Harsh comic edge gives 'Seventeen' adolescent honesty

"There are two types of people in life," high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) observes. "The people who naturally excel at life. And the people who hope all those people die in a big explosion."

Kelly Fremon Craig's carefully observed comedy "The Edge of Seventeen" is less like a John Hughes movie (as marketing materials suggest) than Diablo Cody's "Juno," minus the ultra-confident young protagonist.

Seventeen-year-old teen-in-constant-crisis Nadine can toss pithy zingers at classmates and write down everything her harried, predictable single mom (Kyra Sedgwick) is about to say.

But her teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson) doesn't fall for her theatrics.

"Help me, please!" she pleads after inadvertently sending a sexually aggressive text message to the hot boy working at Petland.

Bruner offers, "You need to watch out for run-on sentences!"

A walking panic attack, Steinfeld's Nadine exists as a friendless loner struggling for acceptance. She no sooner wins the company of the amiable Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) than she commits the ultimate betrayal: making out with Nadine's cocky older brother Darian (Blake Jenner).

"The Edge of Seventeen" is a dialogue delight, an enjoyably funny romp through the emotional and social minefields of high school adolescence.

Writer/director Craig knows this turf well and mines hilarious raw honesty from her characters and their universally awkward situations, conflicted feelings, perceived slights and total miscomprehensions.

Steinfeld's superbly rendered ugly ducking performance caps this smart, insightful comedy.

And its harshly learned truths are cutting, which explains why the title is the "Edge" and not the "Age" of 17.