'Moxie' Refreshes Girl Power With Guerrilla Warfare
Starring Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascual-Pena, Nico Hiraga, Sabrina Haskett, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Amy Poehler, Ike Barinholtz, Marcia Gay Harden and Clark Gregg
Rated PG-13
Comedy, drama
Run time: 1 hr, 51 min
Directed by Amy Poehler
On Netflix March 3, 2021
I find it hard to believe that I will ever tire of coming of age movies or feminist films, and if there is a solid one that combines both, I’m going to be shouting my love of it from the rooftops. Or raving about it here, I suppose. But still, I once again went into a movie knowing literally only that Amy Poehler had something to do with it and that there was a feminist aspect. Well, it may only be March but I’m going to boldly say that this will be one of my top movies of 2021. If by chance the idea of a teenaged semi-Leslie Knope character with a bit of punk rock sounds intriguing to you, or if Amy Poehler ACTUALLY playing a cool mom is up your alley, run don’t walk to check out this new one.
The story of Moxie centers around Vivian (Hadley Robinson) who has a moment of awakening after getting frustrated by an objectifying list the guys started ranking all the girls in the school and is inspired by her mom’s (Amy Poehler) tales of early rebellion. Vivian decides she isn’t going to take it anymore and begins printing a small feminist newsletter called Moxie, which catches on like wildfire and spreads a “We’re Not Gonna Take It” style attitude among her female classmates. The movement expands and has more unexpected results, including holding complicit teachers accountable and Vivian getting noticed appreciatively by someone who may actually be one of the good guys. Moxie follows Vivian and her friends, including newcomer Lucy (Alycia Pascual-Peña) and her longtime best friend Claudia (Lauren Tsai), as they navigate this new power they’ve managed to come into.
I recognize that this movie isn’t perfect. There is a storyline about maybe having sex for the first time that pops in and out that never adds to or amounts to anything and we’re left wanting more information about Claudia’s life as the overachiever, cautious girl with a really strict mom. But this movie is cute, it has a good message, the acting is solid and it’s just enjoyable to spend two hours viewing what we hope the next generation can accomplish. Who doesn’t want to imagine the future where all young teen women are able to recognize their own power and not take toxic behavior lying down? Who doesn’t want to see the world change for the better? After an incredibly rough twelve months, I welcome it, and this movie gave it to me in spades.
I was impressed with all the young actors in Moxie, and the chemistry between them made all the friendships seem lived in. They reminded me of the relationships I actually experienced, where you love each other but still get annoyed and don’t sneakily stab each other in the back like most teen tv shows want you to believe. That is what makes this movie rank so high for me: how real it feels. The motivation makes sense, the dominos of the plot that fall in response make sense and the friendships, romantic relationships and family dynamics make sense. It’s not flawlessly executed, but for what it is, it is a great one. Moxie is a coming of age tale that is more than that. It shows a young woman coming into her own. And I’ll watch that story time and time again.