Year: 2023

Runtime: 87 minutes

Director/Writer: Sarah Kambe Holland

Actors: Sabrina Jieafa, Louis Tomeo, Asahi Hirano, J. Scott Browning, Roger Greco, Kelley Mauro, Ayden Lee

By Joan Amenn

Kicking off my coverage of the Seattle International Film Festival with this film was honestly one of my best choices of the last week. I initially thought that with a title like “Egghead & Twinkie” I should probably brace myself for a syrupy, overly cute look at teen friends facing choices about their future. I am so happy to be so wrong.

Childhood friends Matthew and Vivienne are better known in their social circle as Egghead (Louis Tomeo) and Twinkie (Sabrina Jieafa). That last nickname is actually a nasty racial slur but our young protagonist claims it as her own in a show of bravado that masks her inner insecurities. Director Sarah Kambe Holland understands pacing and comedic timing better than some more experienced hands behind the camera. The result is an utterly charming, gently humorous road trip with two best friends who must face a conflict in their relationship.

Identity, acceptance and love are issues that have been rehashed countless times in the genre of “teen movies.” “Egghead & Twinkie” isn’t breaking new ground but it does have a unique style. Since Twinkie is an animation artist, there are some scenes that reminded me of “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” (2021) with some of her drawings integrated into the film. This is done with a light touch that keeps the plot from getting too heavy as Twinkie and Egghead deal with their personal issues of disappointment, rejection and inner conflict. Jieafa is very good as a young woman who knows what she wants about three quarters of the time with the other quarter dissolving into a churn of emotional turmoil. In other words, a typical teenager.

Tomeo has the more difficult role of the supportive friend who also mostly has his act together as a straight A student on his way to Stanford. Egghead could have been a very wooden, even arrogant character but he is a sweet, goofy and endearing guy who loves Twinkie in a way she can’t reciprocate. If I have any quibble with the film it is that Egghead is just too perfect. He bounces back from the rejection too easily and endures a lot of tribulations thanks to Twinkie’s spontaneous idea of the road trip. Even then, he handles the logistics of the trip better than a lot of adults I know and secretly keeps Twinkie’s parents in the loop. Tomeo pulls off this balance of being on the cusp of adulthood but still finding nothing wrong in wearing a tacky costume as part time employment very well. There are some moments that verge into disbelief but overall, “Egghead & Twinkie” is a feel good movie that is perfect for an early summer night’s entertainment.