The Edge of Seventeen

Sigh. Kids these days. Only a fraction of people knows what goes on inside the mind of the average contemporary teenage girl, but The Edge of Seventeen provides some modest insight for the rest of us.

Bolstered by a terrific performance by Hailee Steinfeld, this perceptive coming-of-age saga from rookie director Kelly Fremon Craig overcomes some familiar girl-power trappings about a disenfranchised loner by conveying a raw authenticity that’s both refreshing and amusing.

Steinfeld plays Nadine, an adolescent social outcast who’s equally uncomfortable as a junior in her high school — where her throwback fashion sense is mocked — or at her suburban home, where her withdrawn single mother (Kyra Sedgwick) is struggling to cope with various issues, and her heartthrob older brother (Blake Jenner) has just started dating her best friend (Haley Lu Richardson).

Feeling bitter and isolated, Nadine takes out her frustrations at school with life-isn’t-fair tantrums in front of her history teacher (Woody Harrelson), whose most valuable life lessons come with a healthy dose of biting sarcasm. She also throws her condescending hat into the dating ring, where she pursues a shallow pet-store employee (Alexander Calvert) while virtually ignoring a bashful classmate (Hayden Szeto) who appreciates Nadine’s bright mind.

The film’s sardonic sense of humor produces some scattered big laughs, with the sequences involving Nadine and her equally quick-witted teacher providing some highlights. Otherwise, Craig’s screenplay sometimes takes on a sitcom structure, with some thinly sketched periphery characters and a strained effort to be hip and clever.

Some viewers might identify with the protagonist, whose selfish abrasiveness masks a neurotic awkwardness. She projects a passive-aggressive hostility to mask her insecurities and unresolved grief — “You have no compassion,” her mom screams in exasperation. Nadine can be off-putting for sure, but that’s part of what makes her transformation from self-absorbed to self-confident seem more fresh than predictable.

Steinfeld (True Grit) again showcases her versatility by bringing depth and sincerity to a portrayal that allows viewers to sympathize with a character who’s essentially a petulant, bratty know-it-all.

Underneath its angst-ridden surface, The Edge of Seventeen contains a heartfelt charm that brings a John Hughes vibe into the social-media age.

Rated R, 104 minutes.