Eighth Grade (film)

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Eighth Grade is a 2018 American coming-of-age film written and directed by Bo Burnham. It follows a teenager (Elsie Fisher) who struggles with anxiety but strives to gain social acceptance from her school peers during their final week of eighth grade, and copes by publishing apparently motivational vlogs despite spending much of her time obsessing over social media. Burnham began writing the screenplay in 2014, initially in an attempt to reflect on his own anxiety and onstage panic attacks he experienced during his stand-up comedy career. Deciding to convey his experience through the protagonist, he also wanted to explore how her generation copes with mental illness, grows up with social media, navigates sexuality and consent, relates to their parents, and develops self-awareness. He aimed for realism, casting actual eighth graders—including Fisher—who influenced his writing and directing. For research, he watched vlogs from teenagers on YouTube, where he also discovered Fisher. On a budget...

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