A bright, imaginative, plus-sized 16-year-old submits a quirky music review to a group of self-centered indy rock critics in the ‘90s, wrangles a tentative job and reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde, a sharp-tongued, breezily nasty music critic, dips into excess, learns life lessons, etc.

Coming-of-age movies are a dime a dozen, but sometimes one offers a smart twist. That’s the case in Coky Giedroyc’s fast-paced, unpredictable movie, adapted from a semi-autobiographical novel by Caitlin Moran. 

It’s insightful and constantly amusing, but the reason it works is the ebullient Beanie Feldstein in the lead (an American sporting a credible English accent). She is also the reason the recent Booksmart was so much fun. Definitely will brighten your day. (102 min)