Before She Was a Star, Kirsten Dunst Led This Brilliant Teen Comedy – Until Weinstein Killed It

The 1990s are rightfully considered the golden era of teen comedies. Among the huge hits, such as Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You, one true gem has been overlooked – Sarah Kernochan's All I Wanna Do.

The story of female friendship and rebellion within a boarding school could have become a cult classic, but the intervention of one of Hollywood's most influential figures sealed its fate.

What Is 'All I Wanna Do' About?

The story takes place in 1963. Sixteen-year-old Odette is forced to attend a strict, all-girls boarding school after her parents find out about her plans to lose her virginity.

Initially, the school seems like a personal prison, complete with endless rules and isolation from the outside world. Everything changes, however, when Odette meets the rebellious Verena, the charming Tinka, the clever Momo, and the bulimic Tweety.

Odette finds herself in a secret society called the Daughters of American Ravioli, where the girls make bold plans for their futures.

'All I Wanna Do' Was Buried Because of Harvey Weinstein

This potentially cult film was consigned to oblivion with the help of Harvey Weinstein and his production company, Miramax. The original provocative title, The Hairy Bird, was first replaced with Strike!, and then with All I Wanna Do.

Director Sarah Kernochan faced direct opposition from Weinstein. After she refused to cut key scenes at his request, the producer launched a campaign of revenge against her.

All I Wanna Do received a limited release in 1998 without any promotional support. Even when Miramax decided to re-release the movie in 2000, capitalizing on the success of other teen comedies, Weinstein refused to fund the promotion.

'All I Wanna Do' Is Like 'Dead Poets Society' but With Girls as Main Characters

Similar to Dead Poets Society, Kernochan's film explores the topic of rebellion against the system within the walls of an elite educational institution. However, the focus here shifts to the experiences and challenges of girls and women.

While the boys in Dead Poets Society seek inspiration in poetry, the heroines of All I Wanna Do find freedom in female friendship and mutual support.

Their secret society, DAR, is more than a social club – it's a space where they can dream of a future that would have been impossible in the patriarchal society of the early 1960s.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'All I Wanna Do'?

• All I Wanna Do has 67% from critics and 73% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.7/10.

• On Letterboxd, All I Wanna Do scored 3.7/5.0.

Where to Watch 'All I Wanna Do'?

All I Wanna Do is available to stream on Prime Video and fuboTV.