THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL

US, 2015, 103 minutes, Colour.
Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgaard, Christopher Meloni, Abby Wait, Madeleine Waters.
Directed by Marielle Heller.

Despite publicity highlighting comic aspects of this story, it is a rather depressing film to watch. There are many films where the central characters go down into their depths, experiencing the worst and their accepting the fact that there is some need for change and for redemption. In this case, this is the journey down of 15-year-old girl.

The setting is post-hippie San Francisco in 1976. There is a permissive atmosphere around in the adult generation and also to be found in the teenage generation. British actress, Bel Powley (Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out), plays the teenage girl of the title, Minnie, who announces right at the beginning of the film with some glee that she has just had sex. Then back we go as she tells the story – and then again to her present situation, her emotional tangles, her relationship with her mother and sister, her moral recklessness.

Minnie comes across as very strongly self-willed. However, she keeps communicating that she has a very low self-image, a poor bodily image of herself (which she does her best to rectify), feels that she is loved, and feels the need for some kind of touch, bodily contact, to prove to her that she exists and has some worth.

The target of her sexual sights is the boyfriend of her mother, whose husband has walked out on her and who is let herself go – played rather quietly by Kristin Wiig. The boyfriend, Monroe, is something of a slacker though he has commercial ambitions. He responds to Minnie sexual proposal and then continues the relationship, realising after a while that she has been seductive and manipulating him.

In the meantime, she has begun a diary, recorded diary as she talks into a tape recorder, feeling the need to confide in someone or something, speaking out her desires, her experiences, her exhilaration – something which she also shares on the phone with her best friend.

The film traces the changes in Minnie’s character and perspective, the effect of the affair and its being prolonged, her desires which at some moments are insatiable, her response to a young student and sexual exploitation of him, as he of her. Throughout the film there are a number of sketches and animated sequences because one of Minnie’s skills is sketching. After the relationship with the student, there is an animated version of the giant Minnie, stomping through the city, the boy in her hand and her just throwing him away. With her best friend, as well as a drug addicted girl who comes on to her, Minnie, may be just 16, but pretending at one stage to be a prostitute, indulges in some gross sexual behaviour – which, she ultimately regrets.

Ultimately, this is a film with some kind of hope, in her beginning to realise what she has done, the effect she has had on others, and some realisation that she has to have some love for herself, some kind basis for others to love her.

The setting is 1976 but, with social media and a selfie culture and instant rapid communication amongst teenagers in these times, the film could have contemporary setting. But, with the contemporary setting, the character of Monroe could be charged with sex abuse and sexual relationships with a minor. Many things have changed, but many things have not.

1. The target audience? Teenagers, girls? Parents?

2. Minnie’s perspective, aged 15, self-image, self-concern, not feeling lovable, wanting love, preoccupation with her image, her body, sexual preoccupation, touch and affirmation, the touch of narcissism? Relationship with others, manipulating, using, relating? The effect on her?

3. San Francisco 1976, the landmarks of the city, homes, streets, clubs, restaurants, the boat? The post-hippie era, Castro district? Drugs, music, sex?

4. Minnie and her cartoons, the credits, the sketches, the animated sequences during the film, images, Minnie, Monroe, the body, sexual activity? The stomping Minnie through the city and throwing away the boy? Her booklet and movement? Finally selling the pictures? sending them to the agency and receiving the affirmative letter?

5. Minnie as a character, the presence of Bel Powley, 15, her character, relationship with her mother, and admiring her mother, her image, her father leaving, the reasons, her mother giving up, lax, letting herself go, with Monroe? Her preoccupation with sex, at age 15, her initial comments about having sex, telling the story, the flashbacks?

6. The tape, her diaries, frank expression, revealing secrets, the need to confide?

7. Monroe as a character, slacker, yet his business aims, relationship with Charlotte, Minnie and the seduction, her manipulating him, the continued affair, explicit sequences? The repercussions for him?

8. The audience responding to Monroe, Minnie’s age, the age of consent, later awareness of this kind of activity as a crime? His keeping the secret, the implications?

9. Charlotte, having Minnie when young, mother of Gretel, watching the television, the drugs, her drinking? The character of Gretel, the younger sister,
her curiosity, loyalty to her mother, a reaction to her father?

10. Pascal, his visits, concerned, the reasons for his leaving, his alertness to Minnie and sexual activity, wanting Gretel to call him Dad, the issue of money for Charlotte, sending the cheque?

11. The continued affair, the effect on Minnie, loving Monroe or not, the scenes with Monroe, on the boat? The threat to tell her mother? His threat to tell Charlotte?

12. At school, the class, passing the notes, swimming with the boy, the sex with him, the animated sequence and throwing him away?

13. Kimmi, talking with her, on the phone, the guessing, the boasting? Going out with her, the boys, Minnie pretending to be a prostitute, the boys, the sexual activity, afterwards and their agreeing that this was gross?

14. The drug girl, sexual advances, Minnie and her response, the drugs, being taken in, the confrontation with Mike and her running away?

15. Charlotte listening to tapes, reaction, the effect on Minnie? With Monroe in the restaurant, the discussions about Monroe marrying Minnie?

16. With her mother, the bond, the mother not wanting to talk about the episode?

17. Minnie, the final, getting through the crisis, and needs, emotional, behaviour, going into her own depths, developing some character, hope, the issue of being loved or loving herself, selling the pictures, goodbye to Monroe, giving him the picture, the art outlet, the affirmation of her sketches? The damage,
her learning, her future?