We haven’t reached the peak of the coronavirus pandemic and Bernie Sanders just dropped out of the US presidential race. I don’t know what to tell you — things are rough out there. Try to find some respite from our hellish timeline, and do it at least once a day. Today, why not make your happy moment this very cute trailer for Beanie Feldstein’s upcoming film, How To Build A Girl.
Released yesterday, the trailer sees Beanie — with a slightly dodgy Wolverhampton accent! — take on the t i t u l a r r o l e of a sexually frustrated, uncertain, ambitious teenager. Based on Caitlin Moran’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, How To Build A Girl is the nostalgic, uplifting, coming of age story of Johanna, who goes from bored suburban teen to pink-haired London rock critic.
Set in the mid-nineties, the movie sees Booksmart star Beanie reinvent herself as “Dolly Wilde” after discovering she is “too uncool” to be a music journalist (ah, relatable to me!). But while she finds professional success, Johanna/Dolly also loses a bit of herself along the way. Well, it wouldn’t be a coming of age story without a journey of self-discovery at great personal cost!
Directed by Coky Giedroyc, How To Build A Girl premiered last year at the Toronto International Film Festival, and pre-Miss Rona, it was something we were seriously looking forward to watching at cinemas nationwide. Perhaps we would’ve watched it while within five feet of our closest friends… Perhaps we would have shared a popcorn and a big Coke. Ah! We’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Anyway you can watch it on VOD from IFC Films Friday 8 May. Small victories.