TERRI – The Review

I believe the only people who truly enjoyed high school are those who breezed through the experience. For the rest of us, those four (or more) years of high school falls somewhere on a sliding scale of misery ranging from an annoying itch to a torturous punishment inflicted by the worst kind of mad scientist.

Stereotypes are common in films about teenagers, especially when set against the backdrop of high school. The truth is, teenagers and stereotypes go hand-in-hand. Without teenagers, there would be no stereotypes, but the burnouts, jocks and preppies of the ‘80s no longer apply in the new millennium. No, the typical characters of the John Hughes era have evolved along a parallel plane into some not better or worse, but different.

Director Azazel Jacobs (MOMMA’S MAN, THE GOOD TIMES KIDS) delves into the strange world of the high school outsider with TERRI, written by first-timer Patrick Dewitt. TERRI is a film that captures the beautiful agony that is so often the syllabus of secondary education. Those who say whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger is probably either delusional or a high school counselor, but there is actually some ironic truth to the statement, despite its overuse.

Jacob Wysocki (of the TV Series “HUGE”) plays Terri, an overweight teenager struggling to understand the world around him, while mistakenly accepting himself as the “monster” others perceive him to be. Terri is lonely, bored and picked on in school, but when Principal Fitzgerald (played by John C. Reilly) takes a special interest in Terri, his life slowly begins to turn around.

Terri lives with and cares for his Uncle James, played by Creed Bratton (THE OFFICE), a man suffering from some form of unnamed illness resembling dementia. It is clear that Terri feels burdened by his uncle, but that burden is overshadowed by his admiration for the man, who falls in and out of clarity. Creed’s performance is surprisingly textured and sincere, portraying a man who must have led a well-read, wise and musically inspired life prior to his illness. There are touching moments of veiled philosophy when Terri and his uncle are together, an epiphany Terri does not acquire without the help of a girl named Heather Miles, played by Olivia Crocicchia (of the TV series RESCUE ME).

John C. Reilly, an actor who has proven his comedic chops, opens up and delivers a quirky but caring role model for Terri. Reilly maintains his trademark humor on a subdued scale; developing a vulnerable adult who can relate with Terri and does his best to befriend the young man he fears is on the precipice of falling victim to a troubled life. Wysocki is engaging, often reflecting Reilly’s charisma as he navigates a series of ambiguous revelations, most vividly characterized when his uncle tasks him his trapping mice in the attic and the events that follow.

With TERRI, Azazel Jacobs has created The Breakfast Club for a new generation. In place of the burnout, the jock and the preppie princess we have Terri the fat, misunderstood loner and Heather, the insecure hot girl with low self-esteem. The weird and eclectic Ally Sheedy character is replaced by the equally weird and eclectic Chad, played by Bridger Zadina. The three outcasts form a bond through Terri’s metamorphosis of self-image that culminates in an open-ended but satisfyingly quirky friendship.

Azazel Jacobs employs mostly hand-held camerawork, giving TERRI a sense of spontaneity. A rich amber aura runs through the film, courtesy of cinematographer Tobias Datum (PEEP WORLD). The underlying warmth of color allows the audience to remain hopeful about the otherwise cold and harsh reality of Terri’s daily life.

The strongest element of TERRI is in the screenplay, carefully written and then respected by the producers of BLUE VALENTINE and HALF NELSON, clearly proving they have keen eyes for great stories. TERRI is a film with heart and low-key humor, but is daring enough to make the audience uncomfortable when necessary without losing integrity.

TERRI opens in St. Louis on Friday, July 29th, 2011 at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars