Charlie Bartlett

Typically when a movie is pushed back from August of 2007 to September of 2007 to November of 2007 to January of 2008 to February 2008 it is a very very bad sign. It means something is consistently wrong with the movie and the studio is not quite sure what to do with such a movie. However, at first that was not the case with this movie. It was originally moved because of the buzz created by Robert Downey Jr.'s performance so they wanted it closer to Oscar time, but the buzz died and the film died essentially. I always just assumed I would end up having to rent it, but was happy to see it opening in Davis over the weekend. Sadly, only 5 or 6 other people were as excited and the weekend totals proved that maybe it should have gone to DVD.

Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is the new age high school slacker. He is Ferris Bueller if Bueller had daddy issues and didn't have a sense of innocent fun. He has been kicked out of every private school due to all kinds of shenanigans and his alcoholic, loopy, I-want-to-be-friends-with-my-son, mother (Hope Davis)just plops him into a public school. Bartlett is not afraid of annoyed by going to public school because he is such a happy-go-lucky seeming kid. On day one he meets smug hottie Susan Gardner (Kat Dennings) and runs into the stereotypical drug peddling bully, Murphy Bivens (Singer Tyler Hilton)and Bartlett is left to wish what it would be like to be popular. Never fear because soon he knows exactly how to be popular: Give the kids drugs!! Well he sells the kids all kinds of pills that he gets by going to all different shrinks with different symptoms. He also sits and listens to the problems of his fellow students and offers help. This entire thing does not go unnoticed by principal Gardner (Downy Jr.). Gardner is an alcoholic and he has lost control of his school and he blames Barlett. What happens next is a tug-of-war between Bartlett and his principal and control of the school and the affection of Susan.

With the exception of an ending I found too disappointing I loved, loved, loved this movie. I was concerned off the bat because it was a little silly showing Bartlett under the influence of Ritalin because the rest of the movie did not feel so offer the top, but once the movie really got to meat of the story, I was totally won over by Yelchin and his incredibly charming off putting nature that embodied his Bartlett. There are of course a few great themes about popularity and the addiction that comes with it. Also, addiction in many forms, plays big here in Downey Jr. Downey Jr. brings every ounce of life experience as a former addict and he just nails every scene he is in. He is funny, charming, depressing, villainous, pained and in moments incredibly fatherly. He really helps elevates everyone in Charlie Bartlett. Yelchin really deserves a lot of credit though because he appears in about 90 percent of the scenes and he really carries the movie. We believe an entire school could get behind him.

Don't worry either, this is not a movie promoting drugs. In fact, one depressed student tries to commit suicide with the drugs he bought from Bartlett and when Principal Gardner says in one of the best moments in the film "It isn't about being popular, it is about what you do with that popularity." Therein lies the real theme of this movie. What do you do when you have a whole group of people following you? Do you continue to lead them astray and help cause more problems or do you use your power for good. In the immortal words of Ben Parker "With great Power comes great responsibility." But, I don't want to be downer because this is a comedy after all. And as a comedy it really packs a nice comic punch. The dialog is fresh and funny and it rarely, if ever, relies on any sort of bathroom humor. Of course, it does not have the kind hearted spirit of its obvious predecessor, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but does any movie ever really capture that spirit? I do hope you will all give this a shot, at least on DVD. It deserves to be seen and enjoyed.

Final Grade: A-