Set against the backdrop of a high-school chick-flick, Moxie is not-your-typical teenage drama.
The film opens in a dense forest, showing Vivian (Hadley Robinson) frantically running away from something and trying to scream for help. However, she can’t because she has lost her voice.
Just as panic sets in, Vivian wakes up from the nightmare and immediately turns to her laptop opened to Berkeley’s college application – subject: “Reflect on a cause you feel passionate about… it’s significance and what steps you to took to make a change?”
The first ten minutes of Moxie appear like a template of any teenage dramedy with stereotypical characters – two awkward best friends surviving high school, the popular douchey jock, the narcissistic cheerleader, the new rebellious girl in school and the ignorant principal.
But all that quickly changes when the protagonist starts noticing a toxic environment of patriarchy and sexism plaguing the school.
And just like that, she finds a cause worth fighting for.
Vivian decides to take control of the situation and embarks on a journey of becoming a feminist, and forms a club under the pseudonym “Moxie”.
What follows is a series of events that lightly yet effectively touch upon several themes of double-standards against women. Whether it is by expression of opinions, choice of clothes, politics, bullying, harassment and even dating.
The mission of Moxie is to create a revolution by raising awareness about issues sidelining women, which brings together a group of girls who are victimized for far too long at their school.
They function like Banksy – creatively powerful!
They want to make the world a better place, perhaps one high-school at a time…
Directed by Amy Poehler, Moxie is a delightfully inspiring coming-of-age film with a winning cast – where high school kids look and behave like high school kids.
Each character is carefully written and developed to move the narrative forward, without trying too hard to force the subject or social cause.
The charm lies in the details where no character is perfect. They are all flawed in their own way, but with reason.
Even Vivian who is determined to fight till the end, has a breakdown when things fall apart to point of no return.
She lashes out in the most “teenage” fashion but you still emphasize with all the drama (perhaps that’s what a climax is supposed to be – dramatic).
Moxie is delightfully humorous and oh-so-inspiring film!
It’s not just about fighting for equality but about finding your voice and having the strength to use it for change… and it comes full circle when Vivian finds hers.
Special mention to writers Tamara Chestna and Dylan Meyer for subtly packing in some hard-hitting one-liners that make you pause and think about your own values.
Final Verdict – Moxie the right blend of education and entertainment to leave you inspired to be part of the movement.
Director: Amy Poehler
Writers: Tamara Chestna, Dylan Meyer
Cast: Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascual-Pena, Amy Poehler, Nico Hiraga, Sabrina Haskett, Patrick Schwarzenegger
Producer:Kim Lessing, Morgan Sackett, Amy Poehler
Runtime: 111 minutes
Moxie is streaming on Netflix.
