The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) Movie Review

 

The Diary of a Teenage Girl | 2015 | 1h 42m
Genre: Coming-of-age/Teen Comedy/Teen Drama/Comedy/Drama/Romance | Country: US
Director: Marielle Heller | Writers: Phoebe Gloeckner, Marielle Heller
Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig
IMDB: 6.8
My Rate: 8/10

Minnie, a teenager entering puberty, starts a relationship with her mother’s boyfriend and records everything they do in an audio diary, until one day her mother finds out and a big change happens in her life.

Warning:

Contains scenes of sex, nudity, strong language, drugs, alcohol, and smoking.

 
Synopsis:

Minnie, a 15-year-old teenager who feels less attractive compared to other teenagers, believes that losing her virginity is an achievement that can prove otherwise. Minnie records all these events on tape and keeps them as an audio diary. She also shares this with her friend, Kimmie.

Minnie has a forbidden relationship with Monroe, her mother’s boyfriend. It starts when her mother refuses Monroe’s invitation to go to a bar and instead asks Monroe to take Minnie. At the bar, Minnie begins to seduce Monroe and asks to have sex with him. Monroe initially seems to refuse but eventually agrees and takes Minnie to his apartment.

Minnie has a strong interest in the sexual world. She often draws pictures related to this theme. Minnie accidentally sees Aline, a comic artist she likes, and dares to send her drawings by mail.

Minnie becomes close to Ricky, a school friend. Their relationship also becomes sexual. However, Ricky seems to feel that Minnie’s obsession is excessive, which hurts Minnie. Minnie and Kimmie try to offer prostitution services but end up regretting it. Minnie continues her relationship with Monroe without her mother’s knowledge.

As their relationship grows closer, Minnie falls in love with Monroe and expresses her feelings to him. However, the complex relationship is difficult to define, especially since Monroe is her mother’s boyfriend. Monroe eventually distances himself from Minnie, hurting her.

Will Minnie be able to find the meaning of love she has been searching for?

 
Review:

The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a film adapted from a novel titled The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures by Phoebe Gloeckner. This film addresses topics and themes relevant to the teenage world, presented in a unique way. The visuals and narration, combined with the use of animation, enhance the aesthetic of the story.

Instead of portraying teenagers from perfect families, the film shows the other side of teens growing up in toxic environments. Having an incomplete family, a mother busy with her own world, and Minnie’s curiosity about life make her seem lost. From this film, we see how important the environment is for a child’s growth, especially teenagers searching for their identity.

The background of the story and characters is built on a very solid foundation. It opens with a surprising statement from Minnie, saying she has lost her virginity, which she considers an achievement proving she is attractive enough. Like any teenager, Minnie then records all her experiences in a recorder. Next, we see the background of the main character, her thoughts, and her environment. We also see other characters introduced well.

The conflict arises slowly, starting from within Minnie. The internal conflict appears as Minnie’s feelings contradict her initial statement. Many questions and doubts emerge inside her. The conflict peaks when her mother discovers what Minnie has done with Monroe.

The story resolution is done very well. Character development of each role is visible as the story approaches the end. Especially Minnie, who finally understands what she truly seeks and the true definition of happiness. The relationship between Minnie and her mother also improves. Viewers are also shown the conditions of other characters.

The acting of the cast, from main to supporting actors, is quite good. The chemistry built is clearly visible. The emotions felt by the characters are well conveyed.

The choice of music and camera movements play a significant role in delivering an aesthetic and meaningful presentation. Every important detail is displayed beautifully. The color composition is also well presented.

Watching this film may raise controversy, especially regarding Minnie, who is only 15, and Monroe, who is over 30. Although the film tells a teenage story, it may not be suitable for viewers under 18 due to many softcore sexual scenes and quite exploitative nudity.

As a parent, this film may offer many lessons. Besides what has been mentioned above regarding the importance of a child’s growth environment, the closeness between parent and child, especially the mother, also plays a crucial role. In one scene, the reason behind Minnie’s desire to have sexual relations is implied. The love language Minnie needs is touch, but her mother never shows affection through physical touch. As a result, Minnie misunderstands and believes that having sex makes her feel loved.

Minnie’s closeness with Monroe can also be rooted in her need for a father figure. Since childhood, Minnie has lacked a father to look up to, making her crave that presence. This ultimately causes her obsession with Monroe. Additionally, she observes from her mother that she seems to need a man to be happy.

Overall, this film is quite worth watching and delivers a profound message.

 

Memorable scene:

Minnie returns home after a long escape. Her mother, seeing Minnie, shows mixed emotions of anger and relief. She slaps Minnie and then hugs her. The slap is out of worry when Minnie left home, and the hug is because she finally found her child after a long search.

In this scene, we see that no matter how angry a parent is with their child, there will always be worry when the child leaves home without notice. Although her mother is deeply hurt by Minnie’s behavior, she still worries and searches for her.

 
Memorable dialogue:

"She thinks she needs a man to be happy, I don't"

 

Ending:

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation:

Worth to watch

 

(Aluna)