Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut is a bold, outrageous, and funny Australian musical about two very different teenage cousins who initially clash but eventually join forces to make their mark on their town’s annual debutante ball.
Bold, outrageous, and slyly hilarious, Australian-born star Rebel Wilson finds the perfect material for her directorial debut in The Deb. Her film brings to teen girl social warfare the same blend of raw, sweet, and romantic that fans will recognize from her performances in Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect.
Maeve (Charlotte MacInnes) is queen bee at her exclusive private school in the city. But when one of her misguided crusades provokes outrage, she gets not only disciplined by the school but #cancelled by her peers. Mom sends Maeve off to stay with her country cousin in a dusty, Outback town called Dunburn. Taylah (Natalie Abbott) is the exact opposite of a queen bee. Not only does she lack Maeve’s privilege, she’s unschooled in her cousin’s newfound progressiveness. “I think I might be the feminist voice of my generation,” Maeve confesses in all seriousness.
In the tradition of the best musicals, the story unfolds in memorable, whip-smart songs written by Meg Washington, with lyrics by Washington and Hannah Reilly. As Taylah dreams of being invited to the town’s debutante ball and Maeve rails against such “heteronormative bullshit,” the two girls clash, crash, and ultimately connect. And Dunburn turns out to be a lot more complex than its country fair would indicate. Wilson herself delivers a delicious turn as the local aspiring cool mom.
For everyone navigating, observing, or panicking over contemporary teen girl life, The Deb is an absolute blast.
Written by Hannah Reilly with additional writing by Rebel Wilson. Music by Meg Washington, lyrics by Meg Washington and Hannah Reilly.
Content advisory: sexual innuendo, coarse language
Screenings
TIFF Lightbox 4
VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Roy Thomson Hall
Scotiabank 1