5 Eerie Similarities Between Superbad & Booksmart (& 5 Major Differences)

5 Eerie Similarities Between Superbad & Booksmart (& 5 Major Differences)

Superbad and Booksmart both became pop culture phenomenons. Here’s how they compare and contrast with each other.

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When 2007’s Superbad was released, it was an instant smash hit and became a pop-cultural phenomenon that has enjoyed relevance to this day. So when 2019’s Booksmart came out, many viewers, audiences and critics alike, noted the similarities.

The two teenage coming-of-age stories have both enjoyed fanfare and delivered hearty laughs, and while they do have many parallels, there are also some drastic differences. Here’s a look to compare and contrast the films.

10 Similar: Two “Losers” In High School Decide To Make Up For It

In Superbad, Seth and Evan are two social outcasts who are about to graduate. They’ve been virgins all through high school and decide to try to seduce their crushes at a party they are both invited to (which never happens). Meanwhile, Booksmart concerns two social outcasts who are about to graduate. They were studious academics all through high school and missed out on having fun, and decided to try and prove their “fun” factor at a party they are both invited to (which never happens). And for bonus points, both films’ duos have one socially awkward beta dork and the more aggressive and outspoken alpha nerd who instigates the self-awareness of the situation.

9 Different: Boys vs. Girls

This one is pretty easy to spot. Superbad is a very guy-centric film; the nerdy duo, the third awkward friend, and the two cops are all sort of in the same headspace in order to, simply put, get laid. It’s also written and directed by men. Booksmart is more female-led, with most of the positions stated previously instead being filled out by women. The two different perspectives will ultimately sway a little more towards whichever gender is more identifiable with its audience, but both are executed well.

8 Similar: The Films Feel Genuine

Both films are executed well because they feel (for the most part) pretty realistic, especially concerning the dialogue of their characters. The teenagers are crass and vulgar, they put up false fronts, they always bicker on schemes, and their goals can at times be pretty vapid. In short, the main characters act like real teenagers-they are hormonal messes with a lot of poor judgment who think they can handle anything.

7 Different: “Booksmart” Is Kinder

While both films capture that genuine sense of being a teenager, Booksmart has a different approach; whether or not it’s realistic is up for debate, though it is an interesting (and perhaps even refreshing) choice. The peers in Booksmart are not all bullies and typical high school jerks. In fact, virtually everyone in the film carries an aura of acceptance and kindness, even if occasional hiccups of rudeness are present. Seeing high schoolers act tolerantly of each other and not ostracize and outcast others constantly is interesting, though not entirely accurate to real life, unfortunately.

6 Similar: Jared vs. McLovin

Though not an official part of the main duo, each film has a sort of “third wheel” to the main friendship. In Superbad, it is Fogell, AKA “McLovin.” In Booksmart, it’s Jared, who also brings along his…hallucinogenic-friendly peer, Gigi. Both of the third wheel characters affect the main duo drastically throughout the film and steal the scenes whenever they appear onscreen. Somehow, both Jared and McLovin manage to be even more socially awkward than their fellow pupils, and they also have their own small arcs in the film.

5 Different: The Directors Of The Films

Superbad was directed by Greg Mottola, while Booksmart was directed by Olivia Wilde, in her directorial debut. Frankly, Booksmart has a lot more personality and style to it, whereas Superbad is a bit more straightforward. Superbad has more of a realistic and gritty approach to the film, while Booskmart has more experimentation and sharper cinematography techniques. There’s also a pretty creative stop-motion trip scene in Booksmart, which was apparently a choice to add to the movie from Olivia Wilde.

4 Similar: An Awkward Hookup Scene

In Superbad, Evan (Michael Cera) finally gets the chance to sleep with his crush, Becca, but she is deeply intoxicated and barfs all over him while he tries to escape. In Booksmart, after finding out her crush is not into her, Amy (Kaitlin Denver) runs into a bathroom to hide her reactions to a stressful night, finding her classmate Hope inside.

Initially standoffish, they begin to hookup, but after an embarrassing mistake, Amy throws up on Hope and runs off in shame.

3 Different: The 2000s vs. 2010s

Superbad certainly is a 2000s film, despite being based on the writers’ experiences in the 1990s. It was filmed in 2006 up to 2007, and certainly is a product of its times in the best ways possible. Though it carries many 2000s characteristics with it, such as slang, clothing, and tech, it has remained timeless in its approach. Similarly, Booksmart will age well, however, it is representative of the subsequent 2010s decades instead, and the changes are very palpable. The more considerate high school culture, the less taboo nature of certain elements, and the presence of certain music and things like Lyft make it very much a stamp of the 2010s and with that, it carries a different tone.

2 Similar: The Feldstein Connection

As noted before, both films have a more alpha-like nerd in the duo. In Booksmart, it’s Molly, played by Beanie Feldstein. In Superbad, it’s Seth, played by Jonah Hill. For the unaware, Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein are actually brother and sister.

Like many Hollywood celebrities, Jonah Hill decided to use his middle name as a sort of quasi stage name, seeing as it was easier to say or write. For instance, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is best known as Tom Cruise. At any rate, both Booksmart and Superbad have fellow Feldstein siblings playing the roles of the more aggressive “losers” in each duo.

1 Different: The Writing

One of the reasons Superbad is so good and feels realistic is because it was written by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg when they were teenagers, based on their real-life experiences, with some flairs, and got polished a bit later. For that reason, the main characters are given the first names of the writers. Meanwhile, Booksmart was written by several talented writers, all-female. The script was tossed around in the “Black List” scripts before getting revisions, then getting dusted off and produced, with more revisions to follow. At the end of the day, Superbad is a bit more realistic in its approach and more straightforward, while Booksmart is a bit deeper with its messages and has more going on, while still a tad idealistic at times.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/superbad-booksmart-compare-contrast/

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