Mom, the kitties and I are up and again are here at the movie drawing board. It’s 11:35 on a Thursday and it’s good to be off tonight. I heard good things about this movie and it looked fun.

There are three best friends Max, Thor, and Lucas and they have started 6th grade. Thor probably has the best creepy little sister Annabelle, you totally have to look out for her. The story centers around getting to go to a kissing party and all the obstacles to get there. It starts with a broken drone, neighbor girls holding it hostage for the kids perving on them, stealing their purse with Molly in it, a run in with the cops, buying drugs from a frat house, getting a new drone, grounding, and finally the party.

These are all great distractions from what is at the core of the story which is coming of age and dealing with growing apart. All the boys have been friends since kindergarten but now that they are in 6th grade, they seem to be going on different paths. Max is destined to be popular (especially with girls), Thor is interested in music and theatre, and Lucas is a nerd who loves gaming. They’re all realizing their differences and dealing with the fact that they might not be friends forever. This is one of the hardest realizations that you can’t prepare kids or adolescents for since you can’t necessarily predict the natural dissolution of friendships. You may care for someone and they can hold a special place in your heart, but you don’t have much in common. This film does a good job at showing the pain of this with the “Beanbag Boys.”

The sad reality of the core is easily offset with hilarious moments of middle school humor, relatable hormones and the discovery of sexuality. The story is well done, well acted, and a good time. I recommend it for nostalgia and a good laugh.