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So much of life—especially during our teens and 20s—involves trying to discover the person we’re meant to be. It’s about inventing…and reinventing. And in How to Build a Girl, one teenage girl completely reinvents herself in an attempt to live the life she’s always dreamed of having.
How to Build a Girl stars Beanie Feldstein as 16-year-old Johanna Morrigan, who lives in a house that’s too small with a family that’s too big. Though she dreams of a fabulous future as a famous writer, life just hasn’t happened for her yet. After fighting her way into a shot as a rock critic for a London magazine, she recreates herself as Dolly Wilde, a cool and confident young woman with fire engine hair and a top hat. But she soon finds that her new-found fame isn’t all that she hoped it would be.
Set in a time of cassette tapes and hip rock magazines, How to Build a Girl is cool music and parties and late nights in clubs—the story of the least likely girl to find herself in the center of it all.
Johanna’s transformation is pretty remarkable—and entertaining to watch. She starts out as the awkward, over-enthusiastic student—the one who spends too much time chatting with teachers, who raises her hand too much. And, really, it’s no surprise that she would go all-in when it comes to transforming herself, too. She doesn’t just buy a new outfit or get a haircut. She changes everything: her look, her style, even her personality. She’s stronger, more insistent. And it soon leads her to a life that almost any awkward teenage girl at the time would have dreamed of having. Even now, viewers may find themselves living vicariously through the glamour of her fabulous writing gig.
But while Johanna’s likably bold new personality definitely suits her, it doesn’t last long—because 16-year-old Johanna is not one for moderation. And when she gets a taste of power and popularity, she takes her transformation a few steps too far—with disastrous results.
This rollercoaster of a coming-of-age comedy is certainly entertaining. It’s wild and humorous and even tragic. But it also comes together in a way that’s smart and insightful and beautiful for this lovable young girl in transition.
With its strong main character, its lighthearted storytelling, and its meaningful message, How to Build a Girl may be a fun flick, but it’s also a smart one. It’s an indie gem that’s worth seeking out.
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