MOVIE REVIEW – CHARLIE BARTLETT

By Josh Marks

 

Charlie Bartlett is Ferris Bueller for the Ritalin generation. However, unlike the 1986 cult classic which did well at the box office (second only to Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back to School” in opening weekend receipts), this mediocre teen comedy will make a quick exit from theaters and the minds of teenagers like a bad case of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

 

Jon Poll makes his directorial debut with “Charlie Bartlett.” His editorial career is surprising given one of the major weaknesses of the film is the editing. The scene-to-scene transitions feel oddly timed and disrupt any flow to the story. With the clichéd MTV-style lensing showing the stereotypical student body of an American high school, there is little chance for a real emotional attachment to the characters. Unlike Wes Anderson’s comparable “Rushmore,” which was understated and allowed for more emotional investment, “Charlie Bartlett’s” frenetic and aggressive style simply doesn’t allow for this kind of depth.

 

The pic starts with Charlie (Anton Yelchin) getting kicked out of his Connecticut prep school and going back to live with his wealthy socialite mother (Hope Davis) who is alone because her husband and Charlie’s father is in prison for tax evasion. The rest of the movie is the story of Charlie attending his local public high school. With his prep school uniform and his obliviousness to the high school pecking order, he suffers the wrath of school bully Murphy Bivens (Tyler Hilton). Soon however Charlie finds a way to fit in – he dispenses psychological advice and psychiatric drugs to the students in the men’s bathroom and eventually becomes the most popular kid in his class.

 

One of the few redeeming characters is played by Robert Downey Jr. as the principal whose daughter (Kat Dennings) is dating Charlie. Of course the role is natural territory for Downey. The actor has played this character many times – a recovering alcoholic who slips back into old habits before finding redemption. You could put Downey in a Lindsey Lohan-Eddie Murphy film and he would bring a strong performance.

 

“Charlie Bartlett” does attempt to address some real issues today’s youth have to deal with -- namely being overly diagnosed and overly medicated. However, the film fails to talk about the underlying issues these teenagers face, and how this leads to drug abuse and the threat of suicide. One day there will be a great movie made that will tackle these important issues in a humorous and heartfelt way, unfortunately “Charlie Bartlett” is not that film.