Review: ‘Charlie Bartlett’

Travis:

Charlie Bartlett (2007) was directed by long-time editor turned first-time director Jon Poll. is a smart young man, too smart at times. Charlie has been given tho boot from just about every private school in his area and now must enter the realm of the public high school. Charlie, played by Anton Yelchin (Fierce People), is the son of a very wealthy couple. His mother, played by Hope Davis (American Splendor), is more of a friendly roommate than a parental figure and his father is away, where to be exact I cannot say … you’ll have to see the movie to uncover that piece of plot.

Charlie’s primary objective in school is simply to be popular, or as he states it, to be liked. Despite his far above average IQ and education, Charlie chooses to put his genius to work in areas less than desirable to the adults in charge. As it turns out, Charlie masterminds his popularity plan at the public school to such a degree that he gets himself into an academic and ethical pickle. The problem is, with Charlie’s new popularity at stake he also stands to lose much more, more than has ever been on the table before in his life. Charlie experiences his first love in Susan, played by Kat Dennings (Down in the Valley), who just happens to be the Principal’s daughter.

Charlie and Principle Gardner, played by Robert Downey, Jr, (Zodiac), get off on the wrong foot from the start. With this, Charlie has an epiphany about life and what it means to be popular. Charlie Bartlett is at once a charming and humorous updating on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, while being so much more than the fun, subversive teen comedy that Broderick’s famous character was to so many of my generation. This movie has a message, maybe even a few, that are gently woven into the story as not to beat the audience over the head, but still make an impact without distracting from the film’s highly entertaining execution.

Yelchin is great and he really shows the range of his talents in this film, from drama to comedy, singing and even a stunning ability to vocalize different characters. Charlie Bartlett has some classic scenes that I know will stick with viewers for a long time, meaning this movie has the potential to last as Ferris Bueller and Breakfast Club have lasted with their generation.

(4 out of 5)

Zac:

Jon Poll’s look at the high schooler’s psyche is an intermittently successful attempt at creating a fresh high school comedy.
Charlie Bartlett is a private school kid who is forced to go to public school where Charlie Bartlett hopes to live up to the greatest dream in his life, to be popular! He does this by getting himself prescribed countless prescriptions by visiting his rich psychiatrists of the family with the symptoms of his fellow classmates so he can help them out and give them the drugs that might help them. Charlie also looks for love in the Principals daughter while her father deals with depression and alcoholism. The movie is a bit of a stretch, to say the least.
One of the first issues with the film right off the bat is that Poll is obviously trying to create his “Rushmore,” which is an uphill battle to compete with Wes Anderson’s fantastic picture. The two lead characters in these films have many similarities with a couple of personality quirks just taken to the polar opposite. Other similarities include, the cool demeanor with authority, drama clubs, private school kid sent to public school, the biggest differences is Charlie Bartlett is a bit more likable and popular then his counter part Max Fischer.
The films believability is also asking for a the viewer to let a lot slide and the films message is kind of all over the place, never really settling on anything nor really resolving a whole lot. The film is also full of stereotypes, and while they put a different spin on their actions they are still pretty unoriginal.
The film does cover and address some very real issues that high school students go through and for that I applaud them. Though the pill popping prescription the film kind of sort of advocates isn’t really a message today’s society really needs to be glorifying. The film doesn’t even necessarily glorify it, and does offer an alternative to medicine in just good old therapy, but that still is only because of the result of not being able to offer the drugs any more.
The third act also runs into a lot of issues with way to easy fixes and drastic and swinging tones that are just all over the place.
The acting is fairly good though, Robert Downey Jr. as the principal is very good with a dry sense of humor and is convincing as an adult on cruise control through life. Hope Davis is also very good as the easy going, upper induced blissed out mother of Charlie, and is a joy to watch on screen every time she ends up in frame. Anton Yelchin is good as well as the title character, with same great bits with his random outbursts to people. He has a wide range and shows it here but it will be interesting where he goes from here and what he does with his career.
In the end, Charlie Bartlett is a mixed bag that is worth the rental if interested. The movie feels too much like a knock off of Rushmore to ever praise it, but it isn’t horrible by any means. There are some really great moments sprinkled throughout and the movie never falls below being ok, which is a decent accomplishment with the amount of trash that gets released and wishes it was just ok. Either way, the film is kind of stuck in mediocrity with hints of greatness.

(3.25 out of 5)

[rating: 3.5/5]