High school is high school, no matter the era. Directed by Amy Poehler, 'Moxie' is both an awkward act of nostalgia for '90s activism and an attempt to push the riot grrrl legacy into the future. In 'Moxie,' a current-day teenage girl named Vivian ( Hadley Robinson) ignites a raging feminist movement in her high school, after discovering a treasure trove of riot grrrl memorabilia in her mother's trunk. With a talented young cast, 'Moxie' takes its inspiration from the riot grrrl era of the '90s, from Bikini Kill (the punk rock feminist band most associated with riot grrrl), and, most of all, from the riot grrrl 'zines: self-created, self-designed, photo-copied, these 'zines spread across the country. High school is difficult for girls, but it's difficult for boys, too (at least girls aren't told 'girls don't cry' from the moment they're born.) Girls, though, have their own specific challenges navigating a conformist world, and that's the world portrayed in 'Moxie,' based on a YA novel by Jennifer Mathieu. Those 'dares' sound so simple, but they're not, particularly in high school. I got a proposition goes something like this:ĭare ya to cry right out loud.' - Bikini Kill, 'Hey Girlfriend'
