At first glance, “The Edge of Seventeen” seems like yet another raunchy comedy full of cliches and entirely dependent on star power. The movie follows awkward, seventeen year old Nadine as she pines after a hostile boy who is a recently released juvenile delinquent. It begins with Nadine wallowing in self-pity when her best friend begins dating her popular and attractive older brother.

However, beneath the seemingly shallow initial problems lies a story of much more depth. Nadine struggles to find herself and overcome her quirkiness at the confusing age of seventeen. In addition to all the complications that accompany growing up, she also struggles to overcome the death of her father and mistreatment of her neurotic mother.

“The Edge of Seventeen” features a relatively cliche plotline. Girl likes boy, boy doesn’t like girl, nerdy boy hopelessly pines after girl. However, despite the predictable plot, compelling and unique characters that stray from stereotypes make the movie enjoyable. Most notably, the characters Erwin and Darian break down the stereotypes of Asian nerd and dumb jock respectively. Impressive performances from Hailee Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson certainly add to the characters as well.

“The Edge of Seventeen” is a refreshing coming-of-age movie that is both heartfelt and humorous. It is capable of evoking both laughter and near tears without being overly sentimental. Although the plot can be predictable and the conclusion was visible from the start, honest and genuine acting bring the movie’s interesting characters to life, making “The Edge of Seventeen” worth watching.