Eighth Grade Analysis

Eighth Grade

Written & Directed by: Bo Burnham
Starring: Elsie Fisher

This is a film about self worth, confidence and especially in today's context of social media. It's about an eighth grade girl who makes vlogs on self help but she herself has anxiety issues. The film is about how she changes from that to a more evolved, confident person. This film shows how in order to become thick skinned, you need to face trolls, get hurt and only then will you be able to become thick skinned towards negativity. If everyone loves and respects you right from the day you are born - then it's difficult to love oneself when all of that suddenly vanishes one day. This film talks about self worth and how we underestimate ourselves often, it's just that the image we have of someone else is not how they feel inside and it's not the real them - it's just our idea of them. In this film, she has a crush on a guy and he has no clue about it - her image of him and his own reality, is clearly contrasting. Later, when she meets another bunch of people, a girl finds her extremely cool similar to how she feels about her and it makes her feel so happy. Till then, she doesn't realize that someone could find her cool. Self love, confidence and a feeling of self worth - these ideas are bombarded on social media these days - but they only make sense if you find that moment of truth within yourself, or else it just feels like hoopla.

Her behavior with her dad, makes us introspect on our own behavior with our parents - the way we are glued to screens and have headsets on us all the time. It shows how difficult it is to be an understanding parent, to take all the crap, the 'whatever' attitude and yet be kind and loving. It's because of the difference in thought process, or rather the perceived difference - that it takes a lot just to have a conversation.