Steinfeld said “The Edge of Seventeen” struck her as a film that connects to modern-day teenagers’ struggles in an unprecedented fashion.
“I don’t really feel like our generation has had that movie where we can watch it and feel like we are not alone… [where] we can watch these characters and we can feel like, “That is me,” Steinfeld said. “With this movie, I remember reading the script and feeling like I have experienced so much of what this character has gone through, and I have in no way ever been able to express it, and I think my nervousness came from doing the story justice and making this film so that people can watch it and see themselves in it.”
In light of the story’s relatability for today’s teenagers, Steinfeld stressed the relevance of social media in the film.
“I think [film’s inclusion of social media] talks about how we try and find that validation through a number of followers or a number of likes, and we forget … why we posted the photo in the first place,” she said. “I mean, the social media aspect in this film is so real — it’s not overdone, it’s not the center of the movie — but, like, it’s an honest telling of being a teenager and growing up.”
While reminiscing on shooting the film, the star shared her thoughts on working with Woody Harrelson. Steinfeld said their distinctive relationship is reflected onscreen.
“I think we personally found this timing and this banter that we had and were able to sort of bring to the screen,” Steinfeld said. “And I think our dialogue that was written by the amazing Kelly Fremon Craig was so well-written that … you just don’t have to do very much.”
Steinfeld said the script’s strength was due in part to Craig’s realistic vision for the film, which gave the actress some freedom during filming.
“Very early on in the process, Kelly [Craig] — one of the first things she said was, ‘If anything at any point doesn’t feel real, tell me, or do whatever it is you think you should do or say in that moment,’” Steinfeld said. “And having that much freedom from your director as an actor is, like, a dream and a half. I mean, having that trust that’s put into you … it gives you the ability to do anything.”
Despite being caught up in the frenzy of buzz about “The Edge of Seventeen,” Steinfeld said she still manages to find time to work on her music.
“Having now done the music for about a year or so, I find so many connections between the two in so many ways — I think my approach to each of them has completely changed,” she said. “Having made movies, I can go into the studio and write about experiences I haven’t necessarily experienced, but I have in a movie.”
Steinfeld also revealed she’s already working on a new album, again attributing musical inspiration to her acting experiences.
“I’m in the thick of it, and [the process involves] being in the studio thinking about, ‘What would the soundtrack of this girl’s life sound like, or [the soundtrack to] this movie?’” she said. “I love being inspired by, you know, any pieces of work in that way.”
Steinfeld said balancing her music and acting careers has been “pretty seamless” so far, adding that she loves both making music and acting equally and plans on continuing to juggle both in the future.
The young star also said she expects the album she’s working on to be released next year and she has signed on as a castmember for “Pitch Perfect 3,” which is also in the works.
Above all else, Steinfeld said she feels like she’s moving onto the next phase in her life.
“I just made [“The Edge of Seventeen”] last year, and [I’m] feeling like I’ve almost graduated, in a way, from being a teenager. I’m about to be 20, and it’s weird, and this [movie] kind of … represents me as a teenager and saying goodbye to that sort of time in my life,” she said. “I’m definitely looking forward to, I guess, seeing what kind of roles come with being a little older.”
While Steinfeld’s career keeps moving forward, her determination as an artist remains unmoving. With critics raving over her latest film and her booming music career, it seems that Steinfeld will be a Hollywood icon in no time — and that’s much to be said for a woman just on the edge of 20.