How to Build a Girl

Finding an appealing rhythm amid its familiar beats, How to Build a Girl is a modest yet endearing mix of Jane Austen and Almost Famous.

Straddling the line between whimsical and cheesy, the predictable film’s crowd-pleasing charm is driven by Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart), whose spirited portrayal again showcases her versatility.

We’ve seen plenty of socially awkward teenage girls desperately looking for love before, but the circumstances facing Johanna (Feldstein) are worse than most. In the early 1990s, she’s a plus-sized, sardonic bookworm who lives in a cramped London flat with her family — including a father (Paddy Considine), an aspiring musician who struggles to stay employed.

Her romantic goals are more superficial than those of some of the muses that populate her wall via anthropomorphic cutouts, such as the Bronte sisters, Sigmund Freud, Sylvia Plath, and even Gloria Gaynor.

Her outlook changes after her older brother (Laurie Kynaston) encourages Johanna to abandon poetry for music criticism and apply for an opening at a punk-rock magazine. After some embarrassing missteps, she somehow convinces editors to give her a chance reviewing anonymous bands during low-profile gigs.

Thinking bigger, Johanna reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde, a snarky gossip hound who gains a following with the fiery red hair to match her literary audacity. She lands an exclusive interview with a young star (Alfie Allen) before misinterpreting his kindness. That puts the insecure Johanna at odds with the determined Dolly as she seeks her true voice.

Feldstein’s spunky protagonist encourages a buy-in to the far-fetched plot, proving that when a hopeless romantic meets harsh reality, things can still turn out OK. Plus, Johanna wears her emotions on her sleeve, which is handy when your entire life is such a roller coaster.

There’s a refreshing lack of cynicism in the affectionate screenplay by Caitlin Moran, based on her own semiautobiographical novel. Although the supporting characters lack and same depth and complexity, the film deftly balances Johanna’s strength and vulnerability beneath the surface exaggerations.

As directed by Coky Giedroyc, a veteran of British television, How to Build a Girl spotlights the difference between trying to be someone you’re not and discovering who you really are. Like Johanna, the movie endures some growing pains but emerges stronger in the end.

Rated R, 102 minutes.