Film Review: Class Rank Gives A Sweeter Election
Synopsis: Class Rank is a quirky teen comedy about placement, politics and finding your voice. The only thing holding Veronica (Holt) back from her dream of attending Yale is her #2 high-school class ranking. So when she devises a plan to elect fellow teen Bernard (Gisondo) to the local school board and abolish the ranking system, their unorthodox efforts inspire everyone around them to see life and love in a whole new light.
I’ll admit it. From the every beginning of Class Rank, I kept on comparing it to the Reese Witherspoon’s classic Election. When you get two overzealous teens campaigning for the local school board like it is Game of Thrones, of course, you compare them to this classic. Yet, Class Rank is not as “socially commenting” or sardonic as Election. Instead, it is a sweet, romantic story about two awkward teenagers falling love while aiming to abolish class rankings.
Skyler Gisondo plays Bernard; an obviously nerdy kid who blurs the lines of pettiness/ ambition. Yet, to be fair, what kid doesn’t? Like Veronica (Olivia Holt), Gisondo gives Bernard a steady, political drive that matches with some personal self-loathing. While he believes he can and should lead in defining what is right for his highschool/the universe, he, simultaneously, is not always clear about what makes him “cool” as a person. He could fight for condoms and bikes for his fellow classmates, but when it comes to dating or finding himself remotely attractive beyond his knowledge…..he flops. Yet, again, is that not every high school teenager; eager to change the world while also feeling unworthy of it? Unsurprisingly, Veronica and him fall in love.
Holt gives Veronica a slight, “Rachel Berry” treatment, but with a twist. Within 108 minutes, she learns to loosen up and see personal ambitions do not force Life to respect your personal plans. With dreams of going to Yale and becoming a Supreme Court Justice, Holt transforms Veronica from rigidly determined to a person softened by her connection with another (Bernard). It is a pleasing transition that shows dreams are always brighter when shared with someone, but they never lessen. If anything, Veronica learns you can let someone into your heart as you dream of taking over the world (lol!).
While Class Rank may go for some obvious tropes of teen, romantic comedies, Director Eric Stoltz basically says, “So What?”, and brings a level intimacy and poignancy to its message: remember to love while you rise. Thus, while this film is not going to innovate the genre,by having two kids that care about the world learn how to care for themselves and each other, Benjamin August’s screenplay becomes highlighted with innocence. Moreover, there are stellar performances by Kristin Chenoweth as Veronica’s mom Janet and Bruce Dern as Bernard’s grandfather Oswald. They come forth as anchors showing that kids dream because their family’s love inspires them, and, eventually, romance moves them. Class Rank Comes Out In Theater And On Demand On May 11.
