About Eighth Grade

Eighth Grade is a 2018 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Bo Burnham. The movie follows an eighth-grader named Kayla Day, played brilliantly by Elsie Fisher, as she navigates her last week of classes before embarking onto high school. Kayla struggles with social anxiety but produces video blogs giving life advice. The film narrates her journey as she braves the wave of digital adolescence and social pressures common in today's teens and tweens.

Making/Production

The film marked the directorial debut of comedian Bo Burnham. It was produced by Scott Rudin Productions, A24, and IAC Films, and was shot in New York over a 27-day period in summer 2017.

Actors

• Elsie Fisher as Kayla Day - She perfectly captures the awkwardness, angst, and charm of a 13-year-old dealing with the challenges of the digital age.
• Josh Hamilton as Mark Day - As Kayla's concerned and loving father, Hamilton provides a heartfelt performance portraying parental anxiety during teenage years.
• Emily Robinson as Olivia - Portraying a high schooler who befriends Kayla, Robinson is refreshing as a compassionate, kind-hearted teenager.

Trivia/Interesting Facts

• Eighth Grade is the first ever film directed by comedian Bo Burnham.
• Despite the film's R-rating in the United States, it was rated 12A in the UK and Ireland.
• Elsie Fisher was actually in eighth grade herself when she shot the movie.

Awards

Fisher's performance was critically acclaimed, earning her a nomination for Best Actress at the 24th Critics' Choice Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. The film itself won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay and was also nominated for Best Film at the Gotham Independent Film Awards.

Quotes

• "Being yourself is, like, not changing yourself to impress someone else." - Kayla
• "Yeah, if you're always waiting to do something 'cause you think it's gonna be cool, then you'll, like, never do anything." - Kayla

• “Orinoco Flow” - Enya
• “WHO CARES” - Jax
• Original score composed by Anna Meredith