“Tall Girl”: a movie about a teenager’s horrible life and her inability to navigate high school because, well, she’s tall. Since its Sept. 13 release date, the film has become the center of patronizing jokes and critical memes, and the Internet does not seem to be backing down anytime soon. So we decided to see what all the fuss was about and decide for ourselves if “Tall Girl” deserves the reputation it has received. Is the movie actually that cringeworthy? Since when is a 6’1 girl the equivalent of King Kong? Why is everyone talking about size 13 Nikes? And the most asked question seems to be: is a story about the struggles of being tall actually necessary?

In my opinion, not really. It’s the same over-told story of a girl struggling to fit in, causing at least one big scene, and of course, putting herself in the middle of a love triangle. Jodi is supposed to go through devious trials about her height, but somehow the movie focuses on her wanting to be with a foreign exchange student, named Stig,  that fits her “perfect boyfriend checklist”. Of course, just like any other cheesy kids’ movie, her best friend is in love with her too. In this movie though, Jack Dunkleman is beyond obsessed with Jodi in a way that is unhealthy. He selfishly affects her friendships and even a possible relationship because of his own feelings. In the end, all of Dunkleman’s egocentric actions are forgotten because he stands up for Jodi ONE TIME at a party, and he still ends up getting the girl. Thus we are left with the most cringe-worthy kissing scene the world has ever seen.

Throughout the movie, there were times that were unbearable to watch. The horrendous accents, the stereotypical “how’s the weather up there” questions, and the finale to the movie all leave a bitter teeth-screeching memory. In the beginning, Jodi’s best friend Fareeda makes her entrance into the movie by dramatically dancing and spinning into the hallway. Bystanders seem pretty unbothered by this strange disturbance, but I’m not as forgiving. Who walks around school like that? People are just trying to get to class. In any real-life scenario, people would trample her down and probably contact the school counselor. Besides the awful dancing, one of the most unbearable scenes to watch is after the escape room. The producers decided it would be a great idea to have a five-minute makeout scene. Jodi and Stig have a staring contest while kissing other people, making the audience feel like they need to vomit. 

Although it was pretty hard to sit through (there were many times I had to force myself not to forget about my responsibility of writing this story and just turn it off), I have to take into account that I am not the movie’s targeted demographic. For me, a seventeen-year-old girl, a story full of cliches and juvenile plotlines is not going to be entertaining; but to a young child, it may be the best movie they’ve watched. It may not deal with hard-hitting topics or contain any groundbreaking themes, but it reminds children that no matter their insecurities or issues, they are worthy of love. I mean, the lead actress Ava Michelle was kicked off of Abby Lee’s dance team for being too tall as a kid, so if she wants to star in a movie about the disadvantages of her height, who I am I to stop her? So yes, “Tall Girl” may fall short of being a cinematic masterpiece and will probably be completely forgotten in two years’ time, but overall, it makes for a decent kids’ movie and should maybe be bashed on a teensy bit less.