Charlie Bartlett

I highly doubt many of those who are reading this are old enough to remember the year 1986, or the theatrical release Ferris Bueller's Day Off (John Hughes). Still, I trust that there are those of you have seen the movie on TV, or DVD, or even on the prehistoric VHS. Well, the small-budget, diamond in the dust movie of the year borrows heavily from it, taking both old and new material and making it into something fresh. This hidden gem is Charlie Bartlett.

Charlie Bartlett is the story of a young high school student with roots in royalty. Seemingly destined for a posh life, he constantly finds himself in situations involving expulsions due to fraud (hundreds of fake I.D.s given to schoolmates, for example). Soon, Charlie has been kicked out of nearly every private school within 100 miles of his house-mansion. With no alternatives left, Charlie quickly finds himself attending a public school with regular, everyday students. From here, he decides the only way to fit in is to become a lord of sorts, and begins handing out prescription drugs to those students truly in need with no way of getting them, while playing the role of psychiatrist. Of course, this bears consequences in the form of the principle…And said principle's daughter.

An intelligent and witty movie, Charlie Bartlett is this generations Ferris Bueller. From the smooth, careless main character, to the parents being completely exaggerated in every manner, it all fits. The dialogue flows well and is witty throughout. Many teens will walk out thinking "That's not how teens talk!" Well, take it from a teen. There are those out there who would rather die than be seen writing out "Lyke Omg I luv ur new shoez!".

Now, the acting. Easily the best part of the movie, and also the weakest link. Up and coming actor Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) plays the role perfectly, never missing a beat. He plays happy and carefree when he needs to, but the next second he's so smug you want to smack him. It's perfection in the form of a teen. And of course, we have Robert Downey Jr. (Zodiac, Iron Man) gracing the screen in the form of Principle Gardner. The chemistry between the two hits every note, and doesn't waver for a minute. But, where perfection is seen, flaws are even more defined. Next to the two leads, many of the actors filling in the smaller roles seem to almost be trying to match them. And it doesn't come off well, with over-acting filling many scenes. Still, do not let it perturb you, as the powerful presentations easily overshadow the lesser ones.

My only nitpick in the movie that really took anything out of the movie… It was very obviously written by middle aged men trying to put themselves in the shoes of teens. In places it worked, but in others it came across as very forced and unrealistic. The school is very paint by the numbers. Let blue represent jocks, play out red as the airheaded cheerleaders and throw yellow in for the geeks, and you can paint a portrait of cliché.

All this being said, the movie has its up and downs. Depending on your mood, this movie could be for you. If you're looking for a smart movie with witty dialogue and good acting, and are willing to temporarily suspend everything you know of high school, this movies for you. Otherwise, for those more plot less, action oriented movie fans… Well, there's always Jumper.

4 out of 5 stars

Words – 599

I saw an advanced screening of Charlie Bartlett at my school with a Q&A session with the writer and director last April, and I must say, I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in a VERY long time.

Anton Yelchin is Charlie Bartlett, a young rich boy who has just gotten kicked out of his private school for forging driver's licenses for his fellow students in an attempt to gain some acceptance. As a last resort, his strange mother, played wonderfully by Hope Davis, puts him into public school. At first, he is treated horribly as the 'new boy', until he appoints himself as the school psychiatrist and pharmacist, and the students begin to love him, fulfilling his dreams of popularity. Meanwhile, he begins an intimate relationship with Principal Goldberg's daughter, leading to many conflicts between Charlie and the principal.

Anton Yelchin portrays Charlie flawlessly - the best part was when he got high off of Ritalin - and Kat Dennings was just beautiful. Hope Davis, as always, played his eccentric mother wonderfully, and Robert Downey Jr. was absolutely great.

For any of you who are wondering about Mark Rendall's role in this film, he has a relatively large part as Kip Cromwell, the unpopular, depressed boy who comes to Charlie for help. I must say he is AMAZING. He does a beautiful job expressing his character's many and layered emotions.

