Top 10 The Edge of Seventeen Moments
#10: The “Date”
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In spite of her unrelenting awkwardness, and a handful of unfortunate encounters, Nadine finally gets the attention of the boy she has a crush on, and he asks her out on a date. But Nick’s idea of a date doesn’t take them to a fancy restaurant, or a movie, or even to Petland. He drives them to a parking lot with intention of hooking up, and is pretty agressive about it. Ah teen romance! Though it’s not what Nadine expected, she tries to make the most out of the situation until she realizes that it is just not what she wants. The moment is representative of the emotional confusion that most teenagers experience.
#9: Nadine Drunk and Hungover
What teenager could possibly resist taking advantage of an empty house when her mom is away for the weekend? But after a fun night of partying with her best friend Krista, Nadine ends up in the bathroom hurling up her good time. She gets suddenly deep talking about how much she hates herself while Krista consoles her. The story gets fearlessly profound in an oddly real moment that touches on the internal struggles and extreme emotions that come with being a teenager. We’ve all been there!
#8: Nadine Reconciling With Krista and Darian
Accidentally walking in on her older brother and her best, and only, friend hooking up, understandably sends Nadine over the edge. We can’t completely blame her for feeling hurt by the situation, but she definitely takes things too far when she dumps Krista for refusing to choose between the two of them. After spending the whole movie fighting, Nadine gains some perspective, and shares a nice moment with Darian and Krista where they wish each other a nice day. It's a short and simple moment, but all that is needed to show that all will be okay eventually.
#7: Nadine and Krista Meet
For Nadine, making friends didn’t exactly come naturally. But her awkwardness didn’t just start in high school; it has been a lifelong struggle. After having a particularly bad day at school, Nadine lets out her frustrations by bashing the playground fence with her umbrella. Then, as Nadine puts it, an angel appeared. What a wonderful way to look back fondly on your best friend. Krista came along with a caterpillar she was taking care of and said they could be co-moms. The moment is absolutely precious, despite the caterpillar’s unfortunate fate, and Nadine’s narration of the scene is purely hilarious.
#6: The Ferris Wheel
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Dating in high school can be seriously awkward, but that mutual awkwardness can eventually lead to something really special. After bailing on a party, Nadine calls her new friend Erwin to save her night and the two go on a ferris wheel ride together. Unlike other teen movies with unbelievably eloquent teenagers, Nadine and Erwin are both pretty inarticulate. Even though Nadine rebuffs Erwin’s kiss attempt, the two end up having a pretty wonderful night together culminating in Nadine telling Erwin he is like an old man. Not exactly the compliment he was hoping for. The moment somehow manages to be pretty swoon worthy even if it’s also kind of cringe worthy.
#5: Erwin’s Movie
Part of what makes this movie an instant teen classic is the effortless balance between comedy and heavy dramatic moments. After some serious drama with Nadine and her family, we finally get a breath of relief with one of the film’s lighter scenes that also proves to be one of its best. As promised, Nadine goes to see Erwin’s movie in the film festival, which turns out to be subtly about her. Erwin shows Nadine how he feels with his not so subtle movie about how Nadine should appreciate him. It’s a moment of realization for Nadine, not just about Erwin, but about herself.
#4: Darian’s Confession
According to Nadine, Darian’s life is perfect. He’s her parents’ favorite, he’s popular, and now he’s dating her best friend. We can definitely understand why she’s upset. And Darian seems to have little to say about how the situation affects his sister. That is until he picks her up from Mr. Bruner’s and everything that’s been unsaid between them finally comes out. Darian’s confession about what his life is really like leads Nadine to her own confession, and the two see each other in a whole new light. Gaining insight into each other’s perspectives helps these two siblings see each other in a way they never have before, and they’re both better for it.
#3: The Pool Scene
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You know that cliche scene in every teen movie, where the two characters who obviously like each other find themselves in a normal situation that somehow turns sexual? Well this isn’t it. In fact, Nadine calls out the movie cliche, and inadvertently messes with Erwin, who, for a moment, thinks she actually wants to have sex. But Erwin ends up being a great sport about the whole thing. Any other teen movie would probably have the characters actually hook up during this scene, but this one is intent on playing against the trope, and instead the two have a completely platonic, but equally touching evening in Erwin’s pool to a, let’s say interesting soundtrack.
#2: Lunch With Mr. Bruner
Everyone has that one special teacher that impacts their life. For Nadine, that’s Mr. Bruner. And apparently the feeling is mutual. Despite his tough love approach, she is his favorite after all. Feeling completely lost and embarrassed, after sending a humiliating text message to the boy she likes, Nadine has decided to kill herself, and goes to tell him. Suicide is never funny, but somehow the dynamic between Hailee Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson makes this particular situation hilarious. Their reactions as he reads the message aloud make for one of the best parts of the movie. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Nadine’s Pep Talk Nadine in Her Mom’s Office Barker’s Burgers
#1: Text Message Scene
Speaking of the infamous text, embarrassing yourself in front of your crush is a staple of this genre, but kids from ‘80s teen movies will never understand the absolute horror that comes from sending an online message that can’t be taken back and will live on for eternity. In a desperate attempt to get the attention of the boy she likes, Nadine accidentally sends him an explicit and mortifying message. Why do they put the ‘send’ button so close to the ‘delete’ button? Nadine, understandably, freaks out. The text itself is hilarious enough, but Hailee Steinfeld’s manic, yet relatable performance as she becomes more and more panicked makes this, hands down, the film’s best moment.
