Ahh, to be 17 again. After watching According to Greta, I don’t think I’d want to be. There are some perks, of course, but witnessing Greta’s (played by Hilary Duff, also executive producer) angst and uncertainty as she navigates the rugged course of growing up does not seem fun. In fact, it looks quite painful.

Greta has been shipped off to her grandparents’ house on the Jersey shore so that her mom can try and save her third marriage. Greta is not happy, and starts kicking up trouble from the get-go. Greta’s grandma (Ellen Burstyn) is not amused, and the tension begins to grow between the two females.

From walking on the wrong side of the tracks to installing cable in the house, Greta can’t seem to get comfortable in her own skin, and therefore, makes those around her ill at ease as well. It doesn’t help that she never knew her father (He committed suicide when she was young.), and among the things on her to-do list – along with losing her virginity – is killing herself by the age of 18.

The smartest thing she does when she arrives at her temporary summer home is to get a job at a local seafood restaurant. Here, she meets and falls for a young cook named Julie (a guy, Evan Ross).

Ross is the best part about According to Greta. He’s adorable, talented (He’s the son of Diana Ross.) and plays the bad guy good (Life is Hot in Cracktown), even if he is reformed.

Awkward and wobbly, the chemistry between the young lovers is exciting; you’re instantly drawn into their unlikely attraction to each other. Greta likes the bad boy and tries to ruffle her grandma’s feathers with his presence, while Julie can’t say no to Greta’s big green eyes – almost. He is smart and sincere enough to know he doesn’t want to be a check-off on Greta’s to-do list.

The highlight of the film happens in an interchange between Greta and her grandma at the end. Fed up with the antics and annoying cries for help, grandma erupts into a monologue about the joys of getting old, the unexpected surprises along the road to maturity and the amazing potential in Greta’s future. Luckily, Greta hears her loud and clear.

Grade: B-



According to Greta releases in select theaters Dec. 11.