There is no such slap in Hart’s “Stargirl.” Instead, Hart and Horowitz’s script digs into deeper emotions and bigger ideas that feel relevant and necessary today, especially in a film aimed at the younger set. “We talked about it a lot, with our executives at the studio and our producers, and we also talked about it with the actors.” “The book was obviously written when it was written, and the world has changed so much since then,” Hart said in a recent interview with IndieWire. Yes, her Stargirl (played by Grace VanderWaal) still leaves Mica after a series of heartbreaking events upend her social standing, plus an ill-fated attempt to “be average” (she even returns to her birth name, Susan), but Hart didn’t want to conclude “Stargirl” with something as vicious as a physical altercation. ‘Fast Color’ Reborn: How a Box-Office Blunder Became a Hot New Amazon Seriesįor the film adaptation of the novel, director Julia Hart (along with her husband and co-writer Jordan Horowitz) was wary about ending her Disney+ feature in such a terribly sad place. It’s a heartbreaker of an ending, and one that even Spinelli eventually tried to tie up in a 2007 sequel that followed Stargirl after leaving Mica High School (and Leo). Stargirl responds with a kind kiss to the cheek, and is never seen again.

And then, something even more horrifying happens: she gets slapped by an angry classmate in front of the entire student body at an especially fraught school dance.

(High school: what a time, what a place.)īy the book’s end, Stargirl has been ostracized, temporarily accepted back into the fold, and cast out yet again. While Stargirl’s free spirit - and her dedication to celebrating an otherwise boring suburban school - initially enchants her fellow students (especially Leo Borlock), the tides turn as the student body fall back into their old affection for conformity. There are no tidy endings at the conclusion of Jerry Spinelli’s beloved YA novel “Stargirl.” The 2000 book chronicles the changes that come to an Arizona high school after the arrival of the eponymous Stargirl, a wholly unique teenager who encourages everyone around her to embrace their true selves. Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for the conclusion of Julia Hart’s “ Stargirl.”

Stargirl disney book