvah when a whole host of bestfriend and boy drama hits… the kind of best friend and boy drama you’ve seen before.

This is a pretty good version of one of these. A coming of age film for the tween girl in all of us. It’s fairly amusing and fairly wholesome and doesn’t shy away from what kids really go through. Most of its pretty relatable… even if I never was a twelve year old Jewish girl.

It’s not the best of these types of films but it’s got its heart in the right place. I think the biggest problem is our main character. She’s a good person who does bad things… which the movie needs so she can be redeemed. And, to be fair, she never does anything truly awful…

I liked the performances of the girls, especially the two best friends as played by Sunny Sandler and Samantha Lorraine. Their friend group is also pretty good. I’d call the boy in the boy drama they go through one dimensional but that’d be an insult to people living in a one dimensional universe. But that’s probably the point.

This is a pretty good film that may try the patience of some grumpy-ass grumpy adults. But younger folk and people who don’t have stones for hearts might enjoy. I think I fall in the middle… heart of sandstone, I guess.

Score: 78