Video Q&A: Bel Powley & Marielle Heller On ‘THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL’, What Makes One An Adult

Preston Barta // Features Editor

THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL | 102 min | R
Director: Marielle Heller
Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig and Christopher Meloni

Let’s face it, when it comes to sex in film, we often find ourselves quite uncomfortable in the theater. But, of course, that depends on the movie and how it’s used. For Marielle Heller’s THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL, it may not be the easiest watch but it’s not the most difficult movie to appreciate.

Admittedly, the plot may not sound like an easy sell, but trust me, it’s a film worth experiencing. The film follows a 15-year-old named Minnie (Bel Powley) who begins a drug-addled affair with her mother’s (Kristen Wiig) 35-year-old boyfriend (Alexander Skarsgård).

“Ew” might be your first reaction, but this is exactly the kind of innovative storytelling that the cinema world needs right now. From our interview with screenwriter-director Marielle Heller and the film’s star, Bel Powley (A ROYAL NIGHT OUT), you can see just how much passion and conviction they both had for the material – which is based on the graphic novel written by Phoebe Gloeckner – and it really shows on screen as well. The ferocity of the film’s performances and Heller’s relentlessness will leave you absolutely pulverized. But let’s save all our other kind words for when the film opens.

For now, you can view our interview with Powley and Heller, where we discuss the film’s theme of sex, what makes one an adult, and the 70’s style and music.

0:23-1:20 – the soundtrack / use of Dwight Twilley Band’s “Looking for the Magic” (1977)
1:20-2:50 – movies that makes uncomfortable but appreciate
2:50-4:15 – movies that taught us about sex and our sexual awakening
4:15-5:44 – moment you realize you’re an adult
5:44-7:20 – 70s film aspect
7:20-8:24 – if someone made a movie about their lives and what they would cut from it

THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL opens in NY and LA this weekend, and will expand over the weeks. It opens in Dallas on August 21st.