High school is just one long popularity contest. �Charlie Bartlett� proves this with hilarity and affection through the title character�s journey from a prep school expellee to a public school phenomenon.�

The high school characters � besides Charlie (Anton Yelchin, �Alpha Dog�), of course � are stereotyped into representatives of every standard clique. Yet despite each individual�s designated posse, cheerleaders, bullies, drama geeks and quiet, suicidal loners all eventually come to Charlie for advice, or just someone to talk to. Charlie is a psychiatrist eager to prescribe, who also has a penchant for a bad streak. With a little help from a drug dealer bully, the school is flooded with prescription drugs ranging from Xanax to Zoloft, all provided through Charlie.

The film embellishes the high school atmosphere a little from time to time, but what movie of this caliber doesn�t? In one scene, a gymnasium full of teenagers take Ritalin during their school dance, but not a single person is reprimanded in the slightest.

Charlie�s charisma prevails throughout the film, as demonstrated by a bevy of misguided youths who still seek his empathetic peer counseling after one customer tries to off himself with an overdose, causing Charlie to temporarily shut down the mini-pharmacy he administers from the boys� bathroom.

Students address Charlie with all sorts of personal problems, ranging from a breast implant dilemma to the loose cheerleader unable to find a stable relationship because she puts out on the first date.

One of the most memorable roles in �Charlie Bartlett� is that of a scruffy Robert Downey Jr. as the alcoholic Principal Gardner. Scenes of whisky guzzling, self-loathing and neurosis appear pretty close to home, creating moments that are both funny and depressing. Downey does especially well in a climactic scene involving a near-empty bottle of booze, a swimming pool, a remote-controlled motorboat and a handgun.

Downey�s character was only outdone in a few scenes, each involving the absurdity of Charlie�s mother (Hope Davis, �The Hoax�), a classy ex-hippy who � always with a courteous smile � is completely devoid of common sense.

The characters are admittedly a bit over-the-top, but that doesn�t stop them from being likeable. The notion of America�s youth being fed prescription drugs and put under heavy surveillance for control is not easily overlooked or easily missed.

In truth, there isn�t much substance to this film, and the substance that exists is hardly revolutionary, and the whole feel-good attitude of it doesn�t always jive well with the serious issues it tries to address.

In the end, it is Charlie Bartlett�s overwhelming personality and Yelchin�s performance that really make this film. The blue blazer prep school might ring a �Rushmore� bell, but the movie definitely has more of a �Ferris Bueller�s Day Off� feel to it. Charlie�s charismatic antics lead him on a quest for popularity, which is understandable, but his ultimate realization and the resolution of the film don�t quite pay off.

Go see this movie, but don�t expect it to be an instant classic.

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3 stars out of 5