Anyhow, GREAT MOVIE!!! Do whatever you can to see it as soon as you can. I would give it an 11/10 if I could!!

Charlie Bartlett is a comedy film about Charlie, a rich kid who drops out of a private high school and experiences culture shock after enrolling into a public school. After being an outcast for a few days, he gains popularity by setting up a dubious enterprise that distributes medical drugs around the school. At the same time, he discovers that he has an ability to counsel and give advice to other students. Their problems include substance abuse, depression, and identity crisis. It turns out that the adults also have problems of their own. Charlie soon learns that things are not as simple as he originally expected.

The acting is the best aspect of the film. Anton Yelchin fits perfectly as Charlie. He has the ideal attitude and personality for the role. The gestures and facial expressions are spot on. This makes for an extremely likable and charismatic main character. For most of the film, Principal Gardner serves as Charlie's opposition. Robert Downy Jr. does a terrific job as Gardner, conveying a wide range of emotions that makes you truly sympathize him. The rest of the cast (mostly other students in the school) are likable in their own ways. Despite their personal flaws, you can see a change in most (although not all) of them throughout the film.

The plot has some good ideas in it. It carries some great messages about our personal and social lives. I would have liked to see some of the plot lines carried further. For example, the story surrounding Charlie's father is very artificial and felt like it was tagged on simply to make Charlie look more imperfect. With a little imagination, a whole lot more could have been done with it. Also, it felt like the conclusion did not implement all the ideas together.

The dialog and writing was a mixed result. Generally, it was good and even excelled at some moments. But there were other parts that seemed too over the top or plain silly. Granted, it was walking a thin line between comedy and drama, but it could have felt more realistic.

I hope I don't sound too critical, because I enjoyed Charlie Bartlett and would definitely watch it again. The characters were good and the plot was interesting. It has more substance than the usual comedy. If IMDb's voting scales were more incremented, it would perfectly fit in as a 7.5/10. A good comedy to start the year off, don't hesitate to check it out.

I began watching this thinking "I'm about 30 years too old to appreciate this" because it seemed to be pitched at a teenage audience, but after a while I was taken by the unfolding events and drawn in to the believable human story underneath it all. The great performances of Robert Downey Jr and Anton Yelchin convinced me that the Principal of a school and a troubled student could end up helping each other and overcome the predictable high school conventions. It was surprising and satisfying, and the outcomes for many of the characters were positive in a not-unbelievable way. I understand why some people would see the likeness to Rushmore, but for me that was a uniquely brilliant Wes Anderson creation that can't be touched by films with apparently similar plots. Charlie Bartlett is worth seeing for its own sake and it is a rewarding experience. Anyone who has been a teenager should appreciate it and fans of Robert Downey Jr will also get the bonus of his character opening up about a history of drug abuse that seems to come from the heart of this wonderful actor.

If you're pining for a modern John Hughes type teen comedy (such as Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller's Day Off), then Charlie Bartlett would certainly fit the bill. It's like an anti-American Pie. The teens are not obsessed with sex, it has heart and even a few dramatic elements. It's not as funny as American Pie type movies but that's not the point. Charlie Bartlett is basically a good-hearted very smart rich kid expelled from all his previous private schools who wants to be popular and becomes a kind of psychiatrist for his fellow classmates in a "normal" public high school.

The actor portraying him did a remarkable job showing his eccentricities while keeping him likable and sweet despite his less than legal actions. I'm not quite sure how likely such a character would be in real life but he's certainly interesting. I also enjoyed the other teens portrayed (most being two-dimensional instead of one-dimensional caricatures) and wish there had been more washroom confessionals. Robert Downey Jr is once again wonderful as a loving father and tormented principal who's not completely "evil" as in most movies of this type. I liked the understated uncomplicated romantic aspect and it kind of made me wish for first love again although I've seen this done better in several other movies. Overall, it's a charming teen movie, not overtly real-life melodramatic, nor overtly over-the-top ridiculous, as we rarely see in this cynical 21st century. It's a good rental and a decent purchase if you like high school dramatic comedies.

Rating: 7 out of 10