6. The Diary of a Teenage Girl
First-time filmmaker Marielle Heller's adaptation of Phoebe Gloeckner's novel is a modern indie masterpiece. Set in San Francisco in 1976, the film's central figure and diarist Minnie (Bel Powley) battles standard teen self-esteem issues. Minnie thinks she can solve her problems by having sex, and lots of it; the problem is she sets her sights on her mom's handsome boyfriend Monroe (Alexander Skarsgard), who's a willing partner. Minnie's mom Charlotte (a very solid Kristen Wiig), Monroe and their friends like to party. There's plenty of coke, pot and even a terrific acid scene when Monroe doses Minnie. Another cool aspect is the animation and the comic-strip art Minnie creates. This is an unorthodox movie about an unorthodox time. It's received several Spirit Award nominations: Best First Feature and the irrepressible Powley as Best Female Lead.
